Today we have a big blue EMD to check out!
This one is not from an actual railroad, but from a leasing company, which is a first for my layout.
So without further ado, let's get started!
EMD SD9043MAC History: The history of the SD90 series is a little convoluted, with several variants and rebuilds.
That said, we'll focus on the SD9043MAC today. The SD90MAC was introduced in 1995 and was originally supposed to feature EMD's 6,000hp 16-265H prime mover, but this engine proved to have issues, so until the issues could be apparently solved, the SD9043MAC was built, which instead featured the 4,300hp 16-710 G3C-T1 engine. They weighed 415,000 lbs, and were equipped with two 3-axle trucks with each axle being powered by a Siemens 1TB2830 AC traction motor. The SD9043MAC was provided to railroads with the option to upgrade them to the 6,000hp engine when it became available, but no railroad took EMD up on that offer. None of the SD90 series proved to be particularly successful, so very few if any are still in service (as of October 2023) - with most being either scrapped or rebuilt into SD70ACU units.
CEFX 119 History: Ordered from EMD by the CIT Group for their lease fleet, 119 was built in December of 1999 and painted in their purple/burgundy scheme.
It would wander around North America being leased to various railroads, and during 2013 would recieve the far nicer blue paint we see here. Now blue, it would again continue its wanderings until ... at least late 2016. I can't find any record of it any later than that, so CIT presumably still owns it, but I'd assume it's in storage somewhere.
Here's the info on the box.
You might notice a slight dip in the frame around the back of the cab - that's not a defect. Interestingly, the SD9043MACs actually feature that dip.
I thought the pattern of the black paint here was interesting. Wonder why they didn't just paint the whole top black?
Video!
And the ratings ~
Good: Everything, actually. The paint and details all look great, the sounds are great, the DCC works as it should, and the loco operates and handles perfectly. Also, it weighs in at 1lb 7.8oz, a good weight to accompany a sturdy model.
Bad: None. Really.
Verdict: It's great! No complaints whatsoever.
Great unique color scheme and doesn’t appear to have any issues during its operations. Nice sound quality as well