i know subjects about athearn RTR stuff comes up all the time, but i’m looking at a couple of RTR CNW GP35s the Op lifesaver one and the normal scheme, i would like to hear opinions of fellow modellers who own or have operated this particular locomotive, i know that there is Kato and others but cannot afford the A$215 for one loco, especialy when i can get 2 athearns for A$200 thanks in advance for your answers.
OZJIM
There are some online retailers offering it for less than the quote yo have for $200 for a pair. I think Trainworld.com is selling it for $69 a peice. I own 2 of the GP35 rtr in the GN paint, these loco’s run good and look good. As far as getting a good bang for the $, these are a good deal and are better than there Blue Box version. I say go for it.
ICRR1964, i live in Australia so thats why it will be a bit more $$$ and why Katos are mega $$$
EDIT:BTW thanks for the info cheers.[:)]
Ouch! Sorry never seen that. So in other words the hobby is just plaine expensive all the way around for you then. Ebay comes in handy then at times for you then. Sorry for the confusion.
First Hobby has Athearn RTR GP35 in C&NW for $59.49 USD. A pair of those with s&h should still have you below $200 AUD. I’ve never ordered from First Hobby but I’m sure there are people on this board who have had some expierience with them.
you hit the money, atlas tank cars cost me $40 the other day, P2K engines are $115-$350 depending if they got sound or not, but lucky its a great hobby so i dont mind paying $$ for items, cos i know ill run them till they dont run no more.[:)]
I have the D&RGW and GN painted editions of these and am very pleased with them. One advantage they have over some other Athearn RTR locomotives, specifically the GP40-2s and the GP38-2s, is that they have a headlight that lights up the headlight, not the entire cab. The running qualitiy of all currently available Athearn RTR locomotives is good, their detail is good, their weight is acceptable, now if Athearn would only once and for always tra***he “headlight in the cab” design. Do not yet have the CNW version, but I don’t think the paint scheme makes any difference.
I have both CNW GP35’s by Athearn. They only come in the regular yellow. I got them from first hobby. The paint is not a perfect green match, but the detail is ok. I added the extra details. they run good. First Hobby is an excellent vendor to work with.
We’ve got one. It runs ok. It was very loud at first but break in took care of that. There’s a slight jerk on start that I can’t seem to program out. I think it has to do with the motor type. The paint is very crisp but the model is sorely lacking in the detail department. We’ve added some aftermarket details such as MU hoses, uncouplers, sunshades, etc. It still need windshield wipers and the goofy looking horns Athearn uses need to be replaced.
For my money, I’ll pass on Athearn RTR. I can finance the better part of two P2K models from Trainworld or Ebay for the prices of an Athearn. They run better and have MUCH better detail.
Here’s a 35 on the point of this consist. What’s up with those horns Athearn???
I’ve got two.
They run pretty good, I didn’t have the gear noise problem that Grande man had, and like senor grande I’ve added detail to them, MU hoses, sunshades cab interior with crew etc. It’s not quite a Jim Six but it holds its own next to my P2K’s and Atlas lokies. If your into detailing these are great little projects, the hard part (liftrings and grab irons) are already done for you. I’ve got a 3rd on the way that im gonna renumber and try to get a speaker in the cab.
In short? They can’t be beat for the price, and there better then the Bachmann 35’s.
A massive improvement over the old BB GP-35 with the shell that was like 2 scale feet too wide.
I have 4 of the C&Os and I found them to be smooth runners from the box…I like 'em just as well as my 4 Kato GP35s…
thanks guys, it looks like after excange rates etc im still saving $$ ordering from the US
EDIT: on the athearn site it had op lifesaver scheme as well as standard scheme