MTH Electric Trains HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD70ACe diesel locomotive

By Angela Cotey | November 12, 2010

| Last updated on November 3, 2020

I reviewed the MTH HO scale EMD SD70ACe back in the January 2010 Model Railroader. This DC version uses the same tooling without the MTH Digital Command System. The locomotive runs great on DC, and can be easily converted to Digital Command Control.

In 2005 General Motors Electro Motive Division began delivering SD70ACes to meet higher government emission standards. For more information on the SD70ACes, see the article in the November 2004 Model Railroader. The dimensions of the MTH model match prototype drawings in that article.

DC and DCC performance. In DC the locomotive began moving at 1 volt and accelerated to 82 scale mph. The prototype’s top speed is 75 mph.

The model includes instructions for installing a DCC decoder and speakers. First I removed the handrails from the body shell. I then removed the wheelsets and the truck sideframes. Using a small flat-bladed screwdriver, I disengaged the tabs that hold the body shell to the die-cast metal frame. Make sure to keep the parts organized for easier reassembly.

The MTH SD70ACe includes an eight-pin Digital Command Control socket.

An eight-pin DCC decoder socket is on the printed-circuit board. I installed a Train Control Systems DP-5 decoder with an eight-pin plug. I had to use an eight-pin extender (available from electronics supply stores) so that the decoder fit into the socket properly.

I reassembled the trucks and replaced the body shell without any difficulty.

The SD70ACe ran smoothly on our DCC test track. It crept along at 1 scale mph, and accelerated to 75 scale mph.

Adding speakers for a sound decoder takes more work. The following steps need to be done while the trucks are still disassembled. To get to the enclosures for two 28mm speakers I removed the plastic fuel tank by using a hobby knife to lift the two tabs on each end. The fuel tank comes apart in two halves.

There are holes in the chassis for the wires that run from the speaker to the decoder. If your decoder comes with an attached speaker, you’ll need to unsolder the speaker from the wire. Once the speaker is installed, you can then resolder it to the wire.

Along with the SD70ACe models, MTH is also selling its SD70M models in this DCC-ready configuration.

The MTH SD70ACe is a great option for adding modern-era diesel power to a layout.

Price: $189.95

Manufacturer
MTH Electric Trains
7020 Columbia Gateway Dr.
Columbia, MD 21046-1532
www.mthhotrains.com

Road names: (Union Pacific Heritage) Missouri-Kansas-Texas, Denver & Rio Grande Western, Chicago & North Western, Kansas City Southern, Missouri Pacific, Southern Pacific, Western Pacific. UP American flag and George Bush no. 4141. Other road names: BNSF, CSX, EMD demonstrator, and Montana Rail Link

Era: 2005 to present

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