Athearn came out with the nice SD45T-2 tunnel motors with see-thru screens a couple years ago, and now they've officially announced the SD40T-2 model with similar tooling and details.
(Click to enlarge)
The Kodachrome SD45T-2s (see image above) came out perfectly timed to appear on the 1986 HO Siskiyou Line ...
Hooray, since Tunnel Motors of both types are regular fare on the 1980s Siskiyou Line. The timing couldn't be more perfect, since this also means it will be easy to add a DRGW SD40T-2 to the late 1980s SP Siskiyou Line, exactly on schedule.
In case you don't know, my HO Siskiyou Line models the 1980's SP Siskiyou Line in southern Oregon. My layout is exactly 20 years behind the current date, so it's currently the summer of 1987 on my layout. Once we reach 2010, my clock will go back to 1980 again and I will be 30 years behind the current date ... perpetually staying in the 1980s with my layout.
Joe Fugate Modeling the 1980s SP Siskiyou Line in southern Oregon
Joe,
As mentioned in another post, the D&RGW SD 40T-2 Athearn is producing is still on UP's active roster. In fact there are still over two hundred active T's, including one SD45T-2. Many of the active SD40T-2's are SD45 rehabs.
So, the Siskiyou's Tunnel Motors are safe for quite awhile.
Tilden