I could use some help on deciding on a locomotive for my shortline. I currently have an Proto 1000 Gp-15 (I run dc) that I have had for about two years. I like the amount of detaling on it and the price, 100 dollars. Now i would like to get another loco to help pull more tonnage and so there is some varity.
What i would like is somthing that is DC, 8 wheels, no dynamic bracking( I model the Minnesota flat lands) and somwhere abot 125 dollars. Also it should have a good moter foer slower speeds and as much detaling as a proto 100 loco.
Well, I would suggest maybe you do some google research to find out what other locos might have been around at the era of your shortline, then maybe research back a little to find out what might have been used equipment available. I often think of shortlines as using second hand locos.
If your shortline is “new buyers” for all equipment, then define your era and do some research of what they might have been able to buy new at that time period…
Once you have defined which model loco you want, then do google the name of the loco and add model in front. For Example " model GP15 locomotives" and that should link you to any e-tailers who might carry those models.
You can also hunt and poke about eBay of course, but I don’t knwo as I’d guarantee what you might find there.
Why don’t you try the new geeps from Bachmann. They’re pretty good for pulling power. I only have a SD40-2 from them but I doubt there should be a lot of difference. Though they don’t have much detailing, they do have a decoder installed in case you would want to switch to DCC.
Somthing to chew on: My little shortline started out with an SW8 they inheirited frrom a military base they ran in, and leased a GP10 out from someone. National I think, but don’t quote me on that. (I don’t have the GP10, waiting to see what Athearn does, or to see if I can throw a Bachmann drive under a Kaslo shell)
When they opened up the 6% incline, they wanted something with better Dynamics than the GP, an SD7. Fate had it they were able to aquire two for scrap and estate value, respectively. (presedence for Protypicalty, but it didn’t happen. )Why the 7s? Besides price, they were identical to the other engines they were running mechanics wise. All EMD motors, and the 567s (645 in the 10 I think) are mechanically simplistic crude.
Now, in 2011, the GP10 not yet modelled, the SW8 a lmon of an engine (P2K, but I think I just got a dud) the line has gotten a grant from the State to purchase the new Genset locomotives. No one’s sure what they are gonna do with a 2100hp loco let alone 2, stepping up from two 1500hp and a 1750hp, but that’s what they have. The engine guy isn’t sold on the Gensets, so he’s hanging onto the SDs, and there’s talk of turning the GP into an excursion or business train engine, we’ll see.
So, that may or may not give you something to ponder on for your own needs. Granted it’s too many locos in too short of a time, but I liek the Gensets and I wanted the SDs, since both Walthers and Broadway made the only two numbers in existance.
I model a modern shortline in the midwest, so your goals seem similar to mine. Overall, I have way too many locomotives for what I need, but I have a few P1K GP15’s. You must have bought yours before the prices went way down.[:(] They run good, but lots of detail is not what they are about. Finding a locomotive with as good as or even better detail than a P1K GP15 should not be that hard. (I’m defining “detail” by the little applied parts like grab irons, lift rings, couple levers, MU hoses, maybe stands, plows, etc…)
There is a difference between MSRP and the “street” price that you should be able to buy the loco for by shopping around at hobby shops, internet stores (TrainWorld and MBKlein, separate research topic here for which stores are good and which are not) and maybe even train show dealers or ebay.
To match the modern era of your GP15, I would buy an:
Atlas Silver GP38 or MP15.
Athearn MP15 or SW1500
The MSRP’s are slightly higher, but you should be able to find one for $125. I have never had a bad Atlas loco and those particular models are loaded with detail and should run even better than your P1K, Since you’re running DC (and your post implied you will be running them together
The Proto 2000 SW9, SW8, and SD7 are also good choices and are quality runners. There are always a bunch of these for sale on ebay. Although, for the SW8 and SW9 , I would stick to the later eleases that came in the grayish box since the lighting system is better than the older releases that came in the bigger blue box with the flap.
In the same time period that the GP15s were being produced (late 197x to early 198x) EMD was also producing the GP40-2. It has almost twice the horse power of a GP15 so it would be a nice addition to a short line.
If you find that interesting then in HO scale both Atlas and Athearn RTR have produced one recently. I would guess you could get an Athearn for about $90- and the Atlas for $115. However if you wait for sales like I do or hunt on ebay I’m guessing you could probably bring one in for half that price. If you don’t mind used equipement you can probably get an Athearn for around $35.
Are you modelling modern? If so, and want to be different, an M424 widecab would be plausible, or any old U-boat. Have a little more money to spend? Look for an Overland GMD-1. Ex CN units are on several shortlines now…
I’m doing a little reasearch myself for my next purchase and thought about your situation more.
If you’re squeamish about buying a $100 item off of the internet, current releases of the the Athearn SW1500 s/b available at your local hobby shop for about $80-$90. You can return an item to your LHS if its defective, or test run it before you buy it. That’s not possible with internet sales, generally. Many folks are comfortable with buying off the 'net, as am I, but I wasn’t the first few times I used that route.
