Cheap Build GP-9

[liengineerbob]

Here is a cheap-o build GP-9 I am working on. Found an undecorated Walthers unit sitting in the bottom of one of my storage boxes and figured what the heck. Yes, it's a wide body...I know that!! Just something for some fun and to practice my skills on.

Nothing fancy, most of the parts, modifications and details are either sheet, strip or rod styrene. Some of my own resin parts are in there also. An Athearn GP7 cab and set of GP side frames too. I removed the cast on dynamic brakes, as the paint scheme I have planned, they wouldn't be appropriate. A set of A-line photo etched brass steps for an Athearn SW7 and rebuilt step wells really help out the look.

Anyone familiar with this model knows it is very clunky in the detail department.....but considering its origins are nearly 40 years old.....it is still workable and fun to do!

It is still missing some of the smaller detail parts. I want to get a coat of primer onto it before I add those before paint.

[icghogger]

Damn, Bob, that is some fine work, your efforts really paid off Big Time!!

[ssgburme]

Wide body? Just say Its got a CAT engine in it.
Karl

[carlmarsico]

Aside from the one-piece windshield, were there any problems with the stock cab where you opted to replace it rather than modify it?

I'll have to keep an eye on this one, as I could always use more chop-nose CNW GP's and the Walthers model can be picked up for pretty cheap...

[carlmarsico]

Curiosity got the better of me, and I went and looked up the Cox GP9, which is where this tooling came from. The single piece cab windows and the incorrect louver arrangement on the long hood are a dead give-away as to its heritage:

<http://ho-scaletrains.net/coxtrainsresource/id3.html>

Per this site, the Cox first came out in 1974 (making it 3 years old than I am). From the pictures on that site, the curvature of the cab roof looks off when compared to the replacement cab on this model. Plano makes louvers to make this a proper GP9 (or remove them to make a GP7)

CJM

[liengineerbob]

Thanks for the compliments guys......it is turning out to be a fun, if not interesting project.....so interesting in fact, a friend of mine decided to rework his model to see what he can do with it, kinda of a friendly competition.

It is defiantly a wide body....it measures 7 scale feet wide. It is defiantly the Cox model, but with a much better mechanism. I believe the Model Power version of this model is also the same (or nearly identical) body shell.

As for the replacement cab, I did it because it was molded with out doors, having a strange shape and incomplete windows in the door area. I also HATE the large one piece GP20 style window. I used two scrap SP-version Cannon cab fronts for the window section. Look closely and you will notice that the area between the windows is slightly wider then it should be.

I will post a few photos of an unmodified body for comparison as soon as I have the chance.

I am not going for a 100% accurate representation of any particular GP-9 unit. It will be painted in a "what-if" or fantasy scheme when complete.

[carlmarsico]

I didn't even catch the lack of cab doors...I guess I was too distracted by the single piece windshield and funky cab roof contour...

Was the cab a separate part that could be popped off (and entered into the next Tyco Toss competition) or is it molded in place where it needs to be hacked off (with the remnants going into the Tyco Toss competition, of course)

CJM

[liengineerbob]

The cab is molded onto the body and must be cut off in several pieces to get it done cleanly. There is no "pop-off" cab with this one!

[quadk]

Boy..that is a great job so far, looking forward to more!

[liengineerbob]

I didn't even attempt to narrow the hood....just left it as it was. having to cut the entire long hood off the walkways, then narrow it, then narrow the cast metal hunk of an underframe to fit was beyond the scope of the project I had in mind.

Yes, I should have given credit where it was due about the piping on the airtanks....i did follow icghoggers tips for the piping......it's really not as hard as it first appears.

I did get some primer on it yesterday, and have to do a few touch ups here and there....then off to paint.....hopefully by the weekend.

[johnnetzlof]

Are those your castings for the ditchlights? Either way, I'ma gonna need about 12 sets =D