Does anyone make a good EMD GP-10? I need one in a low nose, if they aren’t all that way. I am trying to model the AT&L railroad in western Oklahoma[:)], and that is what they use, along with a low nose GP-9 and low nose GP-7. Either one of these would work also, I just need three locos that look about the same. I’ll have to paint them all, but I’ve been looking for a project that I could do that on. I would like one as high quality as an Atlas or a P2K, but don’t think they have ever made these[:(]. Thanks for any input.
Chances are that someone has written an article about kitbashing one of these. Try searching the magazine index, the link is at the very top of this page.
What do y’all think of the Trainline Walther’s? Are they any good? What about model power? They used to make a GP9m also. Would it be worth buying one of these and remotoring it to bring it up to Atlas standards?
For an engine that had several hundred made, and was used on over 80 different railroads, you’d think that SOMEBODY would come out with one in something other than mediocre brass. But nope, they haven’t. Modelers get relatively oddball engines that virtually no one has ever seen, like Erie Builds and C-Liners, but a GP-10?
True, Kalso Shops are coming out with a CRAFTSMAN kit of a GP-10 (resin, photoetchings, and wire), but none of the big diesel manufacturers (Atlas, Athearn, Kato, Intermountain, heck Bachmann) has ever shown ANY interest in making a GP-10, and most have actually said flat out NO.
A real shame. Being a steam nut, I generally don’t get worked up over dieseasels, but not having the option to buy a GP-10 is a real stupid thing in this hobby. We’ve got 3841 different F units on the market, but not the single most common shortline diesel in American history. That’s a whole lotta smart…
The GP10 was a Illinois Central rebuild program for old GP9’s. EMD never marketed a GP10 model. The Walthers GP9m is a good example of a GP9 that has a ‘chopped nose’ added. It runs decent and would be a good start on your own railroad’s rebuild program. BN had a similar program for old ex-GN GP7’s named CRP-1. Conrail also has several programs as well as C&NW - and I am sure there were many others in the 70’s. Most of programs were rebuild/upgrades to get another 15 years of service out of the engine.
Your modeling the AT&L!!! Thats toatally awsome dude!!![:D][:D][8D][8D][8D][:p][:p][^][^][^][^] I love the AT&L ( not to far from were i live, Oklahoma City ) I want to modfel the AT&L to, so I will be monitering this topic. I though the AT&L used GP9s ? Farmrail uses GP10s
Huh? A GP10 is an oddball designation that is used for non-factory rebuilds of older F, GP7, or GP9s. I think you would be hard pressed to find 20 roads that had them, including all the second hand uses on short lines.
The most common American diesel would be a GP9 with a total of 3436 units built.
Source “The second diesel spotters Guide” by Pinkepank.
Oklahoma Train Nut: Glad to see you back!!! AT&L runs through Calumet, about 4 miles from me. They don’t have a standard, they run a GP7, GP9, CF7, and GP10, all low nose. I noticed yesterday though that their GP7 must be in the shop though, because they were running the S1 instead of the GP7. I found out MRC made a GP9m (low nose) in 2000, or at least its in Walther’s 2000 catalog. We might have to get together sometime, they still owe me a ride to El Reno and back.
Sorry, but you have NO idea what you’re talking about. The GP10 program, while started by the Illinois Central, was a rebuilding program specifically for GP7/9/18 units, not F’s. While it is an “oddball” and “non-factory” engine designation, it’s nowhere near uncommon. VMV (the company who took over the IC’s Paducah shops and rebuild program) was making GP10s until the early 1990s, and in sum, well over 500 Paducah rebuilds were performed.
And hard pressed to find 20 roads? Nope; try over 80:
ADM
Arkansas Midland
Atlantic & Gulf RR
Austin, Todd and Ladd (AT&L)
Blacklands Railroad
Bloomer
Brandywine Valley
Burlington Northern
Caney Fork and Western
Carlton Trail
Carolina Piedmont RR
Cedar Valley
Central Kansas Railway
Chattahoochee Industrial
Chicago Central and Pacific
Conrad Yelvington Corp
Conrail
Diesel Supply Co.
East Tennessee Railway
Eas
orsonroy: McCoy Elkhorn Coal co. sold their’s to AT&L. It still has MEC paint though, but ATLT under the window. I didn’t realize there were so many of them though, looks like a lot in Oklahoma too. Grainbelt, Farmrail, AT&L, and MEC are all in this great state.
Ok I’ll buy that, but do you have any idea why aren’t they listed in any of my Diesel Spotters Guides? The only reason I had even heard about them was because I happen to see one last summer in the Santa Fe Denver shops. I couldn’t figure out what it was so I tracked it down via the BN rebuild program. GP10-N I believe was their designation. This is when I ran across the Paducah program, but what I found only showed sixteen subsequent owners.
March and April 1975 Railroad Model Craftsman ran an article on kitbashing a GP10 from the Athearn GP7. The March issue also had scale drawings. Most of the detail parts that needed to be custom made are available now through various suppliers. It sure looks like the Walthers GP9m would be an excellent starting point, as the nose chopping is already done for you.
They could simply have focused on only the factory versions, either because they didn’t go into all of the different variations of rebuilds out there, or because it’s initial printing was done before these engines were prevalent. I have diesel spotter guides that do show some of the more popular rebuilds.
In addition to the Paducah rebuilds, there are several other GP7/9 and SD7/9 rebuild programs whose external differences vary, from looking exactly like an original engine, to a simple chop-nose, to a different tank, handbrake, cab, intake, etc. And their names also vary (IE, a rebuilt GP7 could be a GP7, GP7m, GP10, GP11, GP12, GP16, GP18, etc.).
Well, to my knowledge, the only rebuild that has ever been offered in plastic is the CF7, which had a lot more body modification done than the GP10s ever did. I think that generally manufacturers try to stay away from rebuilds, since there can be so much variation.