Anybody care to recommend a good maker of an HO scale GP50. I was thinking of buying Bachman GP50. Thanks in advance for your time and help.
The Athearn (if you can find one) is better.
Nick
have a look at Kato or Atlas. I don’t know much about the Atherrn, if your looking for high quality defineetly not a Blue Box Athearn. They can be very good engines but the old BB’s are a little noisy
Horizon Hobbies (Athearn’s owner and distributor) lists two BN GP50s as in stock.
I wasn’t aware Kato or Atlas made GP50s. I thought it was only Athearn and Bachmann.
Nick
You may be right, it’s only a suggestion to look because I’m not sure who makes what. Only “covering bases” so to speak
Kato made a GP50 in N scale only. Atlas has never made a GP50.
Skip the Bachmann and grab an Athearn. It’s a better model with a better drive that’ll still be running long after the Bachmann is a paperweight. The Athearn is a better runner to begin with, and extensive parts commonality between Athearn models makes repairs a snap.
As a rule, I don’t recommend Bachmann HO scale diesels, period.
Nick,You are quite correct…Atlas and Kato does not make a GP50.The best deal is the Athearn unit,
Try the Athearn shell with the Atlas drive from the GP38/GP40.
for the GP38/-2 frames there are 2 different size fuel tanks, you need the longer one.
Or the Proto 2000 drive from the GP60 with Athearn shell.
all of the these have the same 34’ truck centers and 59’2" overall length.
It requires a little cutting and filing. but much better performance/ less noise than the standard Athearn drive
I have 2 Athearn GP 50’s and they run great…If you run prototype, be sure that the railroad you model ran GP50’s…Athearn makes them in a lot of different road names in which some of the road names never owned that particular locomotive…case in point…Athearn makes a GP50 in a D&RGW…the D&RGW never owned one single GP50…chuck
Go with the Athearn. Much better than Bachmann.
If you want low nose, go with Athearn. If you want high nose, go with Bachmann. Since Bachmann improved the mechanisms they’re quality is pretty much equal. (Bachmann’s has a better motor, but Athearn’s is probably more reliable)
If your going to buy the Bachmann make sure its one of the newer ones.
Thanks people. I think I will take the suggestions and go for Athearn/Atlas. I am looking for NS Geeps. Again thanks for the time.
Sorry I forgot to mention, you need to get an Atlas model with the “M type” trucks
it is the one with a shock over one of the journals, or you can use the stock Athearn GP50 sideframes.
For all the work involved to swap shells to have the Atlas/ Rocco drive, you shold just repower the Athearn. The old Atlas was a good runner for it’s day, but the frames are very weak at the bolsters, the truck detail is oversized and horrible, the wheels have a flat face w/ wipers that pick up all kinds of crap, the worst thing is the massive brick detailed fuel tank. I have taken a couple GP40s and fitted the Rocco shell the the Proto Power West drive (only a leaded Athearn frame w/ a can motor) To have a GP40 not a dash 2 for a WM set.
The GP50 shell of the Athearn has good detail and is a great starting point to detail a great looking piece to add to the roster. Don’t forget about Smokey Valley stantions these put all others to shame(look just like on brass). Good luck with your project.
Bob K.
Could you post a photograph look straight down on the locomotive showing the dynamic brakes?
Uh…who said anything about Atlas/Roco? Atlas released an all-new GP40 with a state of the art shell and powertrain several years ago. The only advantage that the Athearn GP38-2/40-2/50/60 mechanism has over that model is Athearn’s sideframes - they have the best Blomberg sideframe on the HO scale market.
The Athearn is a good reliable performer and even better when repowered, although I think I’ll look at using the forthcoming Atlas “Trainman” GP38-2 drive next time. It’ll be about the same cost as a repowering kit, and I suspect it’ll be even easier to adapt the Athearn shell to an Atlas drive than it is to install a new motor in the Athearn chassis. The only downside I see at this point is that the 14:1 gearing in the Atlas drive may rule out consisting the new units with my existing repowered Athearns with 12:1 drive. That’s life. [:)]
these are the only photos i have of them…it is a D&RGW converted to a UP GP50
click to enlarge…chuck