Poll: Which is better Atlas or P2k GP7 ?

[MilesWestern]

Think hilly central california, San Luis Obispo area. That seems like d/b territory to me! Thanks so much you guys, and I;m glad I made the right choice, because I don't want to lose all my freight potential down a grade one particular foggy morning!

 

[green_elite_cab]

NJ isn't that hilly, but i see plenty of Locomotives with Dynamic Brake blisters. Are they standard on most locomotives? The only ones I see around here without the blister are former Conrail GP15-1s

 

[brakie]

So, it's a smart choice for a shortline's only diesel road engine (to date) less maintenence? Is it economical? It there a steep head-end price for dymanic brakes, does anyone know?

Short line buy use locomotives which may have had the DBs removed and the DB blister blank in like this.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=33857


However this is not always the case as we can see with this R.J.Corman Geep which still has working DBs.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=33887

 

[lester perry]

I have 3 P2k GP7s and 2 GP9s basically the same thing. All of them make the famous thumping noise from cracked gears ( also have GP30 and BL2 all make noise). I have 1 Atlas GP38 or is it a 35. It is good runner. But to be honest the P2Ks run smoother. I use DCC and the P2K will run so slow you have to look hard to see them move, not so with the Atlas. So it is all in what you want if you want slooowww go P2K. If you want no gear problem go Atlas.
Les

 

[LongIslandTom]

NJ isn't that hilly, but i see plenty of Locomotives with Dynamic Brake blisters. Are they standard on most locomotives? The only ones I see around here without the blister are former Conrail GP15-1s

Hey Cab,

Well, I guess it depends where in Joisey you are..

In northern Jersey there are some really hilly terrain.. And once you cross into Pennsylvania and Upstate New York through which the northern end of the Appalachian Range passes, those places are for-real mountain railroading country. So yea.. The majority of Conrail's road units are DB-equipped because of that.

I gotta get out there more this summer to do some railfanning! :thumb:

 

[green_elite_cab]

yeah, I live in the Phildelphia Division area of Conrail. Not much in the way of steep hills on the railroad. that makes sense though, since i figure trains must move around the system.

 

[MilesWestern]

I recieved it Today!!!! I must say this:

Impressed with on the Altas : (in direct comparison to P2k GP7 which I own)
-Running speed! :thumb:
-Performance
-Fan detail
-Painted engineers
-Truck sideframe detail
-Horn detail
-Flush fit windows

NOT IMPRESSED with

-breakable handrails :curse: broke 3 sanchions (fixable) off today due to reason #2
- unusually WEAK body mounting! No screws hold the shell on?!?!
-grennish LED glow
- Accumate couplers! :curse: they are barely mate-able with kadees, and NOT on curves!
-(GEC's right, the lift rings now DO stand out due to knobby shape as moolded on my model!)

Overall 6/7-10. I Really want durability, something which is easily (and rather speedily) disproven. But time will tell, perhaps my initial review is too harsh.

 

[green_elite_cab]

NOT IMPRESSED with

-breakable handrails :curse: broke 3 sanchions (fixable) off today due to reason #2
- unusually WEAK body mounting! No screws hold the shell on?!?!
-grennish LED glow
- Accumate couplers! :curse: they are barely mate-able with kadees, and NOT on curves!
-(GEC's right, the lift rings now DO stand out due to knobby shape as moolded on my model!)

1. Handrails on the P2k are made of the same plastic as the atlas ones.
2. Check the mounting tabs. Are they intact? It can be a real pain trying to get the shells off.
3. My Recent Atlas came with Kadees ( my U34 originally had horn hooks). besides, even though accumate couplers are bigger and less realistic, they should work fine with Kadees. I have no problems coupling the two.

 

[MilesWestern]

1. I figured, but the poor layout of the Geep, where the walkway and the hood are seperate parts leaves ample chance for the handrails to break due to the fact that you have to remove at least 10 handrail sanctions to lift the :curse: shell off!!

2. I don't think the mounting tabs are intact

3. I'll just replace them with kadees!

 

[straight-track]

Voted for Atlas, own many more atlas, little or no problems at all, just personally prefer the seniority and quality for years now !

 

[green_elite_cab]

1. I figured, but the poor layout of the Geep, where the walkway and the hood are seperate parts leaves ample chance for the handrails to break due to the fact that you have to remove at least 10 handrail sanctions to lift the :curse: shell off!!

2. I don't think the mounting tabs are intact

3. I'll just replace them with kadees!

1.what? you only need to remove the stantion from the cab. then all you have to do is find the mounting tabs, squeeze it a bit, and gently remove the shell ( or atleast clear the mounting tabs so it down't snap back into place when you grabe the next set). removing that many stantions isn't needed. they are plenty flexible enough to be flext out when you put your hand alongside the hood.

2. yeah. send a picture. the other possibility ( this happened to me a few times while working on my U34CH) is that the mounting tabs didn't snap back into place. Next time just make sure you have everything locked in tight.

3. yeah, they are better looking.