Just started working on my first Atlas Gold undec GP7. Atlas includes two tank castings: * 1600 gallon. * 800 gallon. All of my P2K and old converted Front Range GP7's have the larger 1600 gal tank represented. SO... I want this pair of KC&G GP7's to represent Geeps delivered with the smaller 800 gal. tank. BUT... the Atlas tank casting for same looks awfully tiny. I measured it, and in HO feet it measures: 4' Wide x 10 1/2' Long x 1 3/4' High. Any of you know what the Frisco's small tank capacity was? (And, better still, know the dimensions?) Do these dimensions sound right? Thanks for any input! Andre
see http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?attachments/gp_7_sg_diagrm_ed-jpg.9794/ Your dimensions yield 73.5 ft^3; there are 7.48 gallons of diesel/ft^3, so your tank would hold approx 550 gallons.
What I suspected: Too small. Hm. Guess I'll have to "wing it" and hack n' gouge on the 1600 gal casting to make it closer, or accept the small casting for what it is: Too small. Thanks Karl! Andre
Thanks for the info guys. I have two I have been dragging my feet to make into small tank units as well.
FWIW... Here's a view of my latest "ARTP" (Almost Ready To Paint) KC&G GP7. This is the Atlas Gold engine mentioned in this thread. I went with the Atlas "Small Tank" casting. Quick review of my impressions of the Atlas Gold ESU DCC/Sound Equipped engine... * The ESU decoder works nice. Good lag before moving which allows the prime mover to rev a couple/three notches before the smooth start begins. There is a momentum feature which helps with the lag and also helps there to feel like there's "heft". Once moving you can play the throttle up/down which gives variation in the revs, but the momentum helps maintain a nice steady movement. * The ESU sound is excellent. I really like the Roots blower whine. Almost all of the sound decoders are really coming on in the sound department. * The engine's running characteristics are excellent. No complaints there. Very quite and smooth. Creeping along is not a problem. * NOT impressed with the way China has handled the handrails. They do not fit so that 90 degree bends are as they should be. I am going to have to "tweak" them in some way to make them more to my liking. * The handrail-to-step joint is a huge step backwards. You can see what I'm talking about in the picture. In the the "fitting of details" respect, P2K's GP7/9's have it all over this Atlas/China GP7. * The supplied nose ladder grabs proved to be cut too short to be of use. I ended up using Detail Associates hand grabs that I re-bent to fit the holes and angle on the nose and rear of the hood. * The end cut bars and MU's are too loose fitting. They will have to be secured once final assembly is accomplished. * I didn't like the "mannequin" look of the engineer... he was sitting stiffly at a weird angle and sat too high. Same with the fireman figure. SO, I cut off the figure's mounting stems and glued on a piece of styrene inside the cab mount to use as a mounting platform. Some Tacky Tack and presto: They look more natural and can be easily removed/repositioned. In all: Nice performance, great control/sound, so-so execution of some of the detail mountings. All fer now! Andre
OH yeah... forgot to mention: * Another step backwards: There were nubbins cast on the roof top that were supposed to be "lift rings". No joke, nubbins... on a so-called "state of the art" Atlas Gold unit! Needless to say, the chisel blade made short work of the nubbins, and once holes were drilled, preformed wire lift rings (Detail Associates) were installed and the "nubbins" were no more. This engine has been one of those "WTF"? moments for me: Great running characteristics, great sound, most details are delicately cast... but nubbins and huge sockets for the handrails on the steps on a "state of the art" (and correspondingly priced) offering? (From Atlas no less?) Andre
It rather reaches out and pokes one in the eyes. That combined with the nubbins does seem surprising, but the pluses do seem to outnumber and outweigh the minuses. Good review, Andre. Best Regards,
Hi Chris! Thanks for the kind words. Since posting the above, I've learned that the shells are the same basic shell that was first introduced in 1990 by Atlas/Kato. This newer Chinese version did away with the frame/sidesills/pilots being a one piece pot metal casting. So, there's a new one piece plastic injection molded sidesills/pilots part that fits onto a cast frame. The aggravating part is the Chinese factory chose to replicate the old style handrail receptacle (large) instead of toning it WAY down to match the new "near scale" handrails. I'm still cogitatin' n' head scratchin' as to how to address that IF it can be addressed without botching up the steps. Andre
Fixed the coffee can socket! My world is right now. I guess this one's ready for paint IF I decide to stay with the supplied MU's. I used my fingers n' fingernails to give them a more natural looking "bow" as MU hoses will do... but I may go ahead and replace them with my homemade MU's that I can shape as desired. All fer now, though! Got one more of these Atlas Gold GP7's to do... and two Atlas Gold RS-1's. Okay you engines... no crowding... quit pushing... who's next? Andre
Hi Karl! This from a modeler (Scott Chatfield) on another forum: "The tank itself is 10'6" long by 45" wide by 36" high, with 23" visible below the frame rails, and the bottom sits 12" above the rails. From field measurements." The above compares favorably with the Atlas version. SO... the Atlas version will be "good 'enuf" for me. Besides, unless the light is "just so"... you can't see them, proto or model. All: Started another Atlas Gold GP7 this morning. Got it all disassembled, had the roof nubbins shaved off, lift ring holes drilled, lift rings installed and ACC'd, stock horns glued in place for trim-off later, that done in about 45 minutes or so. Glue on the horn's have been drying while I ran a few errands in town. Soon as I'm finished with lunch (eating as I type!), I'll head out to the hobby shack and chisel off the coffee can hand rail mounts, fix the engineer/fireman mountings, cut off/sand/fill the Atlas horns from their stock locations, then redrill/mount a roof mounted horn of some type. Last, will be to adjust/trim the DA grabs for the hood ends/install. Once reassembled, I'll have my last Atlas Gold GP7 ready for paint. Even loafing, I should have it RFP sometime this afternoon. Ain't I sumpthin? Andre
"... And Another One Bites The Dust!..." This one wraps up modifying/assembling my two Atlas Classic "Gold" GP7's! They will now await for their com padres (RS-1's) to join them on the RTP shelf. FWIW: Installing those cut bars is a total PITA. All fer now! Andre
