PTC = Positive Train Control - PTC systems determine the precise location, direction and speed of trains, warn train operators of potential problems and safely bring the train to a stop if the operator does not act. Specifically, PTC technology is designed to prevent train-to-train collisions; derailments caused by excessive speed; unauthorized train movement onto sections of track where maintenance activities are taking place; and movement of a train through a track switch left in the wrong position. PTC will not prevent accidents caused as a result of track or equipment failure; improper vehicular movement through a grade crossing; trespassing on railroad tracks; or certain types of train operator error.
FEATURES:
Intricately Detailed Durable ABS BodyDie-Cast Truck Sides, Pilots and Fuel TankMetal ChassisMetal Handrails and HornMoveable Roof FansMetal Body Side GrillesDetachable Snow Plow(2) Handpainted Engineer Cab FiguresAuthentic Paint SchemeMetal Wheels, Axles and Gears(2) Remote Controlled Proto-CouplersO Scale Kadee-Compatible Coupler Mounting PadsPrototypical Rule 17 LightingDirectionally Controlled Constant voltage LED HeadlightsLighted LED Cab Interior LightIlluminated LED Number BoardsOperating LED Ditch Lights(2) Precision Flywheel-Equipped MotorsOperating ProtoSmoke Diesel ExhaustOnboard DCC/DCS DecoderLocomotive Speed Control In Scale MPH IncrementsProto-Scale 3-2 3-Rail/2-Rail Conversion Capable1:48 Scale ProportionsProto-Sound 3.0 With The Digital Command System Featuring Freight Yard Proto-EffectsUnit Measures: 18 1/2” x 2 5/8” x 4”3-Rail Operates On O-42 Curves2-Rail Operates On 40.5" Radius Curves
The DC-motored SD70M-2 and AC-motored SD70ACe are EMD’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, they also have a higher purpose: to recapture the lead in North American locomotive sales that EMD lost to General Electric in 1987.
Under the hood of both engines 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 these engines has been re-thought to create a 21st century locomotive. The engines’ angular nose offers the crew far better visibility than most other locomotives, and the cab is comfortable for engineers of almost any size and accommodates a crew of three — an important factor in a modern world without cabooses. Digital screens provide a range of information on what is happening both inside the locomotive and out on the road.
The key difference between the SD70M-2 and the SD70ACe is what’s under the floor: traditional DC traction motors in the SD70M-2’s trucks and AC traction motors in the SD70ACe. While AC traction motors put more tractive effort on the rails and enable an SD70ACe to start a heavier train with the same horsepower, that additional capability comes at a cost. AC-powered locomotives are both more expensive and more electrically complex than engines with DC traction motors, which most diesels have used since the 1940s.