Personally, I'd give it a miss. Alaska RR has GP40-2's rather than GP40's and the Atlas GP40-2's are far better running locos but getting it in ARR may be harder than finding hen's teeth. Also, I note the Bachmann 40 has the same number as the Atlas 40-2. Of course, your mileage may vary (as they say).
Windle- I'd have to say pass. Regardless of price. There are too many better quality units available these days. Boxcab E50
You know, I keep hearing that these units are no good and not to buy them for any reason. Well I have other ideas about that. I own two such units and have had very great success with them. They may not be any Atlas or Kato but are far less finicky on dirty track. I swear they'll run anywhere. My friend and I have a running joke that you could just stick two wires into the ground and run your Bachman through the dirt and it would do it. On top of that, these two will pull the same amount of cars as any two of my Atlas or Katos to boot. Mind you I have made extensive modifications. I've put on Kato GP fuel tanks and superdetailed the crap outa them and all in all they came out pretty dang good. Just my two cents.
I too keep reading a lot of crap about this particular B-mann loco. Before you rip them to badly might I suggest that you take a closer look at them .You may be surprized at what you find. One thing you will notice is the vertically split diecast frame (you know the one everybody gives KATO credit for)By the way does anybody know where KATO got that frame from.It was from ATLAS ,it's the frame design they specified KATO use to build the fabulous ATLAS/KATO diesels. By the way Bachmann had theirs many years before either ATLAS or KATO.
Me too,Boxcab .While its a long way from being an ATLAS or a KATO I'd say a 25 year + lifespan has got to say something positive for the unit.
Besides which, they make great companions to my Bachman Spectrum SD40-2s, Dash 8s and my Lifelike GP38-2s and GP18s. All seem to run great together.