All things considered: The ability to buy a locomotive from your LHS at your desired price point, a modern short line, good motor, and good detail; the Athearn RTR SW1500 might be the way to go. Check out the Athearn site to see the releases.
You might consider the Athearn RTR CF7, but their motors are inferior and their slow speed performance is hit and miss. Better detail than your P1K, but not great. Perfect for a shortline actually. But be sure to test run some at hobby shops to find one that satisfies your performance standards. They should go for less than the SW’s.
Somthing to chew on: My little shortline started out with an SW8 they inheirited frrom a military base they ran in, and leased a GP10 out from someone. National I think, but don’t quote me on that. (I don’t have the GP10, waiting to see what Athearn does, or to see if I can throw a Bachmann drive under a Kaslo shell)
When they opened up the 6% incline, they wanted something with better Dynamics than the GP, an SD7. Fate had it they were able to aquire two for scrap and estate value, respectively. (presedence for Protypicalty, but it didn’t happen. )Why the 7s? Besides price, they were identical to the other engines they were running mechanics wise. All EMD motors, and the 567s (645 in the 10 I think) are mechanically simplistic crude.
Now, in 2011, the GP10 not yet modelled, the SW8 a lmon of an engine (P2K, but I think I just got a dud) the line has gotten a grant from the State to purchase the new Genset locomotives. No one’s sure what they are gonna do with a 2100hp loco let alone 2, stepping up from two 1500hp and a 1750hp, but that’s what they have. The engine guy isn’t sold on the Gensets, so he’s hanging onto the SDs, and there’s talk of turning the GP into an excursion or business train engine, we’ll see.
So, that may or may not give you something to ponder on for your own needs. Granted it’s too many locos in too short of a time, but I liek the Gensets and I wanted the SDs, since both Walthers and Broadway made the only two numbers in existance.
The Proto 2000 SW9, SW8, and SD7 are also good choices and are quality runners. There are always a bunch of these for sale on ebay. Although, for the SW8 and SW9 , I would stick to the later eleases that came in the grayish box s
As I stand now I can run an SW1500 in ‘heritage’ Rock Island paint, a GP35 in ‘heritage’ Southern Pacific Kodachrome, an F7 in ‘heritage’ Burlington Northern paint, and a GP18 in ‘heritage’ Seaboard Air Line paint. The 18 is Life-Like, the rest Athearn, all under $70. I can also run a ‘heritage’ Santa Fe F45 but that is factory DCC/sound so out of wanted price range.
I also plan to scratch build a Santa Fe GP7u (rebuilt GP7) for my line from an MR a few years ago, would also like to add on an Illinois Central rebuild unit of either GP10 or GP11, a good project for the 18 as it matches GP9 phase III engine and one of the IC rebuilds used that model. I also plan to add a CF7.
More or less I will use something from my locomotive collection. Some will be painted into my shortline paint scheme when I settle on one, and some won’t be touched. The RI switcher and Santa Fe 45 and 7 look too good to be touched, although the 7 could be patched over.
I do like the older generation engines, but have no quips against newer units. What ever goes i will end up with more engines painted in my railroad scheme than I need,or possible that a prototype sized shortline would even need. I know of one such that has around 50 miles of track and had a switcher and two Geeps. They have expanded though, rather recently, and see engine use from a major Class I railroad and also just got two or three more SW1500 lease units, and there is also talk of getting another roadswitcher, so just goes to show.
That would certainly be nice. They could even do some articles again about their old Troy & Northern. I know a few years ago they built a “Troy branch” that connected to their MR&T layout. I did find a T&N painted CF7 from Athearn but didn’t take much heed of it and now that opportunity has passed. IIRC the T&N was planned/built as a small shortline. The name is nice, but I think the paint scheme they picked hideous and nauseating. If I did model the T&N I would definitely change that.
I do believe their sister publication TRAINS did a special issue either this year or last year that was focused on prototype shortlines. I of course didn’t get the chance to get the issue.
To revive an older discussion, my short line used an alco s-2 for years before purchasing an sw1500 on the cheap. logically, a small terminal railroad with a thin budget ( our idea of an excursion fleet is a scrap metal gondola with benches) would use their first engine until it could not do the job. The desicion to modernize was made because the sw1500 is able to handle traffic from a new customer and the roller bearing trucks allow higher speed and reduce the chance of a mechanical failure. The alco is stored with a capped stack and radiators covered, awaiting the call to action.
The Iowa River RR uses a tired old ex-B&O GP30. Everywhere that engine goes it leaves a trail of leaked oil. And where it commonly rests near an ethanol facility (which has its own switcher), the oil as seeped into the surround area creating a very distinctive mark. That is unfortunately a rather down at the heels operation, but potentially interesting to model.
The Troy &Northern (unrelated to the one from MR) uses an ex NS high good go40x for day to day switching. It also has an SD40 for when more power is needed.