What is the difference between Proto1000 vs Proto2000 engines?
J.P.
P1K, good price, good drive and motor, good detail
P2K, Higher price, excellent drive and motor, great detail.
I prefer the P2K over the P1K any day.
There’s less exterior detail on the Proto 1000 models. Internally, there seems to be little difference except that some Proto 2000 models come equipped with sound decoders and Proto 1000 models don’t. There is also a significant price differential between the two.
This a great question!
I’d comment that P1K vs P2K is like comparing Athearn and Athearn Genesis. More details, better quality. My P1K F3’s have a different drive mechanism than my P2K E6. The P2K is smoother operator as well. What I don’t have is an exact match of P1K and P2K from the same vintage and Model, i.e. F7’s of both type to compare.
P2K has the OPTION for sound and DCC but may not come with it. Some early P2K were not P2K ready either, as a case in point, I have a P2K early vintage E6 with out dcc and one with. The non-dcc is heavier, does not have the same headlight (Mars) but the early one does have finer detail and better markings. Go figure!
Joe
So does that mean P1K can not be DCCed? I was under the impression any loco can be made to run DCC albeit with some mods.
J.P.
J.P.
The main difference between Proto 1000 and Proto 2000 is the detailing on the outside. Proto 1000 has molded on part. Proto 2000 has pre-installed, individual parts. My understanding is that the mechanical drives are identical.
Proto 2000 may also be more “DCC-ready” than the 1000s. That doesn’t mean that you can’t or should have any great trouble convert a Proto 1000 to DCC.
Tom
P1K locos are just as easy to convert as any other non DCC ready locomotive.
You are right. Any loco can be made to run on DCC.
What they mean is that most P2K’s have a DCC ready plug. All the new ones have a DCC plug and they are available with DCC sond installed. The P1K’s must be hardwired or modified for DCC.
Like was said earlier, there is no loco model that is made in both P1K and P2K. In general, P1K’s use a different style motor and drive system than P2K’s. But not all P1K’s are similar and not all P2K’s are similar either.
I recently purchased the P1K FM C-Liner A-B set, and they have DCC plugs. I don’t know if this applies to all locos in the P1K line, but I would assume so. The detail may not be quite as finicky as the P2K’s, but then again you don’t have to worry about snapping off tiny lift rings every time you touch it. They come with Delrin handrails & grabs that you have to install, and painted on windshield wipers. They look darn good.
I have some of each, and I’m happy with all of them. I’ve put decoders in everything, including a sound decoder for my Alco P1K RS3.
My Alco P1K has a lot more room under the shell than my GP-9’s (P2K) do. For that reason, I think it would be much harder to install a speaker in the P2K. My S1 (P2K) is similarly short of interior space.
Yes, the detail level is higher on all the P2K’s. However, the P1K’s are also pretty good, and I have no complaints at all about mine.
Sorry, but your understanding is incorrect.
From the Proto diesels that I have, here are my observations:
Proto 2000 GP9’s, GP7’s, GP-18’, FA2’s, FA1’s all have the same Athearn style motor that exposes the brushes and commutator and Athearn style trucks.
Proto 2000 E6/7/8/9’s have the same Athearn style motor but with a Proto design sprung truck.
Proto 2000 SW-9/1200 has an enclosed can motor with Kato style trucks.
Proto 2000 S1/S3’s have a small Roco style open frame motor with Kato style trucks.
Proto 1000 F-3’s and RS10/11/18’s have a different enclosed can motor but have Athearn style trucks.
Proto 1000 RDC’s have a small Roco style open frame motor with Kato style truck.
As the others have pointed out there are lots of differences. So here is just an observation. I have a huge fleet of both of these types locomotives. I stopped taking the P2Ks to the club or getting them out when anyone else was running the layout. I cannot think of one time that a P2K didn’t get damage. Every piece would finish the session with broken or bent hand rails, lift rings, vent bracing, you name it. For a hard working (operationally switching) layout where there is lots of potential for hands on coupling-uncoupling and potential touching of the locomotives the P1Ks stand up much better. When someone is working a train or watching a train be worked they don’t notice if the locomotives have window wipers, or tiny grap irons. The P2Ks come out when they are just going to run a through train, I’m the only operator, OR for show-off/photo sessions.
Good stuff, so if I see a P1K RS-2 or RS-3 for a good price I can get it without worry about quality.
Thanks for the replies.
J.P.
The P1K C-Liner has the enclosed can motor shown above with Athearn style trucks.
My P1K RS10 is equipped with factory installed DCC & sound.
Jim
Yeah, I love mine. With 2 P2K geeps and a P2K S1 on the layout, I chose the P1K Alco RS3 to add sound to first. Supply and demand on some of these, by the way. I bought the geeps and the Alco from the same place, M.B. Klein. The geeps were $40, and the Alco $70. The geeps have a decoder plug and the Alco had to be wired, too. These were older models, and needed to have the incandescents swapped out for LEDs.
My P2K 0-6-0, of more recent vintage, came with sound and LEDs, but it wasn’t quite the bargain that the others were.
Here’s the Alco, a Milwaukee, pretty much out of the box. I added some engineers to the cab, but that’s the only detailing I’ve done.
That’s what I’m talking about, that’s the stuff. That RS-3 is a great looking engine, and I started out with a primary interest in Steamies.