I have a P2K GP9 that’s worn out. I don’t want to mess with trying to upgrade all the parts to upgrade it because it’s one of those engines that’s never run quite right no matter what I’ve done to it.
So I was wondering if there is a better chassis/drive the P2K shell would fit on with minor modifications. The shell is a CB&Q blackbird scheme, which I really like and there aren’t a lot of options out there to replace it.
All help appreciated.
If you don’t want to rebuild the current chassis, about the easiest solution would be to find a newer P2K GP9/18/20 and swap the chassis between the two.
I actually did that a while back as a simple and economical way to add sound to some older P2K GP9’s and 18’s decorated for roads that are not likely to be rerun.
Some judicial foraging got me a few with sound at bargain prices. I had to shorten a couple light tubes and do a few other minor mods, but otherwise they were basic swaps. Then I sold the old chassis/“wrong” body shells to make my upgrades even more economical.
I have 3 Proto GP engines, and all run great.
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There are stories about axle gears cracking, but I have never experienced this. Maybe I am just very lucky.
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As suggested, I would not hesitate to use another Proto GP chassis.
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-Kevin
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I feel the same way. I have a couple of them. I did have the cracked axles, but they were easy to replace. Your best replacement is probably just another one.
Proto GP 7/9/18 and 20 shells are pretty interchangeable. Different Life Like runs had different weight arrangements that might impede swapability (without some modification).
I’d look for a Walthers vintage GP chassis as a replacement for your worn out LL.
Lucky indeed. This was a very pervasive problem. 5 out of 5 of the ones I had needed gear replacements.
Have you checked your gears?
What’s a Walthers “vintage” GP9? The Trainline one with the chopped nose, or are you saying get a GP9 from the LifeLike line but after Walthers took it over? Or something else?
Yes, I’ve checked the gears. It has replacement gears in it already. It’s also been lubed.
The Trainline GP9’s (AFAIK) are not the same as the P2K’s, so I don’t know if those would fit.
When I did my swaps several years ago, I used Walthers P2K sound chassis in older Life-Like P2K non-sound shells. As I mentioned, if not drop-in replacements, they were pretty close. Minor surgery was all that was ever needed to make room for the newer sound-equipped chassis.
As for the nose weight in the HSH versions vs. the LSH, I seem to recall the HSH models had a removable nose weight. You’d just have to (re-)move it as necessary.