Atlas GP15

[keeper]

Hi all,

Recently a good friend and I bought several locos from someone on ebay (ebay-kleinanzeigen, I don't know if this is available elsewhere).
As a surpirise gift we got a Atlas GP 15 for free on top of it.
We both don't really know what to do with it because CSX is nowhere near our interests.
First I thought the frame could be used for a non DCC ready GP7/9 but the frame seems to be different.
So could it be used in that way for another loco or is selling the only other option?

Thomas 

[RockGp40]

I "think" @randgust CF7 kits could use this as a starting point, but I also believe there is some milling involved.

[wazzou]

I "think" @randgust CF7 kits could use this as a starting point, but I also believe there is some milling involved.

Isn’t there a nearly 10’ difference in wheelbase?
If I recall, the GP15-1 is just under 30’ and the F7 is 39’.

[kiwi_al]

Link to Randy's CF7 page

http://www.randgust.com/prod07.htm

[thomasjmdavis]

Isn’t there a nearly 10’ difference in wheelbase?
If I recall, the GP15-1 is just under 30’ and the F7 is 39’.

Unfortunately, a lot of sources out there confuse wheelbase (distance between the centers of the first and last axles of a loco) with truck centers.  According to the drawings (C&EI) of F units, an F unit (and therefore a CF-7) has truck centers of 30' and wheelbase of 39'. 

The "wiki" for the GP-15 (and I am sure several other websites and quite possibly some books) list the "wheelbase" as 29'9", but the loco length is 54'- a foot shorter than a GP-7 or -9.  So, given that photos make clear that there is not 12' of overhang at each end, the 29'9" dimension is actually the truck centers, not the wheelbase.  For comparison, a GP7 has truck centers of 31', and wheelbase of 40'.