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Post by cpr4200 on Jul 27, 2024 9:52:05 GMT -8
Just received a pair of Walthers Proto GP7's. Haven't put them under a microscope, but they are very nice. The new cooling fans are excellent, a vast improvement over the LL era fans, and the exhaust stacks have been refined. Two things that struck me are, the nbw's at the grabirons are nearly invisible, and the lift rings look way small, maybe 2" diameter? Maybe I'm just too accustomed to seeing oversize parts. The handrails are even finer than on the LL Geeps, and the mu stands and steam generator parts also look good. The trucks have the older square and sloped bearings with an ATS shoe on one side and speed recorder cable on the other. I'll be repainting them (one MEC 573 and the other NYC or B&M) and will want to replace the sideframes to get the later Hyatt bearing caps. I don't think the Athearn parts will fit and the bearing caps seem to be molded on.
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Post by schroed2 on Jul 27, 2024 10:06:42 GMT -8
(one MEC 573 and the other NYC or B&M) and will want to replace the sideframes to get the later Hyatt bearing caps. I don't think the Athearn parts will fit and the bearing caps seem to be molded on. just curious, which scheme you are planning for MEC 573 (highball has decals for the one around 1979, but I am not aware of any decals for the earlier "special" scheme). I have set aside an old (and cheap) LL shell that fits the phase for this one. |
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Post by tom on Jul 27, 2024 10:46:32 GMT -8
Too bad you could not have found an undec Proto GP7 as the undec Proto GP9s and GP35 (and maybe the GP7s) came with sideframes that did not have the bearing caps molded on. Instead the various caps (sloped, square and Hyatt) came separately and could be added as desired. Mainline GP9s came with the bearing caps molded on. The sideframes are made from styrene so they would not be that hard to remove the bearing caps and replace them with Detail Associates ones (if you can find them). The Proto lift rings are close to the prototype not like those old standby metal eyebolts. Photo shows my undec Proto GP35 with the bearing caps still to be added.  |
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Post by 12bridge on Jul 27, 2024 10:55:18 GMT -8
The Proto GP7/9 platform continues to just get better and better. Personally, I still find it to be the best version we have of that model. The Atlas is just...dated, the Genesis just has too much odd about it.
Far too many people still see the Walthers Proto stuff as the "old" Life Like era models, when in reality, there is so little left that has not been fully retooled now.
The Walthers stuff may not have every last detail like some companies, but what they do have is consistency. You know you are going to get a good running model out of the box, you know your going to get good handrails, etc.
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Post by cera2254 on Jul 27, 2024 11:21:55 GMT -8
I have a few of the Genesis GP7s and you’re right, that cab still seems odd to me, the proto cab seems much better.
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Post by cpr4200 on Jul 27, 2024 14:04:01 GMT -8
These were advertised for $91 apiece, so I jumped on them. I'll investigate the bearing caps further, but the exploded drawing only shows the leaf spring hanger and brake cylinders as separate parts. It doesn't make sense that the other Geeps mentioned have separate bearing caps. I thought this was a pretty recent run. As has been said, carving off and replacing the bearing caps shouldn't be too hard.
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Post by cpr4200 on Jul 27, 2024 14:13:16 GMT -8
just curious, which scheme you are planning for MEC 573 (highball has decals for the one around 1979, but I am not aware of any decals for the earlier "special" scheme). I have set aside an old (and cheap) LL shell that fits the phase for this one.
Yes, the late 70's era simplified green. The earlier scheme could be cobbled together with yellow/Harvest gold stripes and gold (it looks like Dulux to me, not the same as the stripes) rectangular heralds.
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Post by Colin 't Hart on Jul 28, 2024 8:04:09 GMT -8
These were advertised for $91 apiece, so I jumped on them. What was $91 each? |
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Post by cpr4200 on Jul 28, 2024 10:27:30 GMT -8
^^^ Two Proto DC GP7's.
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