EMD SD70ACe
The EMD SD70 (SD: Special Duty) is a series of diesel-electric locomotives produced by the US company Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD). The EMD SD70ACe built from 2004 to present uses three phase alternating current (AC) motors. It complies with the emission standards tier II with 4,300 horsepower (3,200 kW), and later with tier III with 4,500 horsepower (3,400 kW). The EMD SD70ACe competes against the GE Evolution series GE ES44AC.
AZL EMD SD70ACe
The first SD70ACe engines were released in April 2016. For the first time a z scale engine had lighted ditch lights. Unfortunately, they are so weak that you can hardly see them.
The BNSF engines and the UP Safety Cab #8803 have also ditch lights on the rear end.
From left to right:
- UP - Original Cab 8370 (AZL-63100-1, released May 2016)
- UP - Safety Cab 8803 (AZL-63100-4, released October 2016)
- UP Heritage - Katy 1988 (AZL-63109-4, first run, released July 2016), #1988 represents the year when Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT), known to many as the Katy, merged with the Union Pacific
- UP Heritage - SP 1996 (AZL-63109-1, first run, released November 2016), #1996 represents the year when Southern Pacific merged with the Union Pacific
- BNSF - Safety Cab 8768 (AZL-63102-3, released May 2016)
- BNSF - Safety Cab 8773 (AZL-63102-4, released May 2016)
Included is an optional pilot and an optional plow.
I run the two engines tail to tail. The leading engine gets the plow. The coupler box of the front truck has to be shortened in order to accommodate the plow (see below).
Removing the shell
Remove the tank shell, then hold the chassis by the tank with one hand and lift up the shell with the other hand holding it at the rear. Don't try to lift it at the cabin, you might break the sunshade (happened to me).
Also, the trucks may easily fall off and then it also a real hassle to get them back into the chassis. The pick-up wipers have to be over the contacts of the truck and inside the shell. The trucks and the pick-up wipers are hold in the correct position only when the shell is on. See Tech Tips - Truck Pick-Up Wipers at Zscale Monster Trains.
On the picture you see also the shortened coupler box of the front truck.
Note the misspelling on the heritage engines:
The misspelling can be found on all the AZL SD70ACe heritage engines!
PROUD HERTTAGE POWERFUL FUTURE
instead of
PROUD HERITAGE POWERFUL
Digitalizing with the Zmodell decoder ZDL-AZL-01
The UP engines were digitalized with the Zmodell decoders ZDL-AZL-01 which were released in Europe in summer 2024 (pdf). They featured bright LEDs and most of all an integrated power buffer which supplies power to decoders during times of power interruption due to dirty track or problematic track work. This leads to fantastic driving characteristics with uninterrupted slow speed and to no flickering of the lights. The bright LEDs make the ditchlights in the SD70ACe really visible, while with the other decoders you can't see them.
The Zmodell decoder ZDL-AZL-01 can replace the TCS decoder AZL4 and the Digitrax decoder DZ123Z0.
Installation: Even though the decoder is a drop-in decoder it doesn't drop in easily! The track pads above and under the board have solder on it. The solder has to be carefully and patiently reduced in height by for example filing so that it sits firmly in the clips of the chassis. Always check before continue to file.
Above: Top view
Below: Bottom view
Below: Bottom view
left: TCS decoder - right: Zmodell decoder
Ditchlights
The advantage of the Zmodell ZDL-AZL-01 decoder over the TCS AZL4 decoder shows it in the brightness of the ditchlights (digital voltage: 11 V). In the case of the TCS decoder they are hardly visible.
Lightcover
Digitalizing with the TCS decoder AZL4
One UP engine and the two BNSF engines were digitalized with the TCS decoder AZL4. The ditchlights were not visible. A piece of the light rod in the BNSF engine was cut and an additional LED was brought to the cut position. The result was then that the ditchlights became visible.
Later on in 2024, the UP engine was also digitalized with the Zmodell decoders ZDL-AZL-01.
Left: UP, TCS decoder AZL4
Middle: BNSF, TCS decoder AZL4 with additional LED
Right: UP Katy, Zmodell decoder ZDL-AZL-01