Aristo GP40, how is it?

Mobius1 Dec 2, 2008

  1. Mobius1

    Mobius1 TrainBoard Member

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    Hello!

    I've been reading posts on the forums for some time now and decided to join in. I'm mostly an N scale guy, enjoying long trains across expansive scenery. But I also like big trains, and with christmas coming around the corner (and having a place to myself in college) I felt like making a more expansive layout this year under the tree. Of course, buying turnouts and accessories is tempting me to buy another locomotive. Currently my collection is a few Bachmann 4-6-0s, with a USAT NW2 and an Aristo FA/B. I want something more modern after seeing some of the fantastic equipemnt at the Chicago Botanical Garden RR. Was thinking about the aristo GP40. Wholesale trains has them for $189, not to mention the free freight car offer.

    I had a few questions though. First of all, how tight a curve will the locomotive negotiate? Currently I only have 4' and 5' diameter (turnouts are all 4') since I don't run anything with too long a wheelbase. I wouldn't mind picking up a circle of 6.5' for $90 if need be. Secondly, how does the model run? My FA is very reliable, but I've read some complaints about aristo locos in general when compared to USAT. I dont have the means for an outdoor layout probably for some time, so I'll probably only run it outside a few days during the summer. Any advice would be much appreciated!
     
  2. Shannon

    Shannon TrainBoard Member

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    Aristo GP-40

    I got mine about 2 months ago and I love it. I runs and looks great. I will take a 6'5" curve but nothing smaller. For a long wheel base loco that real good. I also have an Aristo SD-45 which also runs great. But the smallist cure it will take is 10 feet.

    Shannon
     
  3. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    My friend got one the other day and I was helping him wire in a sound unit, it runs very smoothly, he runs on an 8 foot radius so I'm pretty sure it can run minimum 6 foot.
     
  4. Keith

    Keith TrainBoard Supporter

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    I've got a pair of Rio Grande units, converted to QSI sound and Airwire R/C.
    A very easy conversion, after removing the 10 screws needed to remove body!
    Nice and heavy. Smooth and quiet runners.
    I did remove and modify the electrical plugs though. Removed the front plugs, and made
    a new connector, so I could plug my units together, back to back.
    No plug on front, because plug interfered with coupler! Lead car would derail, even on an 8 foot diameter curve.
    Also have no problems going through Aristo Craft wide radius turnouts.
    Overall, I'm happy with mine, and would recommend them to folks.
     
  5. Mobius1

    Mobius1 TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks guys! Hopefully I'll be able to get one as a christmas gift to myself along with a matching 53' boxcar. Seems a great value on a quality locomotive.
     
  6. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    Planning on picking up the RLD Hobbies Burlington Northern GP40 Custom Run myself by christmas.
     
  7. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    Aristocraft advertises that the GP-40 will go around a 5ft minimum diameter curve and the SD-45 will go around a 8ft diameter curve and I know this to be true due to I had 2 of them. You will have to dump your 4ft turn outs and up grade to the Aristocraft X-wide turn outs which are 10ft diameter. I read up on this particular GP-40 model from Aristocraft and it's the best one they ever built. They made it right with high powered Mubuchi 550 motors which are ball bearing type motros and should last a long time.

    In all honesty, there are advantages and dis-advantages to both USA Trains and aristocraft. I like to run very long and heavy trains, which traditionally Aristocraft locomotives could not pull. The USA locomotives can because they all have traction tires and never hardly loose track power due to slide pick up shoes. I run inside, but outside, this would be a disadvantage due to dirt wearing out shoes and traction tires. Aristocraft locomotives are better in battery operation due to there low draw. The USA NW-2 and Alco switchers are the only locomotives not to feature the slide shoes and traction tires, but have small motors in them

    I currently run only USA locomotives except for one as I had problems with Aristocraft locomotives in the past, but it seemed like I always got the first production run. I had pre 2001 production Aristocraft FA-FB-FA units which would stop dead in there tracks after 20 minutes of running, come to find out all of the motor blocks were shimmed too tight, I had 2 Aristocraft SD-45 Rio Grande locomotives, again first production in which used plastic gearing and they changed 2nd production to brass but would not compensate customers and replace the first production run gearing. Then I bought a 2-8-2 Mikado which was also first production and the worst model yet from aristocraft. It would quit running, throw sparks, surge fast and slow. I sold it on e-bay to a die hard Aristocraft guy, he e-mailed me back and told me that they should have taken the model back, he said the motor blocks were not square, there were wires chaffing inside, he said it was a complete mess. I only recovered 1/4 of my monmey back.

    In the same token, I have the older 2-8-0 Aristocraft Delton Rio Grande steam locomotive with the "waddle" motor block, thats what my hobby store here called it because they waddled like a duck until Aristocraft put newer updated motor blocks in them. Anyway, this thing keeps running and running, it's the only Aristocraft loco I had luck with.

