Model Railroading > New MTH GP-40 .....better quality

Just got the MTH Premier GP-40 unit in today. It looks like the Atlas O & Lionel competition has caused MTH to step up their quality. They now have eye bolts on top of the hood , grab irons front and rear , realistic tread on the walkways , scale handrails , see thru steps , see thru fans & screens and larger fuel tanks. This unit was worth the $125.00 that I purchased it for ( it\'s non-powered ). I think the rest of the newer stuff should be good as well - However I usually don\'t buy until I see first.

TehachapiKid wrote:

It looks like
> the Atlas O & Lionel competition has caused MTH to step up
> their quality.

Hi T.kid,Thanks for the review,I\'d like to see one of these,do they have any good photos on their site? or can you post a photo of your model? Have you compared the dimensions of the model to the prototype? sometimes MTH is a little off,how about the steps and pilots,do they look right?can they be patched up to take KDs? I\'d like to build a SP GP40 with a weaver or central drive so if these bodies are correct they would be a good start...dave

Alright I posted 4 pics in the media library. MTH1 - 4.
The pilots and steps aren\'t too bad. You\'ll need something to fill the gap in to mount the pilots to the frame. Also , it has cab doors that open , windshield wipers , mu hoses & the roof fans spin.

TehachapiKid wrote:
Alright I posted 4 pics in the media library. MTH1 - 4.
> The pilots and steps aren\'t too bad. You\'ll need something to
> fill the gap in to mount the pilots to the frame.

Thanks for posting the photos,the body looks great,making the steps and pilots solid looks like the only problem,I like that NS thorobred on the nose,do you know if they come in SP paint?.I have a few MTH cars converted to two rail they come out ok,the ATSF caboose is almost perfect scale size,the centerbeam lumber car is nice from the side but a little narrow from the end,and the airslide hopper is the only plastic version available so it is usefull even though it is a little small.I\'m working now on a bay window SP caboose and have a 4 dome 20K tanker waiting to do....dave

I think they did make a SP GP-40 , but I\'m not sure it was available in a non-powered version - go to : mth-railking.com and there\'s a page to do a product search. Some of the MTH rolling stock is okay for converting. I\'ve lowered 4 of the 89ft Corrugated Auto carrier\'s - They are actually about 75ft scale but they look good when you move the trucks back and lower them like the prototype. The new gondolas are nice as well - K-line, Lionel & MTH all make the scale gondolas. I\'ve got 4 MTH FP-45 that are all going to be painted in ATSF Red/Silver. I\'m in the process of adding grab irons, eyebolts , A/C units , and scale fuel tanks. Central Locomotive Works has been very helpful with these additional detail parts.
PS - I\'ve got 2 of the Railking SW1500 - though they lack alot of detail ,they are very close to scale and fairly easy to paint - I\'ve painted in SP.
See pic.
Dennis

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Here\'s the 1st FP45 I painted - without the scale fuel tank and A/C unit.

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TehachapiKid wrote:
I\'ve lowered 4 of the
> 89ft Corrugated Auto carrier\'s - They are actually about 75ft
> scale but they look good when you move the trucks back and
> lower them like the prototype

Thanks for the photos,the ATSF cowl looks very sharp,I like the SW1500 paint job too,the SP used those around here in the 80s.I\'d like to see one of your modified autoracks,I\'ve done the truck replacement on the lumber cars and it helps their looks alot,I\'ve attached a photo of a BN car....dave

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To the best of my knowledge, MTH has not made an Espee GP40. The first run of GP40\'s did include the WP in the new image paint scheme. I have examined the GP40 and the main fault I find with it are the Railking shortie trucks. Now I haven\'t check too closely to see how the shell would fit on a Weaver GP38 frame that has the fixed pilot and steps. I would rate the GP40 a 9 from the frame up. If you are running 3 rail, a set of scale trucks will help. For my money, a dummy to either rebuild into a 2 rail scale unit or repower with weaver 3 rail trucks would be worth the time and effort. MTH did do the dynamic brake correct, unlike their GP38-2. Also, the PS-2 cemter flow hopper is scale and matches the Weaver version very nice. If one is selective, MTH has offered some very nice scale cars that convert to 2 rail or look excellent in 3 rail. If your looking for an Espee bay window caboose, take a look at the Railking bay window. The WP version I bought is a scaled up Athearn SP bay window. MTH sold them in UP silver for $40.00 and that would be the easiest to repaint into SP colors.

Greg Elems

Here\'s the Auto Carrier\'s. I had to go Body mount with the couplers. Also had to cut the underframe and mount the trucks to the body. I used the weaver die-cast old fashioned trucks.

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TehachapiKid wrote:
Here\'s the Auto Carrier\'s. I had to go Body mount with the
> couplers. Also had to cut the underframe and mount the trucks
> to the body. I used the weaver die-cast old fashioned trucks.

That looks great.Moving the trucks sure improves these cars,I\'m gonna look for one of these to convert.Thanks....dave