# Recieved my AC SD45 kit today



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Not quite finished asembling, it but will let you know how the kit goes together. Stay tuned. Later RJD


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Your "kit". whats that mean?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Sounds like it was not shipped completely assembled.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

or worse......


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## Jethro J. (Apr 4, 2012)

Hmmmm. Sounds like some one cut some corners to save money again, Never fails, always a issue with Aristo products.


J


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Or 
RJ is just calling it a kit bacause he can't remember how to put the hand rails on?? He did not say repairs??


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## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

Who is it manufactured by USA or Aristo Craft? 
Ron


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Only one manufacturer makes a G scale SD45.... Aristo. 

Nah, he's not even to the hand rails... I'll let him answer... I've seen the pictures. 

Greg


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Marty are you sure you know what a kit mean? Well here is the step by step build.









First we install the engineer seat








Next we need to install the nose bell and mount








Next we install the MU connectors both ends of unit you can see the hole here where it needs to go








Next we install the cab windows and finally the hand rails which I will do sometime today after reattaching the body to frame. The shell had to be removed to get to the interior of the cab. AC needs to add a little more glue to hold things in place due to UPS rough handling. I have always liked kits.








Here is what the new wheels look like. All black and lower flanges. Also as a note for the plug and play socket the dummy rear plug hole has only 8 holes instead of the 10 so there will be two pins left out of the socket. This does not effect the operation of the unit when installing your favorite P n P board. There is no change to the 12 pin socket. If your installing QSI or the AC Revolution you should have no problems. Later RJD


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Hey RJ, was there any extra charge for the "kit" version? 

How about the 3 free weights? (Did it come with ANY weights?) 

Greg


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

What is a weight?







None as this loco is light as a feather.As far as extra charge I think I need a slight refund for doing there work.







Later RJD


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

light as a feather, do you know what a feather is???LOL


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Well Marty you tell me. Are you staying up to late at night to come up with the off the wall sayings?







Later RJD


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm still waiting to know what a "kit" is?


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

This can't be an Aristo Craft kit. 

RJ didn't say anything about missing parts.


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## Joe Mascitti (Oct 30, 2008)

Marty, the "kit" is re-assembling what is left of the locomotive after UPS smashes it all to ****.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Joe, thats all I was wondering..... not a big deal.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

It wasn't ups, it was poor assembly... not letting glue set, window only had one tiny spot of glue holding it on, and the engineers seat had no glue at all, you can SEE for yourself this is true. 

And it looks like Aristo has even done away with weight, first the lead ones started missing, then went up in price, then zinc was substituted (half the weight), then metal plates substituted, and no it appears that is gone as well. 

Maybe the next phase will leave the motors out to save weight? 

Looks like the Chinese are having the last laugh. 

Greg


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## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

I still wish that Aristo Craft would add springs to their loco trucks similiar to the way USA does. The one piece truck that A/C has is very unforgiving of uneven track expecially at a curve. My Dash 9 has derailed countless times from slight unevenness of track going into or coming out of a curve, but my USA loco's do not derailed from uneven the track because each axle has independent springs. I do my best to have smooth track and spend hours working on it, but a rigid six axle frame will climb a rail from a small uneven track section. 
Ron


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## Joe Mascitti (Oct 30, 2008)

Marty...no problem... 

Greg...I wonder if RJ was charged the "non glued" price??... I bet he came un-glued when he opened the box!


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

RJD 
can you tell me what the wt. is? the ad for it says 15lbs. 
thanks dick


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm waiting on that, but RJ said he did not have a good scale. 

A SD-45 weighs 15 pounds with extra weights in the fuel tank. No way this can weigh that much... that was one of the points, the cost cutting "evolution" of fewer and lighter weights has been going on for some time. 

Greg


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

OK but if it does not wht. 15lbs is this not false advertising? 
dick


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

well just asked a friend to weigh. his pan am and this is his e-mail to me "The SD-45 weighs 12 lbs. with the 2 weights in the fuel tank" 
so much for truth in advertising.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

There is a stack of plate weights 12 in all 51/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide.









Ac does not redo there instruction sheet every time they do an up grade and then re run the loco. So this is what you get now instead of the 3 big lead weights. Might as well not have any at all. I do have some of the other weights that I will install.








Here is a pic of the 10 pin socket as you can see the QSI pins do not line up with the socket however the front 12 pin does so that the QSI will work even tho the 2 back pins stick out on the 10 pin socket. Just some more good QC from AC


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Now they cannot even do their own socket right? 

hoo boy... 

