I just got this Athearn Genesis GP15T CSX #1503, IMO Athearn did a great job on this model. There's a lot of factory applied details like grab irons, lift rings, windshield wipers, working cab windows, safety/warning decals, etc. There are a few things that are incorrect to the prototype but nothing that can't be fixed. I removed the horn from the cab that came with it and ordered the correct one that will get mounted on the hood. I got this train on ebay and it had operating ditch lights installed on it. I don't know if they came factory from Athearn or if they were added by the person I bought it from, but the wiring on them needs to be changed. The front and rear are one function so forward or reverse all ditch lights stay on. I would also like to get them to alternate with the horn. I'd also like to add a crew to the cab, MU cables, paint the handrails on the front and rear pilots yellow and if I paint the handrails I'm thinking of removing the plastic chain and replacing it with a brass chain. I might also consider removing the classification light caps and adding "plates" then raise the CSX logo higher on the nose like the prototype, but that one is a definite maybe. Here it is out of the box (without the horn).







Heres a picture of the front of 1503, plated class lights, higher nose logo and all yellow handrails.

Sure is nice, should be though consider it's a higher end athearn

Correct horn got installed, awaiting paint.

That is a great model. I missed to get one when they became available last year. They are very hard to find now.

faraway Wrote:That is a great model. I missed to get one when they became available last year. They are very hard to find now.

I've seen a few in the YN2 scheme but not a big fan plus a lot of them are getting repainted to YN3. When I saw this one in YN3 with sound then the seller told me the ditch lights worked I immediately bought it., couldn't pass it up.

They are great models, I've got two myself, be it the GP15-1, in CFNR colours. I installed Loksound Select Direct decoders in them, very smooth runners.

Here they are:
Two sisters by K2K Koos, on Flickr

Koos

That's a really nice paint scheme, did you have to paint them?

No I didn't, they were factory supplied like this.

I contemplated doing so after the first release of the model, and didn't include the paint scheme, so was looking for undecs , but they then announced a second run which did include them, so I pre-ordered them.
I did however order them DCC ready, so I could fit my decoder of choice (Loksound select direct) and I've changed all lights with warm white micro LED's.

Koos

the yn3 scheme came with the ditch lights from the factory. mine came with the ditch lights operating using the function 5 button, and are directional. the rear are hooked up to function 6 on the board. i havent figured out how to wire the ditch lights to oscilate, and keep them directional. it would be nice if soundtraxx had a couple more outputs.

Slow goings but I got some details taken care of, although Athearn and Polly Scale have two different ideas on CSX yellow and blue. The blue is a little closer than the yellow but close enough I guess.

I picked up Floquil CSX new image gold and it was a perfect match, much better than the bright yellow.