Life Like GP60s have extended range dynamic brakes. They look like this: But the first series GP60 that Espee purchased did not have extended range dynamic brakes. They looked like this: What N scale engine has the non-extended range dynamic brakes that I can use to modify my stock LL GP60? Pictures from Richard Percy's Espee Modeler's Website: http://espee.railfan.net/espee.html This was also discussed on the Espee Fallen Flag Forum. http://www.trainboard.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi/ubb/get_topic/f/104/t/000135.html? [ 29. January 2005, 19:39: Message edited by: sapacif ]
Craig: I don't have a GP50 to compare, but GP40, SD40, and several others don't match. SD40T-2 seems closest. OTOH, maybe just removing the existing brakes and modifying them (smaller or shorter) might be the best solution. That would leave the roof exhaust, etc. intact. Can anyone compare with a GP50 dynamic brake and give an opinion?
To clarify, all of the SP/SSW/DRGW GP60s had extended-range dynamics; the shape of the housing had nothing to do with whether or not a unit had this feature. The reason the early SP/SSW deliveries (usually referred to as Phase I units; SP 9600-9619 and SSW 9620-9634) had the more rounded housing was simply a fabrication issue. EMD simply carried over earlier styling to the GP60, but switched to the more squared-off style on later units to simplify production, and reduce fabrication costs. In HO scale, it's possible to kitbash or scratchbuild the Phase I dynamics. Dave Hussey had a series of articles in Model Railroading a few years back that covered ATSF GP60, GP60M, and GP60B modeling. The GP60 article covered the ATSF GP60 phases, and he showed how to kitbash the Phase I hatch from a Phase II GP60 d/b hatch, and an Athearn GP50 hatch. It's also possible to build the housing from scratch, which is the route I'm taking on a Phase I SP GP60 on my workbench. Ryan "Espeeboy" Martin has shots he took of my scratchbashed hatch at the 2003 WPM on his pbase.com album - http://www.pbase.com/espeeboy/image/22374628 Mine is in the back, Ryan's is in front. Mine was built using parts of the stock P2k Phase II hatch, and strips of styrene for the housing itself. Ryan's hatch (in the foreground) is based on the techniques Dave Hussey covered in his MR'ing articles. Dave Hussey also has a Pbase gellery of Phase I GP60 detail shots here: http://www.pbase.com/dh30973/gp60details Even though we're doing this in HO, a lot of the techniques can apply to N. HTH, and good luck.
Thanks for that info SP8299. I think I am going to try the scratchbuild. N scale is a little less demanding than HO for detail, so it should not be too hard. Fluid D, that GP50 looks correct. I don't have one, so I will just do it from stryene. BTW, I just noticed the number board in that first GP60 no. 9721 photo I posted. Old Espee spared no expense and I mean none at all!
Here is a Kato GP50 that was kitbashed to a phase I GP60. The dynamic brake housing is stock GP50 but the blower housing has been replaced with the more angular style. As mentioned above, an esier way would be to get a Kato GP50 body with dynamic brakes. They are still available from Kato's parts page for $10. More N Scale Engines [ 30. January 2005, 05:14: Message edited by: Ryan Wilkerson ]
You could also use the dynamics from an Atlas GP40-2 couldn't you? They maybe easier to get than a Kato GP50 shell....
If you end up going with an Atlas GP40-2 DB housing (I haven't compared them yet), you might as well get an SD60 body and use the blower housing for your GP60. (part #490200). I think it costs $3.50 adn you'll have lots of extra parts left over for other projects.
As-is, the d/b hatch from the GP40-2 and GP50 are incorrect for the Phase I GP60. As the photos in Mr. Hussey's pbase gallery show (I provided a link in my post above), the Phase I GP60 dynamic hatch is much wider than the GP40-2/50 hatch, and has "saddlebags" at the top that almost completely obscure the d/b fan housing and exhaust silencer.
I have it on good authority that a kit to convert the LL GP60 to the correct demonstrator version may get produced (I'll leave it to you to figure out who ). The DB blister from that kit is what you need.
