I got my wife one of the new Bachman DCC equipted GP9’s for a Christmas present, before I left the shop I played with it a little bit on the shop layout to make sure it ran ok since we know Bachmanns QC is spotty at best. I got her the Chessie version as she is a huge Chessie fan. Engine ran smooth and quiet on straight DC, Headlights are yellow LED’s but that is an easy mod to golden white. I have read the tooling for the shell is the old Front Range tooling. The chassis is diecast and the engine has 8 wheel drive and 8 wheel pickup. I am planning on getting a quartet of Clinchfield units for coal duty at the local club. Two of those will need renumbered as they only offer 2 road numbers I believe. I really wish they would do an unnumbered version. Cheers Mike
I sure you know it, but you are a luck man. If I gave my wife a engine for Christmas one of to things would happen.
1 She ask me if I still have the receipt.
2 She start crying, and not for joy!
Would you post a proper review and some pictures when you have the time?
Cuda Ken
Once she unwraps it on Christmas day. She has several Chessie engines, but most are either old AHM or Tyco that look nice, but run like crap. If I can get this one Lionel set sold on flebay, I plan to order the 4 Clinchfield units. Mike
I look forward to seeing your review.
I saw the GP9’s on the micromark site and they look good. If they run like my spectrum loco’s they should be a great sucess,
Jamie
The drive train noise is less than a newer Athearn RTR but not as quiet as a Atlas/Kato drive. I would love to find a couple of older yellow box Atlas GP7/9’s in the Clinchfield colors, but those are rare as hens teeth anymore. Mike
The Bachmann GP9’s do look nice. I intend to order a couple after I get my credit bills paid down a bit.
Here’s a link to the Bachmann geep that MicroMark is selling. Except it’s a GP7, not a GP9.
Looks like MicroMark would be the best place to get them. Bachmann wants $85 for them and from what I can see they only have UP.
Jeff,If you do order 2 of those GP7s you should order 2 packs of GP7 grab irons for the missing grabs on the noses–if things like that bothers you.
There’s no excuse why Bachmann didn’t add 'em.
Things like that don’t bug me much.
It got pretty positive commentery considering it’s price-point over at the Diesel Detailer, (halfway down the page): http://dieseldetailer.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=yack&action=display&thread=3785
Looks like you can get it even cheaper at MB Klein ($39)
Jay,There’s no doubt that GP7 is fodder for detailing projects…I agree the shell looks good but,shocked the nose grabs wasn’t included.
Are there starter points for the grabs?
Now with the Atlas GP7 dies worn out-and they may never be repaired-and the P2K GP7/9 in the hands of Walthers,IMHO Bachmann missed a good opportunity for a decent low price GP7 followed by a GP9…The reason I say missed opportunity is the missing nose grabs will be a turn off for many modelers…Of course many of those modelers loath Atlas Trainman because of the missing nose grabs.
About the Atlas GP7 dies:
http://forum.atlasrr.com/discussion/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=56978&SearchTerms=gp7
Mike: Good to hear you are a Clinchfield modeler as well. Us diehard CRR modelers have been painting up either Proto GP7s which can be detailed and modified to match or the lesser old Atlas GP7s which are harder to detail out but you get a Kato drive with those. I have three in my workshop now that are painted and ready for decals and details. I model the mid 70s so the black and yellow version was more common. Atlas did the old Kato GP in yellow and gray in two numbers and also the black version in their chinese drive classic in two numbers. They should release more numbers later. I like to detail out the Katos since they run so well. The protos are more prototypically correct for the GP7 and GP9 and you can cut the skirts on the fuel tank and rebuild the fuel tank to a smaller version to match. I have done one proto in black and it turned out fantastic. Come join us on the Clinchfield list at CRRLIST@Yahoogroups.com for more details.
Bob Helm
Here is some pics of our layout, most all the names are right from the real Clinchfield RR, Miller Yard, Erwin Yard, Clinchfield 24 coal mine, Clinchport, Johnson City, Dante and Marion Felspar, Speers Ferry ect. The bridge is total scratch built buy a member and based on the Catawba Viaduct. I mainly have been planning to model the PRR at home, but also could consider doing on of the coal branches of the CRR. Wish I could find 4 of the old Atlas yellow box units in the factory paint, they still run better than anything on the market IMHO. The layout still needs lots of trees made, looks more like the wild west than CRR country. The layout is 15’ by 50’ and is CTC dispatched, 5 mainline cabs with several seperate yard cabs, standard DC control. Club is open to visitors by appointment, we meed Saturday nights from 7-11pm. Cheers Mike
Mike: Looks great. I know a guy that has two of the old Atlas Kato GP7s for sale in KC. Email me off the forum for the information. He will sell them cheap. I think they have Digitrax decoders though.
Bob Helm
I’ve wondered if they were any good since the price on the P2K ones seem to be going sky high now. I just hope they come in undec, BN, NP, SP&S, CB&Q, or GN (the later 4 for patch jobs) at some point. For now strip and repiant. But the price is pretty good for DCC. Can anyone get pics of the guts so I can figure out the best spot for a speaker?
Jay, thanks for the link. I saw that someone had figured out what phase (1 or 2 w/o slotted frame) it was on there. I can cross-check it with a list of BN GP7s (AFAIK, none had DBs anyways) and get some painted up. Altough it doesn’t look like they have grab mouting dimples, so a jig will have to be made for them.
Brakie, I couldn’t agree with you more on bachmanns missed oppurtunity.
Pics of the guts tomorrow when I change the yellow LED’s for golden white ones. Mike
OK, I’m playing skeptic here…
As far as appearance and performance, how does this unit compare to the older run P2K GP9s?
Does the Bachmann unit include the tread on the walkways as well?
I think that would be expecting a bit much considering it’s Bachmann standard DCC OnBoard.
But, is there a designed space in there for a speaker in case one wants to upgrade to sound? I could use several NYC units that can be easily converted to sound DCC.
Paul
Dayton and Mad River RR