Atlas GP38 Announced

Sorry guys, slow on the uptake here. Being a steam fan recently converted to deisel (thus knowing little about deisel history), when did the railroads start using the GP-38 engines??? Happy Modeling!!
John

 

Well it is now official. Paul Graf on 3/16/01 posted it on the forum in reply to an earlier post. Also he said the reason it is not in the new products section is that the person (Kate) who does this, is out of the office till next week. It will be posted in the new products section next week.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JCater:
Sorry guys, slow on the uptake here. Being a steam fan recently converted to deisel (thus knowing little about deisel history), when did the railroads start using the GP-38 engines??? Happy Modeling!!
John<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

From the info that I have the GP38's debuted in 1966 and were used until 1971. The GP38-2's hit the rails in 1972 and are still used today.

 

my screw up the b23-7 is out there too.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mopac3092:
kato never really said anything about releasing them again because of all the retooling that would be done oh wait a minute i forgot charlie wouldn't say anything.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I e-mailed Kato a while back and in their reply, I was told they were looking at re-tooling the GP38/38-2 for re-lease in the next few years. What I said had nothing to do with what Charlie did or did not say to me. As far as the announcement goes, you should never assume something is happening until the Real MaCoy says it's so. That's just common sence. On another point, if Atlas knew the person in charge of posting the release announcement was going to be gone, they should of had someone else post it. That's their fault and it's not fair to everyone out here. Maybe they should give everyone an automatic 20% discount for the pain and suffering we all went through waiting for the officail word,
If you look at the pictures of the HO Atlas GP38's, the Santa Fe units are 38-2's. The main spotting feature of the 38-2 is the " airbox" in front of the Prime mover on the roof. Maybe Atlas is doing both the 38 and 38-2 at the same time.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Maxwell Plant:

If you look at the pictures of the HO Atlas GP38's, the Santa Fe units are 38-2's. The main spotting feature of the 38-2 is the " airbox" in front of the Prime mover on the roof. Maybe Atlas is doing both the 38 and 38-2 at the same time. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Both GP38 and GP38-2 have the box in front of the radiator. The HO Atlas ATSF GP38 is a GP38. The main spoting feature between them is the fan spacing on the radiator. That is the only reliable way to tell them apart.

 

For the ATSF GP38 vs GP38-2, the main spotting features are the lack of dynamic brakes on the GP38-2, as Santa FE got them as part of the TPW merger in the 1980's. Santa Fe did not purchase any GP38-2 new, and the water sight glass on the long hood.

 

Also another clarification, GP38's are still in service today. They quit making them many years ago, but the Santa Fe's went through a couple of rebuildings and still serve BNSF today. that is true for some other lines also.

 

Bob, or anyone. I have an HO Atlas GP38 and it doesn't have the tail-tell "box". I always thought the -2 had the "box" and the regular pre-2 didn't. any info about this "non-box" HO 38 I have in storage.

 

I assume you are talking about the filter box and on any road name but Santa Fe I am shaky because it is my understanding that some GP38's were built with a different filter system than others and they didn't have that box. I will dig through some of my references and see if I can find more on that. May take a few days since Sunday "is my work day".

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Maxwell Plant:
Bob, or anyone. I have an HO Atlas GP38 and it doesn't have the tail-tell "box". I always thought the -2 had the "box" and the regular pre-2 didn't. any info about this "non-box" HO 38 I have in storage. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The GP38 was offered with either paper air filters (housed in the familiar "box"), or oil-bath type filters. The oil-bath filter equipped units didn't have the "box"; instead, they had a flat plate where a turbocharged exhaust would normally go(like on a GP40). Some units originally equipped with oil-bath filters were retrofitted with paper filters, and the dynamic brake blister had to be modified to accomodate them. And as for other straight-38 vs. Dash-2 spotting features:

GP38
1. Radiators - Farther radiator fan spacing. Also, access door pattern under this area is different than Dash-2

2. Battery boxes - short, hinged battery box doors

3. Cab - horizontal rivet seam on side of cab, directly under window.

GP38-2

1. Radiators - fans were spaced closely together. Also, 5th door from rear, conductors side, featured a sight glass.

2. Battery boxes - battery box doors were bolted on, and longer than those on pre-Dash 2 units. However, late Dash-2 production(early 80's) featured doors that were latched and hinged.

