Hi all. Like one of those hot rod/custom car reality shows, I've been "overhaulin" and I thought I'd share.
I am a fan of northern New England railroads, like the Maine Central and Boston & Maine that I saw growing up - and others that I wished I saw, like the Canadian Pacific. I picked up an MTH GP30 in maroon about a year ago, but a) I found its PS1 electronics frustrating and b) I thought it looked lonely! The real CP only had two GP30s, and they seemed to run as a set quite often.
I found another of the 1995-vintage MTH units this summer. After trying out some different combinations, I decided to leave PS1 to the experts, and replaced it with a Dallee reverse unit and a Williams True Blast Plus sound board. Both units are powered and have sound; the boards are in #8202, with two mini-connectors connecting them to the motors and speaker in #8201. The two motors in each unit are wired in series and all four pickup rollers are tied together.
I'm happy to say they sound good and run well, with much-improved low speed performance. They can haul a decent sized train around my layout without needing "cruise control." The whole shebang cost me less than one new diesel, and nobody's selling AA hood unit sets anyway. So, I just thought I'd show them off a little, and encourage anyone else who (like me) might be a little intimidated by re-wiring projects. Enjoy! And don't look too close at all my unfinished scenery, which I can get around to now that my engines are done. 
Alan P
