my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

California's Railroad to the U.S. 1861 - 1996

Southern Pacific SD39

One detail to be aware of; is that the handbrake was a wheel mounted on a stand on the rear of the long hood: see #5303 and #5318.
Details West makes the appropriate part for HO Scale: HB-177.

From Jean-Marie Syx of Belgium comes these series of images showing an under construction HO Scale SD39:

Models:

The SD39 will have to be kitbashed from an SD38 or SD40, or brass, or you can go the route of the RailModel Journal article listed below...

If you go the Cannon route in HO Scale, then a Kato SD45 or SD40 chassis could be used if one is more readily available than the other.

N Scale:

• Kato SD40

HO Scale:

• kitbash from a Kato SD40 (Kato is the preferred HO model)
• IHC have re-released their HO Scale model of an SD4O
• Rail Power Products did make a HO Scale SD38 shell and chassis kit
• Rail Power Products also made a HO Scale SD40 shell and chassis kit

O Scale:

• ?

Model References:

• Western Prototype Modeler, Sep/Oct 1975 13 pages - Part 1. modeling an SD39, history and detail drawings
• Western Prototype Modeler, Nov/Dec 1975 8 pages - Part 2. modeling an SD39, detail drawings
• Railroad Model Craftsman, Nov '72 - has a set of Plans and description.
• Railroad Model Craftsman, Apr '86 Page 78 - Plans re-printed from 1972 and an IT kitbash.
• Railroad Model Craftsman, Sep '95 Page 48 - has 'the' kitbashing article using a Kato HO Scale SD40.
• RailModel Journal, December 1999 pages 30-39 - virtually a scratchbuilt Cannonized HO Scale model plus plans.