unfortunatly, aristo has committed to using the SD45 motor blocks for the upcoming release of their Dash 9 locomotive…these motor blocks are totally un-compatable with ANY of aristos older locos, even the ‘upgraded’ older locos still on the boat in a container…anyone who uses (i’ve seen the pictures) the SD45 with ANY other engine, other than another SD45, is tearing something up somewhere…as an example, a SD45 (lead engine) mu’d with a U25B (2nd loco)…the U25B ‘pushes’ the SD45…if the U25B is the lead unit, the U25B then ‘pulls’ the SD45…in all actuality, the U25B neither ‘pushes’ nor ‘pulls’ the SD45…but it will be spinning the wheels on the rail…i know this from hands-on experience trying everything short of putting resistors in every engine i may mu the SD45 with, to get the SD45 compatible with any other non-SD45 engine…i will get a Dash 9 most likely, unless MTH comes out with their Dash 8 first…should i end up with a Dash 9, i will have to remove the motors/worm gears, just so it will be compatible with the rest of the fleet…that would make 2 dummy engines, better get a couple Dash 8’s or SD40-2’s to push these locos around…