Well, 2 of the original lead weights weigh 3.52 pounds:










So one weight weighs 1-3/4 pounds...

5-1/4 pounds for all 3... I believe that unloaded the loco is about 7-8 pounds.

I'd like to get the weight on the steel stack, but I'll guarantee you it weighs less than lead!

They did this same thing to the steamers, the new consolidation has steel weights.

Greg


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## Robby D (Oct 15, 2009)

They are 14Lbs in the shipping box.


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

I cheeked again and his pan am came with the 2 whts. and 14lbs in shipping box does not = " Fifteen Pounds of Locomotive for Better Performance"


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

AristoCraft telling porkies about a product?? Never!!!







I simply do not believe it.


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Ok,you guys have talked about the bad. How does it run with the new wheels? The flanges do look better.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Like to get one "naked" on the scale, and would also like to get that stack of steel weighed by itself. 

Just interesting how this stuff evolves. 

Thanks Robby! 

Greg


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

I only weight mine to about 11lbs. Run multiple units anyway so plenty of pulling power and less wear and tear. I just want to know how the new wheel design performs before I buy a MRL unit.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Well I had some extra weights so here is how the loco came when first runs where made. 









My original SD 45 was right at 15 # and they are good pullers. Later RJD


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yep, RJ when you have a chance, can you measure the wheels? Scott indicated they should be the same as the new type that first appeared on the Dash 9 (although the plating/coating is clearly different) 

Greg


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Well RJ I picked up a SD 45 MRL, got it home, everything was fine until i started to take it appart to check for weights. then the engineer fall down, 3 windows poped out and i am missing my whole detail packet that is usually taped in the styrene. I got the Kadees installed then called it a night.
Good show tho. lots of folks and it was a mixed scale show.


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

OK. Kits do add to the play value!!!


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Got to thinking last night, does the SD45 come with a detail kit or is it just the dash9?? its been so long now since i bought one.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

It is a detail "kit" for most people now apparently!


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Marty call your buddy Navin for your missing detail parts. He will be glade to assist you.







Later RJD


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## Jethro J. (Apr 4, 2012)

Gentlemen, dont hate the Player.................. Hate the game. He He He.................



j.


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

".... 3 windows poped out and i am missing. . . ."

Shucks I've only experienced that prob' with USATrains in the past ! AC must be rolling out of the same factory now. 

missing details - railings etc. (?) Sounds like you got the factory seconds package, usually sold on toy street in Hong Kong. 

imho


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

USAT and Aristo have been coming from the same factory for years. 

Greg


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Finally ran the SD today and it ran quite well. Gage of wheels seem to be a bit on the tight side tho. Better than being wide. Later RJD


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

RJ I bench test mine and very quiet from the beginning. I MU'd my two on the bench. manybe this weekend I can get them out on the RR.


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## Santafe 2343 (Jan 2, 2008)

Marty,[/b]
SD-45's don't come with extra detail parts, thats only the Dash-9's. 
RJ,
Nothing loose missing, or damaged on my new Santafe or my new Norfork Southern and they run like a dream, and so quiet ![/b]


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Rex he is referring to the hand rails which do come with the loco and he did not get them. So glade you always get the good ones with everything intact. How's that?
Later RJD


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I suppose yours came with 3 lead weights installed too? ;-)


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## Santafe 2343 (Jan 2, 2008)

Didn't eveybodies? I must be special.[/b]


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

We'll forget the time you were really mad at Aristo and threatened to return all of your E8's because they were junk. 

(by the way, those posts are still on the forum... challenging this could be embarassing) 

Everyone has had different experiences over the years, glad to see that yours have gotten better than Marty's and RJ's! 


Greg


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## Santafe 2343 (Jan 2, 2008)

I told you, I'm "Special", Besides if I was to return all my trains to them, they would go bankrupt paying me back. I have way too many trains.[/b]* But I keep buying, I am going to two shows this weekend. I bet I don't come home empty handed!*


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

And don't get me wrong Rex, I am REALLY happy you like the E8's... or else I would not have one your beautiful B units!!!!! 

By the way, you have got to hear them with stereo sound in them... look on my youtube for 3 with 6 speakers total! "gregeusa" 

Greg


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

But Rex you go to these places and buy then sell them your self.







Now that does not say much. Later RJD


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Well all is together and even have the LED head lights installed. There lights where very dim. Later RJD


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