Some of the railroads do not have images above them to show the specific GP7 and GP9 version and paint scheme chosen.
Is that because nobody has sent any opinions or images to Scott?
Andrew
Hello Scott:
A very big YES for the CNJ GP-7 version with yellow stripes, long hood train lighting box, short hood high mounted bell, 'frog eye' marker lights with red/orange/yellow lenses and smoke deflectors mounted on roof each side of cab roof.
Most importantly from historic perspective...suggest use roadnumber 1526 this is original CNJ GP-7 as delivered roadnumber (and has NOT been made in this number by Atlas or MTH or Williams). After 1958 Newark Bay Bridge accident 1526 was rebuilt by EMD with new roadnumber...1526 became 1531. However had major bodystyle changes including moving roof mounted bell to long hood end and was then classified as GP-9M so do not do 1531.
Additional 'vacant' CNJ roadnumber models are: 1520, 1527 and possibly 1528.
Run both roadnumbers.
Thanks.
Walter M. Matuch
PS: Many times in my youth I actually ran many of the CNJ GP-7s when I rode along on CNJ's passenger runs...my uncle and grandfather were CNJ men and later I was one too!
Nice, but the copy says they run on O72 switches minimum (the way I interpret it). That means they won't run on many of our layouts.
According to the illustration shown the C&NW or Chicago & North Western GP9 diesel locomotive it will have the 1980 to 1990 Zito era "Safety Yellow" paint scheme. The road number are not shown on the side. The font of road numbers changed in the middle of 1980.
1980 to 1990 is the era paint scheme that I prefer for C&NW since the ATLAS O CNW Trainman bay-window and extended-vision cabooses are both in "Safety Yellow".
I am not yet sure if that is the case and the real paint color used will be the 1970's original yellow.
Andrew
Third Rail SD 7 or 9 a few years ago. Click on the link. Note that the wheel flanges are small, IMO. This design is not a two vertical can drive. A horizontal motor with belt drive to the fuel tank and drive shafts, to the front and rear truck. O72 limit may be related to this drive shaft arrangement, there is a limit to the drive shaft bend, IMO. ???If Third Rail uses the SD model design for the GP model???.
I don't see the Reading RR represented, that's a significant omission, Reading had a number of GP7's.
Sunset 3rdRail has opted to put single motor drives in their diesel models. I have quite a few and they ran great. I still have some, and have sold some models with 2 vertical motor drives. I personally do not like them. Mine never run as smoothly as the single motor drive models I have - even the old ones from the 80s. The most noticable thing is that they do not start and stop smoothly. One motor always seems to start or stop before the other, and the loco gives a jerk as the second catches up. The vertical motor drives have the gears along one side of the truck. On the examples I have, the truck sideframes stick out way too far. They are out as far as the sides of the body. On real locos, the trucks are tucked in underneath. Remember a real loco is about 10 feet wide and the track is only 4' 8 1/2 inches, so the wheels and sideframes are under the loco not out at the sides.
Another personal issue for me, is that the two motor units run way too fast. They seem to be more like slot cars than locos. I like my stuff to run slower, which the single motor drives with step down gearing do quite well. Two motor drives could probably be geared differently to run slower, but the market does not seem to care.
Mike CT,
I agree. The drive train universal joints can tolerate a limited amount of misalignment. I think that running on reduced-radius curves, like the O-54 on my smaller layout, may cause increased wear on the U-joints and induce higher stresses in the input/output driveshafts. One reason I haven't ordered a Sunset/3rd Rail GP-7/9 is that I interpret the website to say that the locomotive can negotiate O-54 curves but needs O-72 on the turnouts. If that's the case, it's not really operable on O-54 for me. Some clarification in this regard would be helpful.
MELGAR
Being able to handle 054 curves but not turnouts does not make sense. Scott Mann (Sunset) answers questions readily. although he is a business person, not an expert modeler, so he may not know. but I suggest send an email and ask. Reservations are still open.
After an e-mail reply from Scott Mann and a search for a photo, it looks like the C&NW GP9 will be in the 1970's Original Yellow scheme.
Andrew
Sunset/3rd Rail website says this about the GP7/9 models:
3R (O-54 simple curves, O-72 turnouts and switches)
MELGAR
@gunrunnerjohn posted:I don't see the Reading RR represented, that's a significant omission, Reading had a number of GP7's.
I see a Reading GP7 shown on the 3rd Rail website. It’s an illustration, not an actual photo. I’m not a Reading fan, but it appears to be painted in what I’m guessing was the “as-delivered“ paint scheme...sort of a Pullman Green body color with gold or yellow lettering.
So it is, I glossed right over it. Not the colors I was looking for...
