Battle of the GP15-1s


F

fiend540

Member
Alright guys, looking for a little advice and a little help. I want to pick up a gp15-1 as Conrail had a ton of these and it seems like there are two choices. First up is the Walthers proto 1000 gp15-1 which can be had for ~$80 but judging from pictures it seems to lack alot of detail. Anyone have one and if so how do you like it?

Second choice is the upcoming Athearn Genesis gp15-1 which is more expensive than the walthers unit, but I would hope/assume that the detail level is real good and it will be a good runner. My only issue is I haven't seen a real picture of the model yet, not even of a pre-production unit. It's hard to decide on how nice it will be when all they give you is crappy artist renditions and vague descriptions. So has anyone come across and actual picture of the Athearn unit or should I just wait it out until the release the damn things.
 
Athearn has come light years in their detail and their drives. I would wait for the athearn to be relased as the Walters looks like a re relase of their old GP15 from a few years ago just under the proto 1000 name now.
 
Depends. The Walthers GP15-1 is a nice running engine but totally lacking in added details, although the shell details are very good. I'm sure the Genesis model will be a knockout, with every detail added you can imagine, including sliding cab windows. However, at $170 for a non-DCC equipped engine, you're going to pay the price.

The GP15 doesn't have a huge amount of detail to add. The P1K model has dimples to show you where to drill holes for the grab irons. You'd need to add MU cables, MU receptacles, drop steps, sunshades, lift rings, windshield wipers, radio antenna, and a few other Conrail specific details. You could probably get all the detail parts for less than $40. Add a decoder for $20 and you'll have a nice looking and running engine for about $30 less than a non-DCC equipped Athearn model. I enjoy detailing engines myself so this is the way I'd go. If you have don't have the time or skill to add the details, then pay the extra money and get the Athearn in about six months...assuming it comes out on time. Your choice.
 
I'm with Jim on this one, I tend to purchase more than one of the same model so the 2 for 1 pricing of the Walthers is more up my alley. You can build an exceptional model...yes it can be done. (remember superdetailers?!?!?) In fact there's a third option, Smokey Valley, which is even cheaper BUT I would steer clear of this one if you don't have access to a mill, as the frame needs some tweeking.

In fact my #1 process for building F40PHs, for eg, is to use LL F40 bodies on an Athearn milled GP38-2 chassis, which brings it all well under the price of Walthers. You be hard pressed to tell the difference of the finished model!

It is sad to see that superdetailers, and custom builders is fading away. My father and grandfather were both model rr'ers and my grandmother/mother would have shot them if they spent $170 on a model. (and my Angela would too!)

I had an arguement with another modeller regarding "Mellow Mike" the guy that was selling some of the most awesome looking weathered freight cars on ebay for $750 plus, that if you bought a $10 bluebox kit, attempted to weather it like mellow mike, threw it out, you could do that 75+ times and still be under $750! And after 75 attempts you'd be just as damn good as Mellow Mike! That goes for superdetailing as well...
 
I'm not opposed to detailing the loco myself, I'm just not against buying one that already has it done for me. The price I was qouted for the gp15-1 by Josh was less than $130 dollars and with the proto 1000 version hanging around the $90 dollar mark the cost issue is not a factor imo. I guess I just need to wait till I can either see the athearn in person or some better pictures before I make my choice.
 
Cory, you can get the P1K GP15 at http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/HO_Scale_GP15_s_s/2650.htm for $75. Josh may be able to get it for even less. Add another $20 to the Athearn model for a decoder and now it's $150. You can do a lot of detailing for less than $75. :) Again, just me, but I take a lot of satisfaction out of detailing an engine myself, and it helps me keep my skills up.
 
UP2CSX said:
Cory, you can get the P1K GP15 at http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/HO_Scale_GP15_s_s/2650.htm for $75. Josh may be able to get it for even less. Add another $20 to the Athearn model for a decoder and now it's $150. You can do a lot of detailing for less than $75. :) Again, just me, but I take a lot of satisfaction out of detailing an engine myself, and it helps me keep my skills up.
Click to expand...

$74.99 is my price for the Walthers/Proto 1000 GP15-1's, so its about the same price :)
 
UP2CSX said:
Cory, you can get the P1K GP15 at http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/HO_Scale_GP15_s_s/2650.htm for $75. Josh may be able to get it for even less. Add another $20 to the Athearn model for a decoder and now it's $150. You can do a lot of detailing for less than $75. :) Again, just me, but I take a lot of satisfaction out of detailing an engine myself, and it helps me keep my skills up.
Click to expand...

Well I would have to provide my own decoder for the p1k either way but I get what you are saying. I just have never detailed a loco before and I already have 2 or 3 in the line up waiting for me to start :D

jbaakko said:
If you can afford it, Genesis all the way. There's photos around the net of them.
Click to expand...

I figured there had to be some out there, If you remember where you saw them and could let me know that would be cool. I haven't had much luck using my usual search methods.
 
I'll tell you what, except for the see through air intake and etched metal grills, it doesn't look all that impressive. I realize it's a preproduction model but the handrails and grabs look really heavy. I don't see any evidence of things like drop steps, MU receptacles, radio antennas...etc. Looks like the walkways are etched, which does look good, but the ditch lights look like two white blobs. I'd have to see a production model before I ponied up the money for this one.
 
Morning Guys. After looking at the Athearn version,vs the Walther's GP-15,yes the Athearn version does offer more in the way of detail. But the one I'm interested in,is the FRISCO,version with the gyra-light in the nose. Also,I want to see if Athearn gets the mandran orange and white correct. I have one of the Proto 1000 GP-15's. The only problem I have,is I don't have enough confidence to do the gyra-light for the nose. I don't want to have to replace a whole shell,just because I screwed up.William.
 
For myself, I'd go for the Walther's model. My numb hands and highly detailed models don't get along well. Details in areas that I'll have little or no contact with can be added later. These would be air hoses, mu cables, grabs on the ends of the short and long hoods, horns. Things like extra thin ultra realistic handrails don't last long around me.
 
RTR models will always lack in one area, no matter what you spend and that's handrails, Both the Proto and Genesis. I'm not talking about railing thickness, Atlas master, Genesis, Proto get that right, but your $130+ dollar engine will have the long railing tend to fold in towards the long hood, and the end railing around large anticlimbers also look wonky. Until these model manufacturers mold brass railings/stanchions this will be a constant problem. At least the manufacturers now account for shrinkage...remember the Proto SD60s? The last 3 stanchions were pulled towards the cab...tisk tisk.

And then there's the opacity of the acetal plastic, only black works there...CR blue seems to be the worst. You can spot a plastic handrail out-of-the-box model a mile off.

Nuthin beats Precision Scale or PFM stanchions and brass/steel wire...

Before you beat my head in, I will always go the way of superdetailing...in fact if you can find a good superdetailer to help you build the perfect beast you're better off. But if you just want another engine for your collection, by all means...
 
The original Walthers model wasn't all that bad under all the paint that was glopped on them, providing you got the right air vents, and needed the shorter nose.
Smokey Valley did a handrail set and the rest of it is standard detailing. NWSL offered geared axles that vastly improved the running quality.
The new Athearn had better be better, but there's a lot you can do with the kind of money they're asking.
 
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