Three GP38-2 Models

 

The EMD GP38-2 is my favorite locomotive and will play a prominent role in any model railroad project I do.  My love of this locomotive is due mostly to the fact that it was the most common locomotive in switching service in west Phoenix during the late eighties and early nineties.  I spent many happy hours watching these units work.  With my return to the hobby I find myself the owner of three very different versions of this locomotive so I thought it might be interesting to see how things have changed.

Athearn Blue Box GP38-2

This is the one of the oldest models in my collection and it really is a classic that was in production for many years, even decades.  I purchased mine in the early/mid 1990s from An Affair With Trains here in Phoenix.  It was a second hand model and I have no idea how old it actually is. 

This model looks pretty much the same as it did when I got with the exception of the fuel tank.  This model was produced only with the short fuel tank which is not correct for Southern Pacific units. I swap out the chassis with the one for the GP40-2 which has the correct size tank.

This model is really lacking in any sort of railroad specific details such as light packages or snow plows as well as other simple details like hoses and grab irons.  This is really typical of models from 30+ years ago and is the reason companies like Details West and Details Associates got started.  Another deatil that you might notice on these models is the cab walls are extremely thick which is an issue resolved with more after market parts such as a Cannon cab.

Back in the day the metal handrails that came with these models looked pretty good.  If you wanted better there were other metal options available from the after market.  Now these look really clunky and dated.  Much of the detail on this model is really not bad.  When I got into the hobby this was the standard.  They were affordable, reliable and available.  There were tones of parts both from Athearn and the after market to allow you to model just about anything wanted.  They were not the best running or the best detail but they certainly weren't the worst.

I'm not sure what the future holds for this model.  Nostalgia makes me want to detail it and use it.  Practicality says it is not really worth the effort.  It is currently not running and would need significant details as well as upgrade to DCC.  This one will likely go back in the deadline.

Life-Like Proto 2000 GP38-2 Limited Edition

I purchased this model just a couple weeks ago off of eBay and I likely paid a little too much for it but I don't feel bad about that.  This is a gold box, limited edition model but I really have no idea what that really means.

Back in the early 90s these were considered a high-end model and were pretty well thought of.  Back then I could not afford to even look at these.  I am not sure when this actual model was released but I feel like it is an early 2000s release.  Right away it is very easy to see that the detail on this model is far superior to the old Athearn model above.

This model includes very finely detailed handrails, grab irons, and lift rings.  It has brake hoses and detailed fans.  The cab walls are much thinner and there are even wiper blades.  It does have the correct brake wheel on the short hood but it is otherwise missing road specific details. The lack of SP lights, a/c unit, and the short fuel tank are really unfortunate considering things like the fuel tank and the AC are easy enough to do.

This model included a package of additional parts like the snow plows, but these are mostly incorrect or not used on SP units.  As I mentioned, I purchased this unit off eBay and it appears to be basically new.  There was no evidence it had ever been run or even out of the package.  Sadly, it does not currently run too well.  I am hoping it just needs some break-in time which I hope to be able to do soon.  I have ordered the Proto 2000 specific decoder from Digitrax that is supposed to be a direct fit to the model.  I also ordered the Sound Bug decoder to piggy-back on the main decoder.  I have high hopes for this locomotive.  I will do a little bit of detailing at some point.  I would like to find the correct fuel tank as that is an easy fix. I have the correct snow plow so that will get added.  The SP lights will be a little trickier so that will be down the road a bit.

Athearn Genesis SP GP38-2

This model is really one of the jewels of my collection.  My friend Tim donated this one to me and it really one of the main reasons for my return to the hobby.  It is truly stunning!

I am not an expert on SP locomotives by any means but to my eye this thing is close to perfect.  It certainly checks off all the major items that make this an SP unit.  I am sure the real experts have found plenty to critique, but frankly, I don't care.  I love this model.  I am not sure how old this one is but I guess it is a 2000-teens release.  I am pretty sure it was neve been run until I put it on my test rack.  It did have a couple of minor issues right from the box but those have been easy to fix.

The extra details on this model are amazing.  Not only does it have the SP lights it also has the correct SP snow plow and even the correct L window for the engineer.  If has grab irons, lift rings, A/C unit, hoses, and a detailed cab.  There is is basically nothing left to add.

This model runs as smooth as you could want straight from the box.  It is a DC unit and I will be upgrading to DCC.  I am surprised at how little useful information there is for decoders that are a direct fit for this model.  It seems that most require some soldering or modification which seems strange to me.  I must be missing something.

I really do love all three of these models, warts and all.  Having said that, it is hard for me to justify the work it takes to get and old blue box locomotive up to modern standards and I say that as a person that considers himself to be a modeler.  I hope to have some track to run these on soon.