This Athearn SD40T-2 is a good looking and running HO model locomotive. It is highly detailed including "see through" air intake grills. These grills make the "Tunnel Motors" one of my favorite diesel locomotives. This is not an Athearn Genesis, and given a choice, I'd pay the little extra for a a Genesis. This model does have a nice light package which includes forward and rear headlights, top mars light, ditch lights and a rotary beacon. I'm glad that Athearn is now using LEDs. This was a DCC ready model and I installed a Digitrax DH166MT. This is a 21 pin decoder. The Atearn instructions say the model uses a 9 or 8 pin decoders, but this is not correct. Access to the mother board and installation of the decorder is made easy by removing the dynamic brake modual. It is not necessay to remove the the locomotive shell to install the decoder. All the lighting fuctions were easily accessed. This is a great locomotive at at great price.