Conrail GP15-1 kit

Jon Grant · Aug 4, 2004

Well here it is, the GP15-1 kit from Smokey Valley. Lots of tasty bits and pieces, and I've already lost a couple - D'oh. Hence the plasticard pilot and anticlimber. What usually happens is that as soon as I make/buy a replacement, the original turns up.

Here are the pieces. You also need a dash-2 cab - mine is a spare Athearn GP38-2 one, although if I do a decent job, I might donate my last Cannon thinwall kit to the project. I have also ordered a two-strap signal box for the engineer's side of the short hood.

BTW - the packet says FRISCO but the kit is definately Conrail

The chassis and motor are coming from a Walthers GP15 RTR model, which is a very nive model in it's own right, but totally wrong for Conrail

Here's a pic of a couple like the one I'm modelling.

Jon

Fred_M · Aug 4, 2004

You gonna give us a play by play Jon? Hope so. Fred

Jon Grant · Aug 4, 2004

dash10 said:
You gonna give us a play by play Jon? Hope so. Fred

No problem, Fred.:thumb: :wave:

Jon

Jon Grant · Aug 5, 2004

I made a start last night, and was well impressed. Once the castings had been cleaned of flash and moulding pips, the whole process, including photography, took 36min 11sec - the total playing time of 'Hemispheres', by Rush.

Heres some progress pics.

Sub-assemblies

long hood

Complete (It really is as simple as it looks)

Comparison with the Walthers

Now to check out the Walthers Chassis - this may not be as easy as I thought.

Jon

NYC-BKO · Aug 5, 2004

Looking good, Jon. You know I will be asking you for tip and pointers, when I decide to tackle my kit. There is a frame kit for it too, that takes Athearn trucks. Nice job!

Gary Pfeil · Aug 5, 2004

Wow, Not only is your modeling excellent, you listen to Rush. How cool is that?

Jon Grant · Aug 5, 2004

Gary Pfeil said:
Wow, Not only is your modeling excellent, you listen to Rush. How cool is that?

How much of a coincidence is this - Hemispheres was the 'current' Rush album, when the GP15's were delivered to Conrail in 1979. Spooky!!

Jon

Gary Pfeil · Aug 5, 2004

You don't listen to dowop when you're modeling something from the early 50"s, do you? Only kidding all you dowop lovers!

Jon Grant · Aug 5, 2004

Gary Pfeil said:
You don't listen to dowop when you're modeling something from the early 50"s, do you? Only kidding all you dowop lovers!

Interesting thought - listen to the music of the period you are modelling.

NAAA!! I'd only be able to model late 60's onwards, and the mid 80's would be a no-go area.

PS I built this 1917 loco to the sounds of Jethro Tull and Alice Cooper (pre '75)

Jon

Fred_M · Aug 5, 2004

I once went to a Rush concert back in must of been 79. IMHO they needed to skip the concert thing as they were much much better in the sound stage. Or maybe they just had a bad night.

I love your progress photos. Fred

CharlesH. · Aug 5, 2004

Gary Pfeil said:
You don't listen to dowop when you're modeling something from the early 50"s, do you? Only kidding all you dowop lovers!

Well, I model 1941, so guess what I listen (and not just during modeling time).

Jon Grant · Aug 7, 2004

Hmmm...Metallica? No, Swing, Big Band perhaps

All change!

Yesterday, I sat down and stared at the two body shells for ages and compared them with all the pics I could find of Conrail GP15's.

I made a list of all the bodyparts I liked best on the two kits and came up with a compromise by assimilating the three different makes into a hybrid ('You will be assimilated')

Here's what I ended up with.

I decided the Walthers hood ends were a closer match than the SV ones, which are too pointy (something spotted in a Jim Six atricle, and once you notice it, the worse it gets)

The SV long hood details are probably the more accurate of the two models, but my heavy handed painting would obscure most of it, so I stuck with the Walthers long hood. Some of the other details on the radiator and roof are also better for the Conrail loco.

The SV blower and filter grill parts are perfect for a Conrail loco, but carving away the walthers hood section is tricky.

The Athearn cab is easily better than the Walthers cab, especially round the numberboard and light area.

The Walthers short hood is a good copy but needed the riveted plate removing from the top.

Finally, the pilots and steps on the SV kit are the best looking, but I opted to keep and modify the Walthers ones to try and retain the rigidity of the model, especially after the major surgery on the long hood.

Now for some detailling work.....

BTW, as you may have noticed, I am only trying to recreate a model which includes all the main spotting features of a Conrail GP15, rather than an exact replica a la Jim Six, Dave Plumber, Mike Chapmon, etc.

If I can get the details on the finished model past Brian (NYC-BKO), who knows his way round these beauties, I'll consider the project a success.[

]

Jon

Greg Elems · Aug 7, 2004

Nice series of pictures and notes. This is what modeling is all about. Keep up the good work and keep posting the progress shots.

Cheers,
Greg

NYC-BKO · Aug 7, 2004

Jon, I thought you didn't have the SV kit powered, it looks like you ran'em together and they just melded. Change is good I guess, it takes two to tango,etc.
I'm searching for my magnifying glass, microscope or whatever.

Looks really good so far, nice job, Jon. -:thumb::thumb:

eightyeightfan1 · Aug 7, 2004

Rush........Just went to the Rush concert last night at the Meadows in Hartford!!!!
Excellent concert...Even better than the one two years ago! They actually get better every time I go(My sister is a BIG fan), being this was the sixth time I saw them.
Must've been a bad night Fred............

rksstl · Aug 7, 2004

:thumb: Good looking Frisco paint job.

Jon Grant · Aug 8, 2004

eightyeightfan1 said:
Rush........Just went to the Rush concert last night at the Meadows in Hartford!!!!
Excellent concert...Even better than the one two years ago! They actually get better every time I go(My sister is a BIG fan), being this was the sixth time I saw them.
Must've been a bad night Fred............

:thumb: :thumb:

I haven't actually seen them since 1980, on the Permanent Waves tour, but I recently picked up the 'Rio' dvd, which prompted me to dig out my old vinyl. Glad I did, cos I'm now converting it to cd.

Rich, sorry about this, man, but the Frisco paint job is no more on this particular loco. I do like that scheme though and it was a common sight in Alabama, so in the future, who knows.....

Jon

Jon Grant · Aug 8, 2004

Here's the latest update, with anticlimber altered, snowploughs, grabs and bell on. The main Conrail spotting features here are where the nose grab-irons are, and the shape of the front and rear ploughs.

Jon

NYC-BKO · Aug 8, 2004

Jon, don't forget the sand filler on the short nose and the round pooper vent that goes above the cab signal box

and the -- and the --. HAHA! Looks good. -:thumb:

Jon Grant · Aug 10, 2004

The handrails and front detail are now on. I retained the Walthers stanchions but drilled them out to accept brass wire. the plough has also been heavily modified, although it might currently be sitting a bit low.

Next for the rear end and the cab before going to the paintshop. I also have some long-shank 20 series Kadees on order to clear the plough.

Jon

Conrail GP15-1 kit

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