Model Railroading > Atlas Shells on P2K frames?

Will an Atlas GP7 shell fit on a P2k Frame?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/10 19:22 by 6ET.

Nope...the Atlas "shell" is the top only...with the walkway being part of the frame...treadplating and all...

IMO, the Atlas drive is superior to the Proto 2K drive (old) anyway...

The Proto shell is better of the two...visa-versa on the drives.

Thomas Austin
Centralia, IL
Joppa Sub Layout Site

I understand all of that, I should have asked the question differently. I want to know if it fits height wise and width wise, on other words will the Atlas long hood sit on the P2k Drive?

I just happen to have a P2K GP 18 and an Atlas GP7 kit spread open for a work in progress. I took some time to check things out. As a practical solution the answer is probably no. Theoretically, it is yes. Let me explain. What we really need to know is will the Atlas body and cab nestle into the P2K walkways. The first problem is the air compartment and battery box doors are cast onto the P2K walkways and the ATLAS cab. So these parts will have to be cut off one company's parts. It will likely be easiest to remove the ATLAS parts and keep the P2K assembly intact. I do not think these parts will be a 100% match to the GP7 prototype.

Next the pieces molded inside ATLAS shell for holding in the light bars will have to be removed along with much of the ATLAS body connector between the long hood and short hood. If you remove the carbody weight in the P2K drive you may be able to keep the ATLAS carbody under the cab shell complete. There are two tabs under the short hood which ATLAS uses to attach the body to their drive which may not fit into the P2K frame.

I would really, really want to want to use this combination to even attempt it. You may do damage to the ATLAS parts only to find the fit is just not tight enough in the long run. I would try to find a P2K GP7 model or an ATLAS GP7 at a swap meet which could have the shell removed and replaced with the shell you have. Depending upon the amount of repainting you might have to do on the chassis the project could be completed in half an hour or less.

Send us photos when you are done.

EDIT:

I just reread your last post. If you want to just cut the long hood from the ATLAS GP7 to replace the long hood of the P2K shell this may be a viable project. You will have to remove the light tube holder posts inside the ATLAS shell and there may be some small strips of styrene needed where the cab of the P2K meets the long hood. I think you will want to give the body weight of the P2K drive a couple of passes over a belt sander to narrow it slightly. I can't really test that workflow without cutting apart both the body shells. This plan would easily solve the battery box / airbrake compartment issues.

EDIT II:

I cut the P2K body apart since that was going to be done later anyway. It would be possible to use the P2K walkways, cab sub base and cab with just the ATLAS short hood and long hood parts added to the model. The outside width of the ATLAS parts is wider than the P2K so the openings in the cab casting will have to be openend up slightly for all to fit. This is good, no shimming will be needed. If you need the paint on the ATLAS cab and sub base then you will have to clean off the P2K walkways of all the base parts and likely have to separate the ATLAS GP7 body into 3 separate pieces, cab and sub base, short hood and long hood. The casting joining the hoods together will likely need to be removed completely. In the end these parts may need to be glued to the P2K walkways and some adjustment to the weights on the loco frame may have to be worked on to remove points which interfer with a good fit to the locomotive frame.

I would say intermediate kit bashing skills would be required. This is probably not a good first project unless the modeler has some help along the way. For anyone with a couple of chop nose locomotives under their belt this should be a straight foreward modeling exercise with a high level of success.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/10 18:37 by fbe.

6ET Wrote:
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> Will an Atlas GP7 shell fit on a P2k Frame?

Not being critical here, just curious. Why are you considering placing an Atlas shell with less detail than a P2K shell on a chassis of poorer running quality? I would understand the nicely detailed P2K body on a good running Atlas chassis, but not sure why you'd want to go the other way.

swsf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 6ET Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Will an Atlas GP7 shell fit on a P2k Frame?
>
> Not being critical here, just curious. Why are you
> considering placing an Atlas shell with less
> detail than a P2K shell on a chassis of poorer
> running quality? I would understand the nicely
> detailed P2K body on a good running Atlas chassis,
> but not sure why you'd want to go the other way.

The only reason I could think of would be a shell swap to improve the Atlas-drive loco's appearance, then sell the P2K frame/Atlas body unit at a flea market.

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> swsf Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 6ET Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Will an Atlas GP7 shell fit on a P2k Frame?
> >
> > Not being critical here, just curious. Why are
> you
> > considering placing an Atlas shell with less
> > detail than a P2K shell on a chassis of poorer
> > running quality? I would understand the nicely
> > detailed P2K body on a good running Atlas
> chassis,
> > but not sure why you'd want to go the other
> way.
>
> The only reason I could think of would be a shell
> swap to improve the Atlas-drive loco's appearance,
> then sell the P2K frame/Atlas body unit at a flea
> market.


I read it as the modeler wanted to keep the ATLAS body to use on the P2K drive, perhaps to match the drives he already owns. You may be correct, he may want to use the long hood from a P2K unit like a GP9 or GP18 on an ATLAS GP7 drive to match the ATLAS drives he already owns. Since ATLAS has not gone beyond the GP7 model. Then the P2K with the ATLAS GP7 long hood could be sold to another.


This parts swapping does get rather interesting. I will part out a KATO SD40 to get trucks and drive for MRL 332 on an old Front Range chassis lengthened to FP45 dimensions. Then the shell of the SD40 will be attached to the walkways and steps of a Rail Power Products SD9 over Athearn trucks for MRL 652. I suppose I could go really crazy and use a P2K SD9 chassis and walkway but that leaves a lot os scrap box parts with no likely rebuild possibilities.

All this stuff from Atlas, KATO, P2K and Athearn are not really locomotives, this is just how the manufacturers package the parts.