Anyone know if the older PROTO 2000 GP20 shell fits the new DCC/Sound version ?
Yes, they do fit. I have switched out a GN high nose shell and replaced it with a low-nose shell for use as a CB&Q unit–(still awaiting shop time). The main tweaking I had to do was removing the tall nose weight so the low nose would fit, and that’s only one screw. The GN shell I promptly used on a surplus GP9 chassis, being that I am not terribly partial to the sound drives. All 3 of my GN GP20s are sound free-I guess I’m too intimidated by the complexity and EXPENSE of going full sound.
So if I buy a PROTO with sound I can swap out the sound shell with my older freelanced shell GP20
If they’re anything like the GP30s inside, then I’d say yes. I put a high hood shell on a low hood, DCC/sound chassis. I had to move the HH-specific weights and such to the low-hood chassis and lengthen the front LED’s wires, but it worked fine.
You may have to work out light block (as I have to with my low hood which is now DC).
Basically, yes you sure can!
I’ve put newer, sound-equipped P2K chassis under a pair of older GP18’s, an older GP9, and a pair of older P1K F3A’s. In some cases the swap requires a little tweaking: I had to rework the louvers on the GP18’s long hoods, shorten a light bar or two, and remove a roof brace from the P1K F3A’s.
The best part about these conversions is that if you do a little judicial shopping for the donor locos, and sell the old chassis and “wrong” body shell, you can do the conversion for about what a good sound decoder and speaker would cost without having to figure out how to shoehorn it all in…
I did that with this locomotive,
!(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee101/jfallon_tar/My Model Railroad/Rolling stock/IMG_1186.jpg)
The shell was from the first run GP20’s, I did have to sand down the louver assemblies for it to fit.
John
Although the previous post said it would, I am also fairly certain it would fit. I think the Walthers’ reissue of older tooled ex Life Like locomotives have focused on the drive mechanisms and the electronics and not the shells, since they have always been quite nice. I would think it would be a poor investment for Walthers to redo parts of a perfectly fine shell, so they probably designed the new innards to fit inside the existing shell. I wouldn’t think that shaving the louvers or any possible protruding small nubbins would be a big deal.
The first runs were held on by flimsy clips and the coupler boxes. Later gray box versions also had two small screws holding the shell to the chassis, but the older version fit on the gray box version just fine without the screws.
I think you should bet about 200 bucks it will fit the new run. [swg]
Thanks for the last 2 replies
Got me thinking