Inquiring about 2 Locomotives

GG15?  Where did the GG2 to GG14 classes go?

Reality:  No idea, do not own either!

Most WBB locos are good, basic locos offered at a good, value price.  Detail is not as high as that for higher-end locos like Lionel's Legacy and MTH's Premier lines, but then the price is 30-40% at most, and they are fairly detailed with fairly good paint an graphics usually.  Most (all that I own, anyway) don't have chuffing or diesel engine sounds - I understand those few models that do have rather basic sound features compared t the best from Lionel or MTH.  On the other hand WBB locos are pretty much bulletproof - reliable and durable.  I have half a dozen - a couple of 1950s F type diesels, a trainmaster and three of the Baldwin ten-wheelers (three of which I have bashed into other models).

Which GG-1 are you asking about?  The compressed one or the scale one?  I have the scale unit and it is a very nicely done engine.  It has a lot of value for the price.

The Williams line uses a well developed drive train with metal gears, vertical flywheel equipped motors.  They are wired in parallel and have a reputation for running "fast" out of the box.  You can alter the wiring to slow them down (add diodes or re-wrie in series).  The reverse unit is electronic but very solid.  The sound board is kind of lame.  Basic playback of the grade crossing pattern.  It can be replaced as can the reverse unit.  Since these have solid chassis they are good candidates for re-work.

The level of detail on these engine is no where near what is available from the other guys but the trains are rugged and meant to played with.   I have the EP-5 rectifier which is scale sized but has ALCO PA side castings and an F-7 pilot.  It also cost about 1/3 what a K-Line/Lionel/MTH scale unit would have cost.  It runs well and I've been kitbashing the details to make it closer to a true scale model (scratch built fuel tank, and I've reworking K-Line side frames to match the Williams trucks).

I don't have the GP-9 but I've seen it.  The only real complaint are the hand rails.  These are stamped steel.  Very durable but also very ugly.  

I have owned three Williams GP-9's, before Bachmann. They have very good quality and not had a problem with them. The sound on the Pennsy units was not that good, so I upgraded it to True Blast 2.

Lee Fritz