Guess you guys don't watch for these as I got an unasembled GP30 that was started to be custom painted with the complete steps/horn/handrails/and dummy frame with correct trucks and correct GP30 frame for dirt cheap. WOW what a find I made
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The hardest thing to find is a GP30 with unbroken mounting tabs. The plastic used for these is very thin and brittle and easily breaks with even the slightest amount of pressure. Finding the spare parts to restore one is difficult as well. I have 7 GP30's - most all in mint condition 3 with original boxes. Larry
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I'm not too surprised. HO stuff can generally be found cheap if you're patient. I've got locos that sell for 30-50 on ebay in box lots at garage sales.
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At the GTE this weekend I found not one, but TWO powered Athearn GP30's - MINT in labeled BLUE boxes. One Reading, one UP. Both were $30 ea. I might have bit on one for the weird novelty factor but I passed because the handrail kits were missing, bah.
Come to think of it, at this show in the last few years there has always been at least one Athearn GP30... and I've now had a chance to own them all. I've even sold a few. Admittedly this was the first time seen in the blue boxes. But they're out there yet.
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I picked up a Santa Fe GP30 in the (blue) box yesterday at a show for $20.00. One of the mounting tabs was broken at the very bottom. Other than that it is like new with the railing kit and instructions. I have had two others in the past but both were heavily damaged.X2F
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I just discovered the one and only body shell change that took place sometime around 1966 I would surmise...Not all GP30/35 chassis are interchangable with all shells. GP30's sold from 1962 up till likely 66 have a SMALLER coupler pocket opening. The one's marketed from 66-69 when Athearn finally ran out of shells had the pocket cut open wider to accomodate the larger coupler mount. I made this discovery while trying to swap a different chassis under a UP unit I have. I had look for yet another chassis to finish the project. I looked at two side by side (UP and a ATSF) and sure enough the coupler pockets are different sizes...
Larry
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Are you sure your not putting a GP35 chassis on a GP30 body. They are different just like you say with the wider coupler pockets Maybe I read this wrong will check mine out todayEdited by - cmgnnut on February 11 2011 1:17:03 PM
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Are you sure your not putting a GP35 chassis on a GP30 body. They are different just like you say with the wider coupler pockets Maybe I read this wrong will check mine out today
Originally posted by cmgnnut - February 11 2011 : 11:09:02 AM
The later GP30's can use the exact same chassis's and did (same part number on the multi unit instruction sheets). Athearn obviously widened the pockets to allow for this for the remaining GP30 shell stock. I had never noticed or thought about it - I figured they were all interchangeable but they arent. larry
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Hi Guys. The early Engine chassis used ether a screw or the metal clip to hole the coupler on the frame. The later ones used the plastic clip to hold it on. Hence the wider space needed on the shell for the coupler pocket to fit... same problem when using Athearn drives on Lionel HO shells, they were the early type shells also.... Carl Numquam Immoderatio Satis Est (Too Much Is Never Enough )
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I about fell over when I ran a mint yellow box Santa Fe dummy - in the short box - on eBay a while back. $71. I'm sitting on a box for a powered with a partly painted shell, waiting for another one to turn up to fix it.
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Posted - January 31 2011 : 3:00:06 PM
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Carl