Product Review: Athearn Genesis SD70ACe

Today, I have chosen to do another product review.  This time, I will be reviewing the new SD70ACe, which has been added to Athearn's Genesis line of products.  This locomotive was offered as a direct model, or with DCC and sound installed.  I bought a pair of the locomotives, both of which have DCC and sound on board.  Before I get started, I just want to say, EMD designed some really ugly locomotives this time around!  Personally, I think these are ugly, yet somehow really attractive.  Having said that, I do think Athearn did well representing these units.  Let me explain.

Exterior:
The paint job on this locomotive is excellent.  The paint is very crisp, and all the lines are neat and clean.  The model I have represents a BNSF Railway locomotive, and the paint scheme is very accurate when compared to the prototype.  The details on the model are outstanding.  Warning signs are in the correct locations, and most are readable under magnification.  Additionally, all the reflective safety strips are in the correct positions.

The individual details on the locomotive are all factory applied and separately applied.  The details are what you would expect to find on a brass model.  All the grab irons and hand holds can be found on the locomotive and they are delicately thin.  All the hand holds, grab bars, ladders, windshield wipers, pipes, air hoses, and cables are present on the model, and are in their appropriate places.  Fan grilles are see through.  One grille is definitely wire, but the other two are hard to tell if they are plastic or wire.  Because they are so thin, it seems like they would have to be wire.  Other grilles and vents are see through, and even have equipment behind them.

Interior:
That is right folks, I am talking about the interior on a locomotive, and I am not talking about the engine room!  The cab roof is attached to the locomotive by a pair of magnets.  The roof can be lifted off the locomotive by carefully grabbing the sides and simply lifting.  Inside the cab, you will find three seats in their proper locations.  You will also find controls modeled somewhat roughly, although basically accurately.  The controls are modeled accurately on the engineer's side of the cab, as you would expect, and also on the conductor's side and the back wall of the cab.  Additionally, there is an event recorder on the cab, behind the conductor's windshield.  All of these interior details are visible through the cab windows.

Operation:
The SD70ACe operated moderately well at low speeds.  Right out of the box, the DCC model jumps to a start, however by adjusting the starting voltage settings, this minor problem can be eliminated.  Once eliminated, the locomotive starts quite smoothly.  The locomotive accelerates and decelerates smoothly.  It runs  well, with a minimal amount of motor noise.

Out of the box, the locomotive operates with directional headlights and ditch lights.  In the DCC model, the ditch lights can be programmed to flash alternately, burn steadily, and they can be turned off using a different function than the headlights.  Headlights can also be programmed to have a dim and bright setting.

Sound:
When the locomotive is placed on live rails, the engine goes through a startup routine.  The locomotive will not move until it has completed the startup sounds, just as the prototype would be unable to move under its own power until the engine is running.  The startup routine includes an alarm, followed by the starter motor noise, and then the loading up of the engine.  After a couple of seconds, the engine settles into a fairly quiet idle.  When you throttle up, the engine takes a minute to load up, and then begins to move in response to the throttle change.  Out of the box, the locomotive goes through the throttle notches automatically.  This can be set to be controlled manually.

Besides basic engine sounds, the locomotive also includes horn and bell sounds, are dryer and compressor sounds, brake sounds, coupler sounds, dynamic brake sounds, radiator fan sounds, and an engine shutdown sequence.  Coupler sounds, dynamic brake sounds, and the engine shutdown sequence must be activated by the user.  Once the engine has been shut down, the locomotive will not respond to throttle commands until it is started up again.  The air compressor and air dryer sounds, as well as the radiator fan sounds are activated automatically.  The radiator fan sound can also be activated by the operator.

Out of the box, the volume was a bit loud for my taste.  Of course, this is a matter of operator preference.  The volume can be adjusted by changing a configuration variable value in the decoder.  Instructions on how to do this, as well as other things are included in the documentation that comes with the locomotive.

Overall, I am very pleased with this locomotive.  As I mentioned, I do think it is ugly, but that is more a concern with the design department at EMD!  Athearn has very faithfully represented the latest addition to the AC locomotive fleet.  The model has outstanding detail, excellent sounds, and a high quality paint job.  I was not disappointed at all with this purchase, and I anticipate that it will spend many hours pulling coal on my railroad.