Fox Valley GP60M's

[Sokramiketes]

You're not 'posta run that modern stuff on that layout. 

Quoted for truth.

Hey, I think Mcjaco's spot just opened up do you want to join?   

[w neal]

Would love to Mike, but my modeling and grammar fall short of the needed requirements. 

[mcjaco]

Would love to Mike, but my modeling and grammar fall short of the needed requirements. 

Grammar?  Ha.  You think we can write goodly?

[Frisco Larry]

Has anyone removed the shell yet, what trick does it take?

[w neal]

Just a few memories, then I'll be quiet:

A few encounters with the GP60s. Forgive me, these are pictures of pictures so the quality leaves a lot to be...  Also, these were taken way before I knew how to take railfan pictures. I ask for your patience. I.E. Crappy pictures, but good memories. I am putting them up here just to share.

That being said...




Through Joliet circa 1994:









A post - merger encounter at Hinsdale April 1998:










And my favorite of the lot. A crappy picture, but one that I treasure. I decided to climb the hill at Toluca (old mine tailings) and catch a train circa 1992. Time allowed me only one train, but it was memorable. Here is my justification for those four 8-40BWs and what appears to be one GP60M (you can just make out one end of it). Also note the old Santa Fe "baggage container" at the former depot site! This lashup was burned in my mind. Sure,  I model the WC. Because of memories like this, I will always own a little bit of the ATSF. As I said before, the 90s were my railfaning golden years. Its not about owning all those N scale trains. Its about preserving a memory. 

[C855B]

Through Joliet circa 1994:

To heck with the GP60's... SEMAPHORES! 

[davefoxx]

Yes Grasshopper . . . .

Heh, mine is scheduled for delivery on Monday.     You better act quick; MBK's stock is running low.

DFF

[tehachapifan]

Got mine today (an M and a B unit)! Here's a shot of them lashed up as an ABBA set with my older, kitbashed units....



I was very happy to find out that my kitbashed units look fairly similar to the FVM units and look pretty good in a lashup. Once I weather the FVM units, they should look even more similar to one another...






Sorry for the somewhat blurry photos.

[jagged ben]

My ABBA set was waiting for me when I came home last night!  They really do look awesome and I can't wait to set them in front of a pig train at the club to see how they do.

For those considering whether to buy, here is my review, (which includes only running them back and forth on a 4' test track, does not include running them on a layout pulling a train).

As a general overview, they are of course what you'd expect from a top N scale locomotive these days:  Crisp paint and molding, split frame drive, DCC ready, knuckle couplers (MT), painted number boards.   

Cool stuff:
- The separately applied details are a step up.  This is the first locomotive I've owned where the compressor tanks are actually fully round and separate from the fuel tank.  Some additional undersill piping comes attached to one of the tanks and as a separate part.  The models also come separate cut levers and MU hoses already applied, as well as the horn and plow, of course.
- A couple other notable details:  Prototypically correct plow, and a painted black rubber gasket around the windshields.
- Add on parts:  These are my first FVM locos, and while I knew to expect to find grab irons as add on parts, I was stoked to also find sunshades, rear view mirrors, windshield wipers, and lift rings.  All of them are ready in matching paint.   Pretty cool!  There's small dimples to locate all the holes, and an exploded parts diagram shows you where everything goes if you're not sure.
- The black-painted fans are a nice touch.

Running and comparing to other manufacturers:
-  Seems like this will run a lot like Atlas 4-axles.  They should run will with Atlas 8-40BWs, just as one would hope.  Three of mine matched each other perfectly, one of mine was slow.
-  The red paint is a bit brighter than other manufacturers', although I think FVM might have gotten it more correct.  So is the silver, although that's less noticeable.  Personally, I'm just deciding not to care.  For running the B-units with other manufacturers, you won't even notice.
- DCC: if you didn't already read above, it takes a six-pin decoder, real easy to switch.  Unfortunately it's only a 2 function decoder.
 

Stuff to work on:
- Ditchlights on the GP60M.  They're dim, and also there's a bit of light leak through the walkway.  The headlight is also pretty dim.  Fortunately, the lightpipe for the ditchlights is separate from the one for the headlight, so there's some leeway for those who might want to work on it with DCC.  The rear light and B-unit lights look fine, BTW.
- The piping detail behind the fuel tank on the conductor's side seems to pop off easily.  Might be good to glue it in before running on the layout.
- The trucks are that dull silver, don't match the body well.  Not that different from my Atlas dash-8, but a little more pronounced.  Not a big deal to fix with paint and/or weather if you really want.


 

[Sokramiketes]

- The trucks are that dull silver, don't match the body well.  Not that different from my Atlas dash-8, but a little more pronounced.  Not a big deal to fix with paint and/or weather if you really want.

This seems to match the as-delivered units, which didn't have bright silver trucks from the start.

[tehachapifan]

Completed grille blackening on my M and B units today as a first step with weathering. Doing this really stands out against the silver and really adds realism in my opinion...





Going to have to figure out a way to renumber the GP60M a I hear 152 was wrecked and retired in 1990 (I model 1995-2005).

[fifer]

It is with a great sense of satisfaction that I post these pictures after installing (almost) all of the detail parts that come in the box on these Fox Valley GP60M and GP60B.
It takes alt on patients and time as well as several #78 and 80 drill bits but the results are great.
I also got all the decoders in and have broken them in in both directions for a couple hours. PS when you remove the shell BE SURE to give them a quick lube on the motor ends as well as worm gear ends.
Here are the pictures.









Mike

[oakcreekco]

Heh, mine is scheduled for delivery on Monday.     You better act quick; MBK's stock is running low.

DFF

Looks like MBK is out of "B's" already

[ednadolski]

Nice work guys!

May I ask: in some pics there seems to be some 'air gap' between the trucks and underframe.  Do you find this to be very noticeable in-person, and does it look like it should be possible to add a some styrene strip to represent the I-beam of the underframe?  And are those grey trucks a delrin or other 'slippery' plastic that would be hard to paint?

Those air filter details look like they are nicely done.  Do they come installed, of did you have to add them?

Thanks,
Ed

[fifer]

Here is a short video of the GP60m on the layout.

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Mike