This Kato SD40 was listed on ebay with a very low starting price, as I'm looking for parts for my SD39 build I thought it might make a good chassis donor so I slung in a bid and forgot about it until the e-mail popped up to say I'd won... for £22! That's a very keen price for a Kato and I fully expected the seller to decline the transaction, but sure enough it appeared in the post this morning.
Very nice it is too, one of the early release Kato models with the window packaging, this model predates DCC ready models and will need to be hard-wired with a decoder. The shell was originally Canadian Pacific but it has been repainted (without being stripped) into a Southern Pacific unit. The repaint is pretty good but I will probably strip the shell down and start from scratch if I do decide to keep the unit as an SD40.
Detail level is pretty good, but not up to the standards of the modern Genesis line, there are no see-through fans or other small details, and the walkway handrails are particularly chunky. The best thing about the model is the ultra smooth Kato motor and drivetrain. This model purrs like a kitten and I'm sure it's going to make a great addition to the roster, either as-is or as the basis for my SD39 build.
Ironically, the SD40 frame I ordered from the states turned up today as well, a part that cost over half as much as this entire locomotive! At least it gives me an alternative option for mounting my Railpower SD38 shell - another potential base for the SD390 project.
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