How about a GP40X in N scale? Plenty of road names UP, SP, SF, BNSF, SOU, NS. One of my favorite locos. Lets year some opinion on this one.
A GP40X looks like someone took a GP40 and added the SD45 style slanted grills in the back. Some also used a funky style of truck, but I would surely love to have this locomotive added to my roster. I am thinking about doing on of these any way(a UP one).......when I get some time!
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Colonel: what does a GP40X actually look like? Does anybody have a picture of one to show?<hr></blockquote> Sure do....Harold posted some of his great pics of SOU/NS ones in the NS Forum, and here's a pic of an SP one from the Espee Modeler's Homepage (photograph by Bob Dengler): As for background, the 3500hp GP40X was a testbed model, sort of a transition from the GP40-2 to the GP50. Only 23 were built, all between December 1977 and June 1978; 4 for SP, 6 for UP, 3 for Southern, and 10 for Santa Fe. The SP and UP units rode on a experimental truck called the HT-B; apparently the railroads weren't impressed with it, as no other production units were ordered with it. All others rode on Blomberg 4-axle trucks. They are definitely unique; they were even initially equipped with a different style of Q-Fans and exhaust silencers that weren't used on any other models. They're neat looking engines (sort of like a baby SD45), and stand out from other EMD's of that vintage.
We saw this one in San Bernardino. Not a good photo., the sun was against us! But the flared radiators show well. The trucks are very noticably different (but not on this photo.) I would love to see one in N scale, but am not holding my breath
How about some steam so i can save a little money .Atlas has just about broke me,and hopefully when the safety cabs come out on the b40-8's I will be able to get the engines i want about 10 of them that is.But anyway a gp40x would be a nice addition to my collection. [ 20 September 2001: Message edited by: Ed Pinkley#2 ]</p>
Sure glad to see others interested in a model of a GP40X but doubt any manufacturer will find enough buyers to justify production. How about brass?
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by John Nutt: Sure glad to see others interested in a model of a GP40X but doubt any manufacturer will find enough buyers to justify production. How about brass?<hr></blockquote> I think your right John. What does this mean? We all have to get off our lazy butts and start bashing some extra GP40-2 shells!
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by John Nutt: Sure glad to see others interested in a model of a GP40X but doubt any manufacturer will find enough buyers to justify production. How about brass?<hr></blockquote> Kato justified production of SD80/90s so I cant see why we cant have a GP40X. I am 99.9% sure that it hasn't been produced in brass and a brass model would be a POS anyway. Poor running quality for $350.
IMHO, I think the best bet for seeing a GP40X or any other diesel oddball is for either a small resin or plastic shell maker to step up and make one. In HO scale we have companies like Rail Power Products making shells and chassis for units like the GP40X, C32-8, CF7, and other relatively unusual units that no big maker would be willing to touch...they're just too limited in quantity and mainstream appeal to justify big tooling and R&D costs, and least in the eyes of the big makers. Are there any other companies that do that sort of thing in N? Might be worth a shot to see if any of them are interested.
When I was in HO scale, if I wanted a chopnosed Geep, I kitbashed one. I bashed a GP50 shell to come up with my first GP40-2, before Athearn came out with one (which still needed some modification). My RS2M "morphodite" was also a kitbash. I've seen some good kitbashed diesels in N scale, and until such manufacturers as JnJ, BLMA, and FatherNature come out with resin shells, we're stuck with kitbashing. One GP40-2 and an SD45 shell later, and there you go..... BTW, I don't know about the running qualities of N scale brass, but I don't care at all for the price. The GP40X fits in the oddball diesel category along with the SD40X, SD45X, BQ23-7, and so on- don't hold your breath for Atlas or Kato to come out with one.
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> Are there any other companies that do that sort of thing in N? Might be worth a shot to see if any of them are interested.<hr></blockquote> Fathernaturetrees.com Makes Resin shells and photoetched brass detail kits for N-scale locomotive chassis. Now for my question. Did any eastern roads have (Or do they now have) any GP40x's? This looks like an easy one to model and I would love to give it a try. Russ Hoffman Valley RR
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by rush2ny: Now for my question. Did any eastern roads have (Or do they now have) any GP40x's? This looks like an easy one to model and I would love to give it a try. <hr></blockquote> The original GP40X owners were SP (4), UP (6), Southern (3), and ATSF (10). The only ones that could come close to qualifying as eastern would be the Southern, now Norfolk Southern, units. As for modeling one, there are a few things to watch out for. For starters, it has a raised walkway duct on both sides, like the GP30 did. Also, it used a funky kind of 48" Q-Fan, lower in profile than the ones EMD would use on later units. It also had an unusual "flat" exhaust silencer hatch. Using an SD45 to provide the radiator flares would work, but remember, the SD45 rads have 3 intake panels per side, and the GP40X has 2 per side (and they're taller, to boot). The toughest thing to model, at least if you want to do an SP or UP version, are the HT-B trucks those two railroads specified on their GP40X's. Here's a closeup shot of one, again from the Espee modeler's page (photo by Clyde King): I know Overland imported HO scale ones a few years back, but I'm not sure if they did the same for N. The only currently available GP40X's I'm aware of in any scale are the HO scale shells, chassis, and HT-B sideframes made by RPP. I've got 4 of them stashed, the grand plan to make all 4 Espee units. But of course, they're stalled behind all my other projects.
Actually I also wouldn't totally doubts seeing them. You people compare them to something they weren't they were far more popular than the SD40X and SD45X and BQ23-7 You could paint them in NS Sou ATSF BNSF HI UP SP hell thats 3 more paint schemes than what KATO choose to do the SD90/80 in I wouldn't be suprised to see more paint schemes eather (rail america has one on TPW)
Craig-after seeing your kitbashing ability, I nominate you to do the first GP40X. What say? I would try but my eyesight went south after having that Lasic (sp) corrective surgery.
