07-11-2012, 08:46 PM
Based on Reinhard's recommendation, I went looking for a good price on the Bachmann GP50, and I found one off Amazon for roughly US$30 including shipping, which is probably slightly better than the price he got in Stuttgart:
So I figured it was worth a try! (Interesting how you can start to trust some of the guys you meet on BigBlue, apparently here with some reason, though naturally on line caution is important.)
I kinda think Reinhard is onto something here, especially if you shop for price, but naturally remembering that you get what you pay for -- but this is still something of a bargain. I haven't popped the body off -- I have various things I need to do from now through the weekend, and may not have the time for several days -- but the instruction sheet doesn't show a flywheel. This doesn't affect the speed curve in a major way. It starts at pretty low voltage on ordinary DC, sooner than an Athearn RTR, but it moves about as soon as an Atlas starts, and it doesn't seem to complain too badly with an Atlas at low speed, anyhow:
Here it is standing still with an Atlas B23-7:
As I said above, just for starters you would need to remove the factory lettering to get anything close to the style and number of a Southern GP50, but it looks like you can keep the tuxedo paint otherwise. Having done that, you should renumber it, reletter it, put the safety striping where it belongs, and add plows. Beyond that, it's an individual call how much farther you want to go with details -- the radiator fans could be replaced at miniumum. I have at least one Athearn GP50 body that could donate details, especially considering what it cost me 30 years ago, but the question again is how far you want to go in making a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
But Reinhard is certainly onto something -- thanks for the tip!
I kinda think Reinhard is onto something here, especially if you shop for price, but naturally remembering that you get what you pay for -- but this is still something of a bargain. I haven't popped the body off -- I have various things I need to do from now through the weekend, and may not have the time for several days -- but the instruction sheet doesn't show a flywheel. This doesn't affect the speed curve in a major way. It starts at pretty low voltage on ordinary DC, sooner than an Athearn RTR, but it moves about as soon as an Atlas starts, and it doesn't seem to complain too badly with an Atlas at low speed, anyhow:
Here it is standing still with an Atlas B23-7:
But Reinhard is certainly onto something -- thanks for the tip!