Recently I placed a winning bid on a certain auction site for an Athearn Genesis GP15-1, which has the Frisco-specific details. The hitch? It's undecorated, and will require some assembly. Plus, it doesn't have a decoder, but is DCC-ready (which I hope means I can plug a decoder in). Obviously, this goes completely against the preferred trend of buying ready-to-roll models, already assembled & painted. but for those of us who had to do our own painting, detailing & decaling back in the day, it's SOP. As it is, it's my opinion that you can't accurately model the Central Division in the 1975-1980 time frame without at least one or two GP15-1s around, and these beasts hung out at both Ft. Smith and Hugo. From what I've seen of the Genesis GP15-1, it blows the Walthers P1000 and Trainline offerings completely out of the water. So, I have the diesel coming, as well as some more Microscale decals. Got detail parts, proper paint, and Kadee couplers. No decoders ordered yet, and I'm really not too heck-bent on installing sound (although I must admit I like the sound of a non-turboed 645 prime mover). Speaking of decoders, are the GP15-1s really "plug-n-play", or will I have to do a little extra work to install one?
The GP15 is set up to install light-board type decoders, so you can choose between the Soundtraxx TSU-GN1000 645 Non-Turbo #828058 Sound decoder or the Soundtraxx MC2H104AT 4 function light board (you want the Headlights, Rotary Beacon, and Pyle Gyralight to work. Note that I indicated 645 Non-turbo; the GP15-1 models the Frisco had were non-turbo. Get with me for a speaker enclosure design that will fit in this loco.
Right you are on the GP 15's and the Fort Smith Sub. They were GREAT little engines and liked by all. I cut my "engineer's" teeth on the impressive little GP 15. I think I have a slide "somewhere" I shot of the first one into Fort Smith.
Very first cab ride I ever took was on the 100, after one of the Friday night meetings of the local model RR club in Ft. Smith. Jim Christenberry, a Frisco brakeman (and club member) took us out on the North Side switch job, and I was impressed as to how it scooted around with a cut of cars. One of the pleasant memories was standing on the back platform with the brakies as we were headed back to the yard, enjoying the summer night air & shooting the bull. IIRC, the servicing facilities at Hugo, OK were reworked to handle the GP15-1s, which were also seen on the A&A and Arthur Subs. Because of this, I see where I need a '15 or two to mix in with my several GP7s.
I've got a couple, including sound and light decoder and it's that cats meow. The Gyralight and the Stratolite both work and it sound cool as all get out. There were a ton of these around Madill after the BN merger. Terry
