Model Railroading > SP 4837 Athearn GP38-2

I picked up my GP38-2 from my LHS last week and since the thermometer didn't break freezing today I was able to put some finishing touches on it... Athearn has raised the bar once again with this model and I can't find anything really to critique. I had a loose sunshade on the engineers side, but a dab of glue and all was well. The sound on this thing is incredible, even with the stock speaker. I turned the master volume down from a cv value of 255 to 50, and it even sounded better...

Anyway... Athearns SP GP38-2.

Andy

---

---

Looking good!!

I thought the sound on my GP9 was good, then I got the GP38-2. It is superb, and I told the Athearn reps at the WGH show today how much I appreciated it.

Mike

Very realistic weathering! It takes cojones to immediately start weathering $200+ models.

Tom Y

Another bit of "weathering" that caught my eye is the edge of the concrete/asphalt roadway in photo #1 - especially where it meets the rail!

WP282 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I thought the sound on my GP9 was good, then I got
> the GP38-2. It is superb, and I told the Athearn
> reps at the WGH show today how much I appreciated
> it.
>
> Mike


I think... Athearn may have gone with a higher quality speaker in a better enclosure... I havent the need to explore yet, but according to the instructions, it looks like a different set-up. But yeah, the sound is great.

Andy

I'm anxiously waiting/dreading for these to be released in a modern UP scheme as I will need about 10 of them eventually in various UP and leaser schemes. These look great! And excellent weathering job, too!

Very nice! Thanks also for the well-staged and composed pics!

~ BZ

All that sub-zero weather froze out the part of your brain that controls your ability to weather the coupler, right??? ;-)

I see you didn't waste any time getting it dirty in service.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

The only gripe I have on mine is that there are no raised exhaust stacks, just an odd looking hole (when you are looking down on it), that doesn't seem prototypical. You can also see a couple of wires through the hole but I don't feel like taking the shell off just of move the wire. I agree, the sound is AMAZING! Dave

speederman01 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The only gripe I have on mine is that there are no
> raised exhaust stacks, just an odd looking hole
> (when you are looking down on it), that doesn't
> seem prototypical. You can also see a couple of
> wires through the hole but I don't feel like
> taking the shell off just of move the wire. I
> agree, the sound is AMAZING! Dave

For some GP38-2, that is prototypical.

speederman01 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The only gripe I have on mine is that there are no
> raised exhaust stacks, just an odd looking hole
> (when you are looking down on it), that doesn't
> seem prototypical. You can also see a couple of
> wires through the hole but I don't feel like
> taking the shell off just of move the wire. I
> agree, the sound is AMAZING! Dave

Having the "shotgun" style stacks was an option. SP was one of the roads that specified these nearly flush round exhaust stacks on their GP38-2s.

Cheers,
Harry

icancmp193 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Very realistic weathering! It takes cojones to
> immediately start weathering $200+ models.
>
> Tom Y


I was just thinking that!

A couple folks messaged me asking if I had a picture of the top of the locomotive... This is the only top angle I have, but it shows the exhaust dusting, where the low angle shots don't.

Thanks for the comments guys!

Andy

---

As always Andy, your work is outstanding! Well done.

Bruce

Congratulations on IOTD!

Larry

Quick work on that Andy! Looks great too.

Mark

Andy, congrats on imagine of the day. Nice job on the weathering.

Bruce Bryan
Greensburg, IN

Major LIKE!!!

(back into hiding goes espeeboy)