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.


  

Bargain Geep - A high nose at last!

After months of searching I finally found a high nose GP30!.   This was buried in the second-hand area at the Croydon MRS show, and its not just any high nose, but the exact model I have been coveting!

This is the Walthers reissue of the Proto 2000 GP30 in Norfolk Southern livery numbered as #2612 and whats more it is the sound equipped DCC version. 

A bargain indeed as I paid just over £30 for it and these models retailed for £150 new and are long out of production.  The low-nose version is due for re-issue at £190 for the sound version.

It's a bit dusty and the original owner has painted the top of the roof flat black, but other than a split porch handrail and missing pilot steps there is no major damage.  I figure the handrail woll glue back together and the roof paint should be easy to correct by either cleaning it off or overspraying it.

I'm really pleased to have aquired one of these high nose models at last, and having a correctly detailed high-nose model as reference will make it much easier to kitbash a high nose onto one of my other P2K geeps.

High Nose GP40 - Rescue Build

I found this high nose Athearn GP40 going cheap on ebay and picked it up as a quick project.  The model has been fitted with a high-nose, which turned out to be a Cannon & Co part, but not much else has been done to the model.

It had one of the worst paint jobs I have seen in a long time, with really, really thick paint brushed on, followed by an extra generous layer of dullcoat.  A real mess!

 

 

I have an idea I might be able to spruce the model up in time to put it on the display table at the club show, this won't be a concourse model but I will add some basic details and
grabirons to make it more presentable.

First port of call is the dip tank, I sat the model in 91% alcohol overnight then scrubbed with a toothbrush, I couldn't prise the handrails off because of all the paint, so I left them on until the paint had softened enough.

I don't know what brand of paint the model has been painted with, but the thick N&W blue comes off fairly easily when scrubbed with a toothbrush, the original paint is underneath, revealing this was a Conrail unit when it left the factory.

The Cannon high-nose has been fitted in an unusual way, with the previous owner keeping the original Athearn hatches at the base instead of cutting flush with the deck making it apparent that the nose itself is very slightly out of place. 

There is a chance that it might need replacing but I will wait until all the paint is off before deciding.

The Athearn paint is proving harder to shift than the top coat, so I will leave the shell soaking for the rest of the day.

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