Wm. K. Walthers Inc. has released a new run of its Proto-series Electro-Motive Division (EMD) SD9 road switcher. The HO scale model features an injection-molded plastic body; die-cast metal chassis; and a mix of plastic, etched-metal, formed wire, and cast brass detail parts.
Prototype history
Electro-Motive Division produced the SD9 from January 1954 to June 1959, constructing 471 units for railroads in the United States of America. The 1,750hp diesel was equipped with a 16-cylinder, 567C diesel engine.
The sample we received is decorated as Great Northern 595. The full-size unit was built in April 1958 under order number 5564-6. The six-axle road switcher was part of GN’s 573 through 599 series.
Following the March 1970 merger that created Burlington Northern, GN 595 became BN 6122. In 1995, the unit joined the BNSF Ry. fleet following BN’s merger with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. The SD9 was renumbered BNSF 6122 on July 29, 1999. The engine was retired on Jan. 16, 2003.
Model features
The Walthers HO scale EMD SD9 has a multi-piece plastic shell consisting of the short hood, cab, long hood, dynamic or non-dynamic brake blister (as appropriate), and the combined sills, pilots, and stepwells. Factory-installed and painted formed-wire grab irons are used throughout the model. The eyebolts on top of the long hood are etched metal.
The models in this production run all have railroad-specific details. Among those on the GN unit are a brass Leslie RS-3L air horn, a large winterization hatch with a photo-etched metal grill and GN-style walkway, fuel tank breather pipes, and a 48″ long hood fan.
Our sample is decorated in GN’s Empire Builder scheme with solid sill stripes, correct for April 1958 through the late-1960s. Photos from Sept. 1969 show the 595 with white reflectorized rectangles on the sills.
The orange and green paint is smooth and evenly applied, and the yellow stripes and lettering are opaque. The edges of the long hood around the handbrake should be green, not orange.
I compared the model to drawings in the 1956 Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice. The dimensions closely follow published data.
On the test track
The Great Northern SD9 we received features an ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder. I did the initial testing at the workbench using an NCE Power Cab. At step 1, the model crawled at less than 1 scale mph. At step 28 the SD9 was hustling down the test track at 69 scale mph. The full-size engine had a speed range of 55 to 89 mph depending on the gear ratio.
Then I took the SD9 to our layouts for more testing. The SD9 ran without issue pulling a short freight train and doing industrial switching on the Wisconsin & Southern. It muscled 14 50-foot insulated boxcars up the 3 percent grade between Bay Junction and Skyridge on the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy.
With railroad-specific details, authentic sounds, and metal couplers, the WalthersProto EMD SD9 has come a long way since it was first introduced by Life-Like back in the 1990s. The HO scale six-axle road unit is plenty capable of handling yard switching, transfer runs, and mainline freights on a model railroad.
See a video of the Walthers HO scale EMD SD9 in action on Trains.com.
Facts & features
Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin DCC plug, $219.98; with dual-mode ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder, $319.98
Manufacturer
Wm. K. Walthers Inc.
5601 W. Florist Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53218
Era: April 1958 to late 1960s (as decorated)
Road names: Great Northern; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Chicago & Illinois Midland; Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range; and Southern Pacific. Also available undecorated.
Features
- Proto-Max couplers, at correct height
- Metal wheel stubs mounted on plastic gears, correctly gauged
- Weight: 15.3 ounces
