ho engine bodies

[rbuck]

PLEASE TELL ME IF ALL GP ENGINE SHELLS WOULD FIT ON GP30 SPECTRUM FRAME WITH NO PROBLEM--IF NOT WHICH ONES WOULD FIT

THANKS
RICH

[Jhanecker2]

rbuck : can't help you with your problem about the engine bodies , but by internet conventions all Capital letters in your post means your Shouting . Please turn off tour Caps Lock . Good Luck with your  question . Members of this forum have dealt with this problem before so you should eventually get a response .  John   II.

[bapguy]

I say no. If you Google the loco's you asking about, IE EMD GP30 data you'll see thet don't all have the same dimensions: Wheelbase, length between truck centers, etc. So a GP30 shell will fit a GP30 frame only. Joe

[Doneldon]

buck-

You might be able to do some cut and paste to get someone's geep body to fit on other geep frame but I don't think you'd be happy with the results because the locomotive just wouldn't look right. However, if what you're asking is whether you can fit different manufacturers' GP30 bodies onto one another's GP30 frames, well, it could be done, but why? It would still take some cutting and fitting. I don't think that, for the most part, one manufacturer has such a hugely superior mechanism and another such a hugely superior body that doing the surgery would be justified. Perhaps you'd be tempted to do this if you have a loco with a paint job you don't want and hope to replace it with a paint job or road name made by another manufacturer, but it would probably be easier just to repaint the body you already have.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck and show us your results.

                                                                                                      -- D

[electrical whiz kid]

When I first decided to get into HO standard gauge and put up the narrow gauge equipment for a while, I got a really good buy on Atlas RS-2 frames, and RS-11 bodies-it did take a great deal of work-file and fit, as they say, and I eventually got them done.  The average modeler would be well advised to think twice and thrice before atempting this.  Mine run as smooth as a baby's behind, again making sure to cover ALL details before working-in other words, planning well ahead, and going over the plans.  I have done the same thing with some steam in my collection-however, I am not a newbie, or someone with limited knowledge in this.  To me, it was fun; to someon e else, it may be more disaster.
Rich C.

[jbrock27]

Rich C, I am sure that in addition to your fine modeling skills, attention to detail and thorough planning, that these RS units run as smooth as they do bc of their known superior Atlas or Atlas/Kato mechanisms.  Much better than what many, ahem, other manufactures have produced in their locos. 

I am certain they look equally as great bc of your work on them.

[electrical whiz kid]

As far a s their running qualities, Yep.  There wasn't much I did in that dept other than make sure there was no dirt or FOD in the mechanism.  They were oiled per instruction gleaned from various web sites, and some guys woth a lot more expertise than me.  As far as the "body work", the same approach applies to anyone doing this kind of stuff, lest you wind up with a pile of junk-nothing fancy about my workmanship-just acceptable by me.
Rich C.

[jbrock27]

Now if only they would come down in price or other manufactures come up to the quality of their drives...

[jward]

I say no. If you Google the loco's you asking about, IE EMD GP30 data you'll see thet don't all have the same dimensions: Wheelbase, length between truck centers, etc. So a GP30 shell will fit a GP30 frame only. Joe

that's not quite true. the gp30 and gp35 frames are interchangeable, as are the bodies.

[jbrock27]

That is good to know.
Jeff does that apply to just Plus and Spectrum models or any Bachmann series GP35 and GP30 models?

[jward]

i'd say all of them. i had a spectrum gp30 when they first came out, and some of the dcc on board gp30s and gp35s. the basic design of the chassis hasn't changed.

[jbrock27]

Thank you.