Athearn GP-9 correct scale?

[Bapou]

Is this one of the Athearns that has a too wide shell?

Loco

[WCfan]

Your link doesn't seem to work for me. Takes me to the Trains.com Forum Page.

I know Athearn did have a problem with it's Blue Box SD45. For what I know it was 2 or 3 scale feet wider than the real SD45. I'm not sure if that helps as it not the same locomotive!

[Bapou]

OK, I fixed the link. I have no clue why it went to the main forum site

[lvanhen]

From the sellers description, it may be a dummy unit!!!  What was the latin for buyer beware?

[Bapou]

I know it is a dummy, dosn't fit my era, I was thinking relic in the yard

[trainfan1221]

The problem with the Athearn GP-9 is that the shell is too wide.  Also, it's GP-7.

[myred02]

From the sellers description, it may be a dummy unit!!!  What was the latin for buyer beware?

caveat emptor

-Brandon

[Don Gibson]

get the Proto-2000 GP-9 or an Atlas GP-7. Better locomotives, better bargains.

[lvanhen]

From the sellers description, it may be a dummy unit!!!  What was the latin for buyer beware?

caveat emptor

-Brandon

Hey - leave me alone - I'm old!!

[Packer]

Is this one of the Athearns that has a too wide shell?

Loco

Yes. I've stayed away from the BB locos for that whole reason.

[lvanhen]

I believe that it's only the older BB's with the open motor that was too wide.  Athern has corrected it on the newer models. 

[DanRaitz]

Is this one of the Athearns that has a too wide shell?

Loco

Yes. I've stayed away from the BB locos for that whole reason.

 

Only the earlier Athearns were wide bodies.

Wide Bodies:

GP7

SW7

S12

GP35

SDP40

SD45

SD9

All of their GE's

The first scale hood width unit that they came out with was the SD40-2 in the 80's.

 

Dan

 

[Mr. SP]

The older Athearn hood units were about a scale foot too wide. I run them with some of the scale width Athearn units and it isn't all that noticable.

As stated the Athearn GP9 is actually a GP7. I make a kind of faux GP9 by removing the two louvres under the cab and the louvre on each side of the hood that is just past the dynamic brake blisters.

[R. T. POTEET]

Is this one of the Athearns that has a too wide shell?

Loco

Having been out of HO-Scale for more than a quarter of a century I don't know whether Uncle Irv and Company ever retooled the body shells for their GP7/GP9 but if they didn't then this is most likely one with a 7 foot wide HOOD instead of a prototypical 6 foot wide HOOD.

I disagree with forum member Mr. SP; when these are coupled with a scale-width unit and viewed from above this oversize hood-width becomes readily noticable. In the mid-'70s when Atlas made their first HO-Scale offerings with their scale-width hoods I saw one of these "dummies" mated up with an Atlas unit and it was one of the first things - indeed probably the first thing - which I noticed.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Looks like I have one of the older Athearn SD-9 shells. Just checked and it's seven scale feet across the front hood.

[trainfan1221]

The SD9 looked good enough that it was easy to look past the width.  The problems with the GE and GP35 and SD45 models was that the front windows were a total mess, not even close to looking good, mostly on the EMDs.  Also, and not to get too picky because I still liked the model, the SD45 had too many engine access doors and too few radiator grills.