Celebrate Norfolk Southern's 30th Anniversary with your favorite heritage railroads in select RailKing Imperial SD70ACe models from M.T.H. Electric Trains. Each of the ten different railroads featured in the real-life series created by Norfolk Southern and used on their fleet of SD70ACe locomotives has been recreated in M.T.H.'s RailKing roster of our best selling diesel.
The SD70ACe is Electro-Motive Division's hope for the future. While designed to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's Tier-2 emissions requirements that took effect on January 1, 2005, this replacement for the SD70MAC also seems to have a higher purpose: to recapture the lead in North American locomotive sales that EMD lost to General Electric in 1987.
Under the hood beats a third-generation model 710 diesel with 4300 horsepower; only slight modifications were needed to make the model 710 meet new emission standards. With 5000 such motors in service worldwide and a reputation for dependability, EMD reasoned that shop crews would prefer familiar technology.
Other than the prime mover, however, virtually every element of the SD70ACe has been rethought to create a 21st-century locomotive. Ergonomics were a prime consideration. The engine's angular nose offers the crew far better visibility than most other locomotives, and the cab is comfortable for engineers of almost any size. Digital screens provide a range of information on what is happening both inside the locomotive and out on the road. The cab easily accommodates a crew of three - an important factor in a modern world without cabooses. And there is, of course, a cup holder for the engineer.
Our near-scale model is a full 17" in length, yet operates comfortably on O-31 curves. Under it's hood lies the Proto-Sound 3.0 digital sound and control system - the very same one found in our more expensive Premier model of this locomotive. Programmed with sounds recorded from an actual Union Pacific SD70ACe, each Imperial model also features operating diesel exhaust smoke and flashing ditch lights. If you're looking for realism and a lot of fun at a RailKing price, it doesn't get any better than this!