    I also know people who had bad luck with the USA SD40-2 locomotives, they are very delicate and need very level track. This is due to there small drive wheels. The front part of the arituclated truck gets damaged too easily in uneven track situations, and you will have this outside. I run inside, but even so, I go thru traction tires every year, again due to the smaller wheels on the SD40-2 which is the only USA locomotive to have the small wheels
     
  8. Mobius1

    Mobius1 TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for all of the information! I'm a bit disappointed to hear about the turnouts... I figured if its only one 4ft. section on the turnout, that i'd be able to negotiate it. The 10ft. turnouts are a bit pricey, but it might come down to a choice between those and the 6.5ft curves. I wouldn't have very long trains since I don't have much room, so I dont believe the weight will be an issue. About the NW-2, my model does have the shoes. Maybe I have an earlier run?
     
  9. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    Mobius1, yes you are right, the USA NW-2 does have pick up shoes, but no traction tires due to small motors in the motor block, USA doesn't want you to over load the locomotive, so it's made to slip wheels.

    You are fine running your GP-40 on 5ft minimum curves according to Aristocrafts specifications on their site. Unfortunately Aristocraft does not make a switch in between a 4ft turn out and a 10ft X-Wide turn out. The X-wide turn out is pricey at around $55 compared to a 4ft turn out. But do not get the X-Wide 10ft turn out confused with the Aristocraft #6 turnout which is based on a 2 ft track section and is around $130. Only small locomotives such as the Lil Critter and center cab diesel from Aristocraft, then the NW-2 and 44 tonner switcher from USA for example can go thru a 4ft turnout.

    As my saying goes, if you model trains, go big because you never know what you want to buy. I learned this the hard way. I had in the begining 4ft minimum diameter curves with 4ft turnouts, but at the time was only running a aristocraft FA-FB-FA which can make it around those tight curves, not considering that hey, maybe one day they might make bigger stuff and I just might want it, NAH. Then cam the yes day, USA made the GP-9 and the F3 AB units which both require 5ft minimum diameter curves and then switched to X-wide 10ft turn outs. There is no way they would come out with bigger stuff I'm thinking, well later on they did. Then came the USA SD40-2 and SD-70MACS, also Aristocraft SD-45 which requires 8ft diameter minimum curves. Then cme another expensive switch over to 8ft minimum curves, I tried only doing certain parts of the layout, but then this limited to where my big 12 wheel SD locoimotives could go, so then came the expensive change over to the entire layout. Now even at 8ft diameter curves there is still trains I can't run which is the USA intermodal container cars, the USA Aluminum passenger cars, the Aristocraft Mallet 2-8-8-2 and 10ft curves are way too big for me inside. So basiclly this put a dent in m,y plans to run my USA F3 units with USA aluminum passenger cars and SD-70MACS with intermodal cars, but I figured out different type of trains to run instead.
     
  10. Mobius1

    Mobius1 TrainBoard Member

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    That sounds like a plan then. I can worry about getting a pair of wide turnouts, and later pick up some >5ft curves (maybe some 8ft.). Though there's also a gorgeous PRR Atlantic for sale that would be a welcome replacement for all of the 4-6-0's I have. That constant upgrading is just part of any hobby, that's how we lose our money doing the things we love. The same goes for working on my car (more power --> bigger turbo --> bigger injectors --> bigger fuel pump) or doing astronomy (better photographs --> more power --> bigger optical tube --> heavier mount). How I will sustain myself after college is beyond me...

    And the USA intermodals are awesome looking if I might say so myself, it's a shame you can't run them on your layout. I make up for the big stuff by buying it in N scale : )
     
  11. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    To quote my friends from DSMTuners.com about my Eclipse, "If your DSM Aint Broke, You Are." Ya I know how the upgrading goes. It's a part of any hobby. I'm getting ready to upgrade to some 5' radius after christmas.
     
  12. Mobius1

    Mobius1 TrainBoard Member

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    Definitely. That's why I try to partition it out. Trains usually come in the winter months. Astronomy in the spring and fall when it's nice out. And summer is for the car (though my WRX is a ton of fun in the snow too now that I actually have decent tires).
     
  13. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    Blast you rally car drivers. I perfer spring tuning for my eclipse since it's a driver (Supra Tranny Conversion). But that's getting off track here. Trainboard.com? Track? Get it? I'm so horrible to jokes xD But back on the mainline *Ziiing*. I've heard rumors about the ball bearing trucks that the GP40 and even the conversion ones for the FA's, U25B's and even the E8's have a very short life span. How acurate is that? It would seem to me they shouldn't.
     
  14. Mobius1

    Mobius1 TrainBoard Member

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    Haha, but the fun of AWD! Though I got stuck with an automatic (used to be dad's car) so I'm that quick off the line. But back on the (RR) track, I dont think that the truck's longevity would be a problem. I've had my FA since I was 12 and I see no sign of trouble. And I would hope that with the newer models the trucks could only get better. But some things only get worse as they get newer (this could open up another tangent on cars...)
     

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