High Nose Genesis Geep 38-2

The latest addition to my roster is a brand new Athearn Genesis GP38-2 in Southern livery, this is the latest release in the Genesis range and comes with an incredible number of factory fitted detail parts.  I opted for the Tsunami sound equipped version which gives the usual high quality audio and rounds off the model nicely.

I pre-ordered this model when they were first announced over a year ago, with my model coming from Model Junction in Slough who were very efficient as usual and it arrived very safely packaged and ready to go.

I have several Athearn blue-box geeps on the workbench but this Genesis model really sets a new bar for superdetailing, even more so that the recent Athearn GP15 or SD70ACE releases, and the sheer amount of detailing on this model would be hard to beat even with a box full of Detail Associates parts.

The thing that strikes me about the factory detailing is how crisp and perfect everything is, even the tiniest details are applied with no visible glue residue and the factory paint is incredible, with even the smallest warning stickers easily legible.  

The factory printing on these models is far beyond what can be achieved with waterslide decals and it's unlikely that any of my own superdetailing projects would stand up to the level of scrutiny that this Genesis model can.

This Southern version features the same hood bells as the Genesis SD45, but the model also has walkway lights, sight glass and what appear to be even finer handrails than previous releases.  Compared to Atlas or Proto these details are much finer.

So, yet another superb model from Athearn Genesis, and one of my favourite locomotives.  My first US outline model was a blue box Geep 38-2 in the late eighties so it's great to have a new version from Athearn after all these years and this model certainly sets the bar for other manufacturers to match, my only real worry would be that the detailing is so fine that it's really difficult to handle the model for fear of damaging it!   What we really need is an enterprising company to devise an affordable method of transporting models like this for shows and the like, because getting it in and out of the sturdy Genesis packaging can take quite a few minutes.


  

Modelling the Peoria Local - Motive Power

Here is a look at the second part of the Prototype Modeler magazine article on modeling the Peoria Local train.  This is from the September/October 1988 issue and details how to build and detail two of the most common locomotives then seen on the Bloomington line.

The article covers two different locomotives, a high nose Southern GP38-2 and a low nose N&W GP30, the older geep being unusual as a low nose unit because most of these locomotives were high hood units on the Norfolk & Western and Southern routes.

The article goes into a lot of detail on how to improve and detail the old Front Range (Bachmann) GP30 and create a detailed and accurate model of these unique locomotives.
A great project and two very nice looking locomotives, although these days there are off the shelf options for both of these prototypes, including the Life Like Proto 2000 GP30 (in both high and low nose versions) and the new Athearn Genesis GP38-2 as a high nose Southern prototype.

The Athearn Genesis GP38-2 in Southern Livery 

The Proto 2000 GP30 High Nose in Norfolk and Western Livery 

I will definitely be picking up one of the new Athearn GP38-2's when they are released at the end of the year, but getting a Proto 2000 high nose GP30 will be a lot harder, they really seem to be like gold dust, even the low nose versions are thin on the ground.  I will be keeping an eye on ebay just in case one becomes available.

You can read the entire article on this link here:  Link

Update on NS patched Conrail GP38-2 project.

I managed to find some time to work on my GP38-2 project this week, adding the rest of the decals and some weathering to the shell. 

I applied the decals before weathering, thinking that would give a more realistic appearance, but it turned out that I should definitely have done things the other way around.  Some of the drybrushing has clung to the white conrail logos and numberboards, so I will need to re-apply some of the decals to fix.

I was originally hoping to have this engine done in time for the NMRA convention in Bournemouth next weekend, but with work being so busy, it's not looking likely that I will have it finished.  Hopefully I will find some time this week to work on the remaining details.