American Flyer GP7 FlyerChief Info

Brendan,

Sorry to hear that, hope things clear up for you. I know I go to more doctors now than train shows.

Ray

Steve...

From the 2017 AF catalog.  It was pretty obvious that there was B&M motive power coming down the line.  

It is nice to see Flyer in the V2 catalog again. It sucked having to go a full year between everything.  I Would have liked to see a C&NW geep in there. Maybe next time.  Cool for everyone who did not get a Berk the first time around to be able to get one now. I also like the improvements to the PE set. 

Ben

Hi everyone,

Friday fun day! Want to share some photos and a short (and shaky - sorry) video of two production samples of the GP7. Received a sample of the North Pole Central and the Santa Fe versions!

These are scheduled to leave the factory tomorrow. So end of Oct/Beginning of November for delivery.

Thanks!

You guys need to get a longer test track...

The new trucks, although a bit short, along with the pilots do make a vast improvement of the looks of the Flyer Geep. 

Even though I've gone back to concentrating on the scale side of S, I think this is definitely a winner for the Flyer enthusiast.

Rusty

Rusty Traque posted:

You guys need to get a longer test track...

 

lol, funny enough the engineering dept. is in the middle of a move/upgrade. Our layout is currently torn down as we're building up a new department. So my desk is the test layout for the week!

Looking good

Brendan

Thanks for this Dave.  Just ordered the North Pole Central so I can have 3 trains running under the tree this year! 

Dave:

Will an operating GP7 be at the York show today?

Roundhouse Bill posted:

Dave:

Will an operating GP7 be at the York show today?

Yes. Swing by and I'll show it off!

Dave, Great News!!

Can you post a video here as I only go to the Spring York.  A video for all us poor people who won't be there would be just great!

Thanks

Shouldn't these be shipping soon?

Hopefully they will ship with the PE add ons.

Ray

Dave Olson,

I saw the GP 7 at Train Fest in West Allis Wisconsin last weekend, to my eyes it looked very nice on the display shelves, along with some of the American Flyer items that were displayed. It looked even better running on the BSG modular layout, thanks to Lionel for allowing the Badgerland group to run this locomotive and the Berkshire on our S gauge layout.

Ray

banjoflyer posted:

I ordered the 6-48031 and 6-48032 engines.

 

They haven't arrived yet here. The schedule is showing 11/27 is when they'll get to our dock. The shipping lanes move a little slower this time of year.

That gp7 is sharp what a go Lionel and Dave

Ryan Kunkle, from Lionel, sent me a note and said he thought they would be to Lionel mid December. Has something changed since then Dave?

Will it take long to get the crate through customs?

Any word on the arrival of the GP 7?

Thanks,

Mike

Still on the boat.

A friend of mine saw a charge from Charles Ro hit his credit card today.  He called them and the Jeeps are being shipped.  

There is a Christmas!!!!

I just talked to the Editor of the S Gaugian and I will write the review of the engine for the March-April edition.

Just received an email from Charles Ro my  GP 7  is on the way.

Are the pick-ups on the new GP7's the same as on the NH EP-5 6-48075?  One small diameter vertically sprung roller per side per truck with no wheels conducting pick-up?  Same as on most recent Baldwins?  Anyone have issues with them?   Might be good to have great track work.  Those little rollers can get caught in gaps between sections or other imperfections, especially on club modular layouts.  At least with the 48075.  Excited though about all it that'll be packed into a short wheelbase narrow body diesel.  Should be fun to see, hear, and run.   

Guys,

Let's avoid confusion. Jeeps are small military trucks, usually with 4 rubber tires, 4 wheel drive and four cylinder gasoline fueled engines. Geeps are considerably larger, with 8 steel-flanged wheels, all wheel drive, and much larger Diesel fueled engines!

Bill in FtL

This thing looks pretty good.

Looks nice. BUT it's a terrible runner as in it doesn't. 😞. Back you go.

Runs terrible. I use fast track around the tree. You have to push down on the engine to get it to move. It will then take off run fine until you stop it. Then you must push again. 

Did you clean the  power pick up wheels. I had found on some of the Flyonel locomotives that the wheels were coated with an anti-corrosion material.

Ray

Cleaned it. It's getting power because all the functions work except for consistent movement. I think it's a wiring issue, or a gearing issue.  I hope this is not the Polar Express repeated. 

