I have an older Lionel GP20 (Chessie System B&O 8463) and I was thinking about maybe buying a cheap one to gut and use as a dummy. Have you done it and/or what are your thoughts? I found one on "the bay" for about $50 + $12 s/h.
Mike
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Id do it. that cheap, buy a few more and do a long runner. or park on at middle and end as a pusher! trick will be removing the gears on the trucks. leave the center power and wires to keep the unit Lit up. you could get a fan smoke unit from an MTH and have that run inside. I need a Dummy or another powered unit for my BNSF MTH premier Dash 9. she is really long, but the effects are more real with doubles or triples! Plus withe DCS, you can hook up and run 2/3 at a time for super power! for long loads!
Thats what I'd like to do with my MTH SD70, get another powered (if at the right price) or dummy to make it look more realistic. Since this GP20 is an older, less detailed Lionel, I figured there's no need for all the 'bells and whistles.' The one I found on ebay (3 days left, no bids...yet) says the e-unit sticks. Not sure exactly what that means, but it doesnt really matter if I gut it.
If you are looking at a Lionel GP 20 from the MPC era, all you have to do is remove the motor and leave everything else in tack. This also works well with MTH powered units where the electronics have failed, just remove the can motors (you must take the motor adaptor casting from the motor and use it to hold the trucks and base together. I have done this to 3 or 4 engines and have not had a problem.
Good luck and happy railroading,
Don
Thanks Don, so you dont see any problem in doing this? What is the e-unit?
Mike
Why gut if it runs? the more power the better. I would only gut it if it was not worth fixing. Mark
Would an E-Unit (whatever that is) be worth fixing?
The e-unit is what reverses the motor. It is the same system used on most Lionel engines from the postwar period. The e-unit employs a vertically-mounted solenoid. Over time, the iron core of the solenoid can become somewhat magnetized, causing it to 'stick' in the 'up' position. As a result, the engine does not reverse reliably--often, the sticky solenoid must be dislodged by a sharp rap to the top of the engine before the engine will change direction.
E-units are a little challenging, but definitely fixable. Others will tell you to stay the heck away from them, but I think that, if you don't mind learning something, it could be a good project. (It is also a step toward fluency in Lionel postwar, if you have any interest in that). Several threads exist on the forum dealing with e-unit repair. Probably videos on YouTube, too, though I have not looked.
Thanks nickaix.
I may have to look that up. Not sure what I'll do yet. I'd like to find a GP20 that just doesnt run so that if I do decide to gut it, I wouldnt feel guilty
I did this with an Atlas Trainman GP15. I switched the guts and trucks from a powered GP-15 with the trucks and guts of a unpowered Atlas Master series GP-35. Worked out great as Atlas doesn't make unpowered Trainman engines and I was able to power my previously unpowered engine.
Jim
