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Best HO GP60

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  • Member since
    April 2001
  • From: US
  • 416 posts
Best HO GP60
Posted by blabride on Thursday, April 28, 2016 1:16 PM

Does anyone have one of the latest Walther's Proto 2000 GP60's? I am looking to get a Santa Fe version so I am interested in knowing if they are as good as, or not to the Fox Valley. I know FV now has the regular cab versions as well but I like the flag paint scheme of the new Walthers.

I have two of the FV GP60M's and are satisfied with them but they do have a few flaws mainly the think yellow stripe on roof. I would most likely get non sound and add my own later. So that is not an issue. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Steve B

  • Member since
    October 2001
  • From: OH
  • 17,574 posts
Posted by BRAKIE on Thursday, April 28, 2016 2:33 PM

Steve,Another thought. Athearn RTR GP60Ms(not the older BB GP60) I have 2 of these locomotives and they are smooth runners.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

  • Member since
    May 2014
  • From: Pennsylvania
  • 1,152 posts
Posted by Trainman440 on Thursday, April 28, 2016 6:21 PM

The Walthers gp60 is a good model, with decent details and a good drive. 

However, the Santa Fe were not famous for using GP60s, instead, they converted them to GP60Ms and those were a lot more popular. 

Santa Fe had 40 GP60s, 23 GP60Bs, and 63 GP60Ms. 

Hope this helps!

Charles

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Modeling the Santa Fe & Pennsylvania in HO

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  • Member since
    April 2001
  • From: US
  • 416 posts
Posted by blabride on Friday, April 29, 2016 3:15 PM

Thanks for the reply's. I do have two of the Fox Valley Gp60Ms. I have thought long and hard about the GP60B but I just can't seem to get to like the NASA look that they have. I did find a good review on you tube of the latest release GP60B from Walthers and it does look very nice. I think the fans and handrails seem better and crisper in detail than the Fox Valley so I am ordering the regular GP60 to run with my GP60Ms.

Steve B

  • Member since
    April 2011
  • 4 posts
Posted by Fat Russian on Friday, April 29, 2016 11:55 PM

I have several GP60's from Walthers and Fox Valley, both are excellent models. I really like the Walthers models better, the first item would be the  shape of the Q fans on the radiator section, the Fox Valley are fairly flat and when the proper aftermarket Q fans come available I will be changing them out.  Another win for Walthers are the flashing strobes on their SP GP60's, the Fox Valley Cotton Belt GP60 I have stays on steady (I am a DC only user so maybe DCC might be different)  Kudos though to Fox for having a GP60 with the phase one dynamic brake blister, this has been long overdue!  I also have four Fox Valley ATSF GP60M/B's, they have the same flat radiator fans and to me the red color seems off.  With all that being said both the Walthers and FVM models are really nice, truly several notches above the Athearn RTR variants. 

  • Member since
    April 2001
  • From: US
  • 416 posts
Posted by blabride on Saturday, April 30, 2016 9:37 AM

Thanks Mr Russian! This is what I needed. I agree the Walthers fans look a lot better. I am also a bit leery of getting the 21 pin decoder right on the FV. The two I have came with sound. Are the Phase 1 60 DB's different from say the GP50 DB's? I know the Phase 2 DB's are very distinctive.

Thanks

Steve B

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