3. Cab - cab sidewall construction was slightly different on the dash-2's, with a large plate riveted (and later welded) on to the upper half of the cab side. Also, the angled part of the cab roof has an overhang on the rear. Dash-2 units also had a drip-strip over the front door.

Also, Dash-2 series units featured knockout plugs on the long hood end to access radiator plumbing. These plugs look like class light blanks, and are located in the upper outermost corners of the long hood end. Other Dash-2 features varied over their production span, like intake grill styles, nose length, truck type, and so on. I've barely scratched the surface, but I think I got the major spotting features.

Paul #3

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by mdrzycimski:
From the info that I have the GP38's debuted in 1966 and were used until 1971. The GP38-2's hit the rails in 1972 and are still used today.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually, there are still lots of GP38's in use, although most have been rebuilt and upgraded. Most of the upgrades consist of bringing the wiring and electrical gear to Dash-2 standards, upgrading cab equipment, and adding various other equipment. The 38-series is reliable and very popular with the railroads (no expensive turbocharger to maintain!), so there are gonna be lots of these units around for some time.

Paul #3

 

Brent:
I also occurs to me that Atlas made a GP40 back in the old days. I have one from done by a friend for his KCNW railroad (back in my freelance days). We had swapped power, I gave him a Mojave Western diesel. I looked at his today and realized it could be mistaken for a GP38 without the filter box. Maybe that is what you have. I do have the old GP38 in Santa Fe on my railroad, number 2345 (what imagination on my part) and it has the filter box.

Sorry to be so long answering. For some reason, this forum takes forever to load on my computer compared to others, and I get tired of waiting sometimes.

 

No, it's definatly a GP38, it has two radiator fans, not three. I bought the 38 in IC Orange and White and a friend of mine got the 40 in ICG Orange and White. These were the first two flywheel drive and KayDee equipted locomotives I ever got to operate. They were/are bullet proof, a little noisy, just a muffled "buzz". Mine still runs just like it did when it was new. I don't have any HO track of my own, but it's been on another friend's layout just a few years ago. I'm sure glad that N-Scale has supassed even this fine old HO loco. I think it says "Austria" on the fuel tank's underside, would that maybe be a Roco built for Atlas?

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Maxwell Plant:
No, it's definatly a GP38, it has two radiator fans, not three. I bought the 38 in IC Orange and White and a friend of mine got the 40 in ICG Orange and White. These were the first two flywheel drive and KayDee equipted locomotives I ever got to operate. They were/are bullet proof, a little noisy, just a muffled "buzz". Mine still runs just like it did when it was new. I don't have any HO track of my own, but it's been on another friend's layout just a few years ago. I'm sure glad that N-Scale has supassed even this fine old HO loco. I think it says "Austria" on the fuel tank's underside, would that maybe be a Roco built for Atlas?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If your loco doesn't have the box in front of the dynamic brake and has 2 radiator fans then it could be a GP39 or a GP39-2.

 

why is max bringing up a ho in the n scale forum? also how old is your gp38? is it before the time detail really started to become an issue? and yes both have air boxes on them or maybe i was having a bad trip at the roundhouse last night at work. oh well either way i got my 10 on order, and debating on another 5 or so.

 

Pac-Man, scale isn't the issue about what I'm trying to find out here, it just happened to come up. I was using my old Atlas HO GP38 as an example and trying to find out if it represented a Standard 38 or a 38-2. I'm still in the dark, but I think it's a standard GP38.