Thanks.  And are all of the wheels also insulated - such then that only the little rollers pick-up electricity from the rails?  

Sgaugian posted:

Thanks.  And are all of the wheels also insulated - such then that only the little rollers pick-up electricity from the rails?  

I haven't seen one of these things yet, but as far as I know only one truck is motorized and I'd wager the non-powered truck also picks up power through the wheels in addition to the rollers.

Rusty

Greekchief posted:

Looks nice. BUT it's a terrible runner as in it doesn't. 😞. Back you go.

That's a shame. I have the same one on the way as the track under the tree awaits. I am hoping this will be one of the small few Flyonel engines I have not had to send away for warranty service.

banjoflyer posted:

It's probably just my eyesight but doesn't it look like all 4 wheels have traction tires on them?

That would make these engines stump pullers if so.

Mark

Sure does

The powered truck does indeed have four traction tires. The non powered truck picks up power through rollers also.

Better picture before I package it back up.

Well, my new UP arrived today and I put it right on the layout.  The GP7 ran just as advertised and I am very pleased.  For $209.99 from Charles Ro it is a great value.   

Roundhouse Bill posted:

I just talked to the Editor of the S Gaugian and I will write the review of the engine for the March-April edition.

All well and dandy, but the good, bad, and ugly will have been long since posted here long before that issue hits the streets. Don needs to pick up the pace a bit. 

Roundhouse Bill posted:

Well, my new UP arrived today and I put it right on the layout.  The GP7 ran just as advertised and I am very pleased.  For $209.99 from Charles Ro it is a great value.   

Regrettably, the black pilots aren't right ... even by Lionel's catalog illustration. Gee, Gilbert got the gray pilots correctly 62 years ago. QC? QC? 

Bob

Bob, there is no way for Don of the S Gaugian to "step-it-up".  You can't review a product before it arrives.  The January/February issue is already out so we would have to had the locomotive in October.  Toy train magazine's deadlines are two or three months before printing. 

I might note that the entire market for Flyer does not read this site so there are plenty of future buyers to consider.

I think the pilot is fine.  It does pivot with the truck, when you examine it you can see it has to because of the ElectroCouplers.

Gilbert never got the trucks for a JP7, right but the new Flyonel engine has them more prototypical. 

Roundhouse Bill posted:

Bob, there is no way for Don of the S Gaugian to "step-it-up".  You can't review a product before it arrives.  The January/February issue is already out so we would have to had the locomotive in October.  Toy train magazine's deadlines are two or three months before printing. 

I might note that the entire market for Flyer does not read this site so there are plenty of future buyers to consider.

I think the pilot is fine.  It does pivot with the truck, when you examine it you can see it has to because of the ElectroCouplers.

Gilbert never got the trucks for a JP7, right but the new Flyonel engine has them more prototypical. 

1. I agree with you that in the current age, print media have their limitations.  Among its several weaknesses, if S Gaugian was more up to date, it would have a functioning website that could be accessed by subscribers. Problem is that the GP7s will be fairly old news by spring. The attributes of these new engines will have been thrashed out here, on S-Trains, and the other boards before then. 

2. The pilots should have been painted gray. Any review worth its salt would have to state the obvious. It is the color that I posted about and Gilbert got the color correctly.

3. And, it's 'GP7", not 'JP7'.

Glad you are enjoying your new acquisition.

Respectfully,

Bob

banjoflyer posted:

Bob Bubeck posted:

 The pilots should have been painted gray. Any review worth its salt would have to state the obvious. It is the color that I posted about and Gilbert got the color correctly.

 

Bob

Bob, you are absolutely correct as to the pilot needing to be gray as shown in the prototype #125: <snip>

But I can live with it.

The real good news is the redesigned electro-couplers which actually work. They are a vast improvement over earlier attempts by Lionel such as those on the SD70's which you mentioned in a thread some time ago. I complained to Lionel about them at that time (Dave Olson) and they listened. 

A mention of following prototype paint schemes to Lionel (talktous@Lionel.com) might result in better results in a future run of the UP units.

Mark

Or, the customer can paint the pilots gray. But, gee wiz, why not just get it right to start with?   And then, there is Greekchief's assembly problem.

As you are, I am glad that the electrocouplers 'work'. Looking forward to getting my NKP version (which, correctly, does have black pilots). 

Have fun.

Bob