Although officially classified as a medium road-switcher, the SD38-2 is frequently identified with its heavy duty in the steel industry. the SD38-2 has also been used in mainline and yard duty by railroads such as UP and CNW when looking for extra tractive effort. These models are accurate to the roadname/engine number with regards to fuel tank size, truck brake cylinders and dynamic/non-dynamic brake hatch. They are equipped with Kato knuckle couplers, LED directional headlight and 8-pin DCC socket. They are also designed to be sound-friendly, allowing for the optional installation of a 1-1/10" 28 mm diameter speaker for use with an onboard sound unit (speaker and sound unit from another manufacturer). These locomotives are ideal for use with steel industry structures, ore cars and coil cars from other manufacturers.