Best HO scale GP15-1?

Suggestions anyone? Walthers Trainline , hallmark brass, and smokey valley kits are out there, but I have no idea how good they are.

Vince

It depends on how accurate you want it and how much work you're willing to put in. I think Walthers may have a few GP15-1s left, and they may even be on sale in their monthly flyer, so unless you have other specific interests, I'd go for that. The Walthers body has an OK paint job from my point of view (I have UP and MP versions), the drive is OK, but you really need to replace the wheels with NWSL, and the wiper-style pickup is vulnerable to dirt and worn out wipers.

I can't comment on the Hallmark model, but I would take a close look at the drive to see if it's better than the old-style brass diesel drives. I wouldn't shell out for one without a close look.

The Smokey Valley is basically a set of crude castings that will let you kitbash a GP15-1. I would guess that the great majority of these are either unassembled like mine or visit Prototype Modelers meets partly finished (a reason for the mags to put such meets on probation, threaten not to cover them unless they have more stuff worth seeing besides Joe Blow had on display his redetailed covered hopper etc. etc.).

John, what exactly does your opinion of PM meets have to do with this?

I have a Smokey Valley GP15 waiting to be started, probably in the spring by the time I figure out some mods I'll be making. It's hardly what I'd call "crude", though the nose cries out for replacement with a Cannon part (as do any of this kit's contemporaries) and you have to supply a Cannon or Athearn cab and a powertrain. It's designed to use Athearn trucks and a NWSL or PPW motor.

It's certainly not the equal of current state-of-art tooling, being 15 years old, but it stands up well. As a "flat" kit, it takes more work to assemble, though the review I read when it was released stated that teh reviewer - an experienced modeller - had it completed and painted in two evenings. Still, if the construction phase isn't your bag, go with the Walthers GP15.

B-Dubya

Thanks for the replies all. I will be going for the Walthers after some thought. Hoping to find undec, but since it is a former Conrail unit now LLPX I will also look for a CR blue.

Vince

BW, the point I was making was that the Smokey Valley GP15-1 is the kind of thing that shows up unfinished at PM meets. I think a quick review of the mags will show that many highly complex kitbashing projects are displayed in incomplete form at PM meets. This, to my way of thinking, has become a persistent disadvantage of such meets, as they don't appear to encourage people to finish their projects. The Smokey Valley kit is perhaps a symptom of this school of modeling. We both acknowledge we haven't finished ours!

As far as I can tell, this opinion doesn't violate any of the rules of the board here, though people who may possibly get hot under the collar at such opinions are common on many other boards -- less so here. Why not publish some photos of your completed models here, as I have?

Hope this answers your question.

As far as I can tell, this opinion doesn't violate any of the rules of the board here, though people who may possibly get hot under the collar at such opinions are common on many other boards -- less so here.

I only asked how the remark was germane to the discussion. I know very well how this board operates - I've been on it since before RIT took over.

Yes, my GP15 is unfinished - because it isn't started yet. It was purchased this spring, and I haven't finished gathering all the parts I need, or engineering some modifications. It'll be started by next spring.

I think that unfinished models at PM meets have effects opposite to your assessment. They illustrate techniques and materials and encourage modellers to try new things. From those I've heard from, it works. I'm going to a meet next month with several models, *one* of which will be unfinished. It's the current project, which will done by the new year.

Why not publish some photos of your completed models here, as I have?

My model photos have appeared on here before, and my profile has a web link - be my guest.

BW, John... shake hands and play nice. Heheh... "since RIT took over... " hehe nice. To be more accurate, we are all graduates of RIT, but RIT is not affiliated with this site. Just being nitpicky.

Regarding the GP15-1 from Trainline... I think out of the box, it is a decent runner. I had this model and the NYSW GE they came out with a few years ago... I thought they were both great runners, for the price. An evening could be spent applying extra details and such, but for the most part, making the Trainline model an ideal starting point.

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:BW, John... shake hands and play nice. Heheh... "since RIT took over... " hehe nice. To be more accurate, we are all graduates of RIT, but RIT is not affiliated with this site. Just being nitpicky.

Whups. My bad!

I certainly don't miss the B.O. days (before Otto). It was a madhouse back then.