P2K Clunkers


Hi NBEC 6900 Hmmm! incidently your username will be one of my next kitbashes after the CB&CNS GP9 5967 I'm doing now.
I'm not sure if the C630 is either a Tyco or a Athearn, but I think it's Tyco. Is it rare???
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Seriously I doubt it, it's most likely a Tyco, have a look at this thread.
http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=518
I don't believe Athearn ever made a C630, Tyco was the most plentiful and IHC made a low nose short hood one, these actually were toys, Stewart hobbies has a quality model C630 and Overland makes a highly detailed brass loco.
The CBNS GP50 you have was probably done by Will Lawrence, a skilled craftsman, if so it is a very well done and highly detailed model. The GP50's, I have two in waiting, they will be in the last kitbashes I'll be doing, the CBNS GP50's were ex BN locos in the 5000 road number series. I also have a GP40 which will be done as GEXR 4022 which has been on the CB&CNS since the start and a GP38 as CBNS 3800 which never saw service on the road. It and it's sisters were supposed to operate where the NBEC is operating now, but Railtex lost out on the tender and NBEC was born.
Bachmann CN GP40 from a starter set. The Geep 40 I'm having problems with, looks like the fuse is burnt out, but is there a way to bypass it?
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I have one of them Bachmann GP40's downstairs CN #5075, trainset loco really not much good unless it's a flat surface. I'm afraid there is no fuse in them just two lights a circuit board to carry power from the rear trucks to the motor, so my guess is your problem is brushes or the motor armature is burnt, sorry that's all I can come up with for the Bachmann.
Cheers Willis
 
G'Day

Sounds good. When you start on your NBEC SD40, show some pics, I'm trying to get one of those custom painted, but it's hard to find a Athearn SD40.
 
but it's hard to find a Athearn SD40
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Gee! I don't think Athearn makes an SD40, myself I'm going to use a couple of SD40-2's, (the decal set also contains a CFMG set), and do the best I can with it. I don't know what the differences are between the two models but I'll do the best I can with it from the photos I have, using available detail parts. I think the differences appear to be of a minor nature, however I could be wrong.
Cheers Willis
 
CBCNSfan said:
I have one of them Bachmann GP40's downstairs CN #5075, trainset loco really not much good unless it's a flat surface. I'm afraid there is no fuse in them just two lights a circuit board to carry power from the rear trucks to the motor, so my guess is your problem is brushes or the motor armature is burnt, sorry that's all I can come up with for the Bachmann.
Cheers Willis
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so if its a flat surface (what I'm running exept for one long spur), they're ok units? As I'm looking at buying a SOO/CP one.

CN 5075 was a SD40 BTW.:p
 
As a side note on the subject, our new GP20 came out of the box with three of the four axle gears cracked! This unit is early enough to not have a DCC plug, but is brand new. We've been running P2K stuff for a while and had maybe two cracked gears in the past. I swapped them out with some old Athearn gears we had on hand, problem solved. I'll be glad to change more gears if that's what it takes. IMHO, P2K models are the best bang for the buck. They run very well and the detail is fantastic. We'll keep buying them until Walther's prices jack the internet market price up to high. :(
 
lol, funny you say that Grandeman, all my P2K's have rund perfectly out of the box, BUT my GP7... Grrra, annoying, but she's got alotta work to go so no worries! I love my P2K's cept I wish they had metal lift rings and grab irons...
 
P2K is pretty good. I have an NS SD60M and it runs very well. The only thing I don't like about P2K engines is how you have to attach the shell to the frame, I am very skilled at breaking things ;) .
 
I've got something like 40+ locos that I've been running on the Siskiyou Line for years -- Kato, Atlas, Athearn, Stewart, and Lifelike.

So we're talking long-term heavy-duty running in serious op sessions. Lots of wear and tear, in other words.

The biggest maintenance headaches are the Lifelikes. Now we're talking SD9s and GP9s here. Don't know about other LL models.

The P2K's look great, and run fairly well out of the box for a time. But after the first year of constant use, their power pickup degrades significantly. I've tried everything I can think of to improve it, and nothing seems to be an easy fix. At this point, I've pretty much decided to keep the shells and replace the guts with A1-Propower West mechanisms.

I have spoken with other SP modelers in my area who have gotten the P2K SD9s and they've all told me they won't buy another P2K SD9 or GP9, so I know it's not just me.
 
jfugate said:
At this point, I've pretty much decided to keep the shells and replace the guts with A1-Propower West mechanisms
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You mean these? (A-line / Proto Power West mechanisms) http://www.ppw-aline.com/LocoChassis.htm

I have a couple P2K locomotives that I'm *hoping* to use to model the local switchers. The replacement mechanisms look nice, but they also cost four times what I paided for the locomotive to begin with. If it's just the motor that needs replacement, I think I'll see if I can figure out a way to shove a Stewart motor in there...
 
I can only speak for the two P2K steamers I have, since I don't run diesels, but I'm very disappointed in the pulling characteristics. I don't know how the diesels pull, but my 0-8-0 can barely get a small cut of cars around my yard, and my 2-8-8-2 has been relegated to helper service because of their poor pulling power. Granted, they are beautiful looking locomotives, and nicely detailed and smooth running, but let's face it, you buy a locomotive to pull trains, right? Not just run around the layout by themselves looking beautiful?
Sorry, but until they improve their pulling characteristics, I'm not interested in any more Protos.
Tom
 
sushob said:
You mean these? (A-line / Proto Power West mechanisms) http://www.ppw-aline.com/LocoChassis.htm

I have a couple P2K locomotives that I'm *hoping* to use to model the local switchers. The replacement mechanisms look nice, but they also cost four times what I paided for the locomotive to begin with. If it's just the motor that needs replacement, I think I'll see if I can figure out a way to shove a Stewart motor in there...
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Yep, those.

When you are talking power pickup, you have to replace the power trucks. I tried just doing that part, but it was so much of a cut and fit headache that I decided the extra cost for the complete chassis was worth it.

I'm doing a loco at a time as I can afford it. And pulling the guts out of about half of the P2Ks and making them into dummies with sound, again as I can afford it.
 
I like the PPW chassis, only cause they're powering 6 SD40-2's and a Dash 8 on my layout!
 
Well...I went from a big fan of P2K and now they are on my do not buy list..The reason behind this is simple.I had 16 GP9s,10 GP7s and 4 GP30s.I had to replace the gears in each of these units.I sold/traded all but 4 GP9s that is DCC and Sound equipped.Another thing is the way the prices keeps going up on these P2K units.
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Willis,Athearn will be releasing a SD40 in the RTR line as well as a RTR SD38.

SD40
http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=SD40+RTR&CatID=THLD

SD38
http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=SD38+RTR&CatID=THLD
 
Thank's Brakie, I'm wondering why the undec is going to be $10 more than road names. Odd, but I'll be on the lookout for a couple anyway. $10ea. seems a fair price for not having to strip them :)

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Willis

Hmmm! the undec SD38 is the same price as the rest, odder still, oh well :D
 
Sometimes the undecs have a lot more pieces so the buyer can build the loco to whatever line he wants. Dunno about the $10 amount, I've wondered about that as well.

Kennedy
 
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