Question about Williams GP9 Number Boards

hello trestrainfan

I can help you with this, i have a Williams/Bachmann Santa Fe GP-9 stock #21420

which i purchased in 2013. This engine has black painted over clear blank number

boards with white painted on numbers #2678. Its a really good runner but check the

gear boxes first before running them as mine didn't have any grease in it when i open

it up for first time. I hope this helps some what

Tiffany

Some of the older GP-9's made before Bachmann bought the Williams line might have nubers in the plastic. I think the newer Williams by Bachmann does not have numbers in the plastic so as to save money.

Lee Fritz

My Williams by Bachmann 2348 M&StL GP9 has clear plastic number boards

I have an old Williams Rock Island powered GP9 (#1277) and the newer WBB Rock Island dummy GP (#1258).  Number boards in each.

Look at the bright side. You can purchase vinyl numbers in black or white. Do it yourself and save the aggravation of returns.(and expense)

Thank you all for your replies.

ReadingFan has the same model as I just purchased, and his has the clear number boards, so it looks like that is the way they come from the factory for WBB. So I'll be keeping it. I think all my older Williams and WBB engines have number boards with numbers. Too bad WBB stopped putting numbers in at least some of their engines.

I found a couple of photos online of real M&STL GP9 diesel engines, and they both show white letters on a black background. I've never done it before, but I think I should be able to pick up a sheet of the white decal paper and create the number board on my computer and print some number board decals.

Tiffany, I have the Santa Fe GP9, but mine is older and is Williams before they sold to Bachmann. It is a good engine. Thanks for the reminder about checking the grease. I've read a few posts on the forum about newer WBB locomotives not having adequate grease in the gear box.

FWIW, I've made number boards by printing white on black on plain #20 printer paper.  I glue this to the bare numberboard and then cover it with clearcoat.  It's easier, at least to me, than trying to get decals printed and stuck to the number boards.

I have used dry transfers to put number on blank number boards.

This is the right choice, and fairly easy, too

Thanks for the suggestions. It looks like there are a few different methods for adding numbers to the number boards.