Williams by Bachmann GP-30

Bachmann just posted some info about the new GP-30 on the "Ask the Bachmann" under Williams. There is some info about the new sound system.

One or two others have said to use an MTH Z-1000 for a slower start-up speed for Williams engines. I run my Williams with either a postwar 275 watt ZW or an MTH Z-1000 and have no starting speed issues.

 

Lee F.

Anyone have some pics yet? I am thinking of 2Railing one of them but I wanted to see some pics first.

Thanks, Malcolm

Also discussed on another thread.  I hve the GN.  Its very nice, good shell, good detail (for the price point) and excellent paint.

 

Performance is great, and in line with othe Williams - smooth strong puller, flywheel action.  Good lighting.

 

My one quible is that the loco runs so efficiently, the sound system never gets to rev up beyond idle or Run 1.  I plan to fix that by wiring the motors in series and adding diodes and a thermistor.

Here's a few pics of mine running at my club last weekend. They are very nicely done, I had said previously that it was a bit disappointing that there was no volume control, but it doesn't bother me now, the sound level is fine.

Is there a video of these?

Joe:

After reading George Brown's review in OGR, I promptly ordered the ACL GP30.  After receiving that and running it for 3 or 4 days, I ordered the NYC GP30 and have been running that this week with a new MTH NYC caboose.

As Ken notes, you never get the power to the track high enough to get the prime mover sounds into Run 8, but the extras on this like the detail pieces that were added, the LED directional lighting and excellent graphics make these engines a winner!

I posted this on the Bachmann forum but, while running the NYC engine last night, it occurred to me that on my small 15 X 16 foot layout, the engine sounds in Lionel and MTH engines can always be heard, even from across the layout.  The WBB sounds are muted enough that you can only hear them as the train approaches and passes where you are standing or sitting.  This is about as prototypical as it gets.

Curt

I purchased the UP version from OGR advertiser Patricks Trains for $199.  At that price, no complaints at all!  Very nice, and glad to see wire handrails rather than stamped metal.

 

A few questions though...

 

1.  Should the trucks on this be gray rather than silver?

2.  Did the prototypes have green (or gray) anti glare paint on the nose?

3.  Is it safe to wire the motors in series without diodes/thermistors as alluded to above?  If not, can anyone provide a wiring diagram and the values of the parts needed?

I run all my Williams and Lionel engines with the modern ZW-C ( chopped Sine Wave) and have no problem with low speeds. The chopped sine wave does the trick. I also have a Z4K ( pure sine wave) which I have used and it works very nicely but I get better performance out of the ZW-C. I do not rewire my Williams engines. The GP 30 is very nice unit and that is my next buy.

 

Curt is bring his to club meeting next week and I am looking forward to watching it in action.

They're nice enough, but aren't geared as well as the 4-6-0 - few things are.

Neal, no problem wiring the motors together in series by themselves.  In fact, that is what I will do to see if it slows them down enough.  I will add the diodes only if I need to drop the voltage a bit more.  I add the thermistor for a slow startup-up effect.

 

Anyway, go ahead and wire them in series.  Its easy and will not damage the motors. 

I will have a post shortly about Bachmann,s plans.

I love mine....

 

 

 

 

Rick.

Rick, Thanks for the roof shot NYC GP30 pics. I wanted to see how it looked from above.

Cobrabob.

The NYC GP30 will be my next WbB purhase. I currently own six WbB locos. They are all excellent runners.

Cobrabob.

Cobrabob,

 

Glad I could help....and didn't even know I was helping!

 

Rick.

At one time all UP diesel trucks were painted silver.  Tehn they went to gray to eliminate one needed color to paint the units.  i think this happened in the 1980's around the time of the UP-MP-WP merger.

 

Exception:  E Units.  What about 6936?

From http://utahrails.net/up/up-diesel-paint.php

 

"955 — Aluminum Paint On Locomotive Trucks

The color used on locomotive trucks was changed from Harbor Mist Gray to Aluminum. After several test applications, a letter from D. S. Neuhart was issued on March 29, 1955, instructing that all Diesel and Gas Turbine locomotive trucks were to be painted with aluminum paint. The revision of the painting diagram for Turbines 61-75 (new in March to October 1954) was changed in September 1955 to include aluminum trucks.

The aluminum color for trucks was first used on the later test runs of propane-fueled Turbine 57 in early June 1953. Harold Ranks took a photograph of Turbine 63 in 1954 with newly painted aluminum trucks. A photo of Turbine 55 in June 1955 shows it with aluminum trucks. Turbine 61 is shown in a November 1955 photo with aluminum trucks.

Photo research has found that the first passenger units to be delivered with aluminum paint on their trucks were the E9s delivered in May and June 1955, numbered as UP 948-956 and 960B-966B. The previous order of E9s delivered in May and June 1954, numbered as 943-947 and 950B-959B, have been confirmed in photographs as having gray trucks. The switchers delivered in 1955, Alco S-4s 1154-1188 came with gray trucks.

The first new freight units with aluminum trucks were the 100 GP9s and GP9Bs in the 300-class from EMD, delivered between July and October 1957 (the painting diagram for these units is dated March 29, 1957, and shows aluminum-colored trucks). (Passenger cars began receiving aluminum paint on their trucks in June 1958.)

The color used was C.S. 22, No. 28, meaning Common Standard specification 22, color number 28."

 

"February 1984 — Gray Color On Trucks

The use of aluminum-colored trucks, dating from 1953, has always been one feature of Union Pacific's trademark paint scheme. In 1953 the new aluminum color was first used on turbines, and from 1954 and 1957 on the newest E9s and GP9s. The use of aluminum paint on locomotive truck assemblies replaced UP's use of Harbor Mist Gray, which was first used on the E6s when they were delivered in 1940/1941, and on the Erie-builts with their delivery in 1945. The use of gray paint was changed to aluminum paint on selected units in 1953 to 1955.

With the projected costs of repainting the entire MoPac locomotive fleet, the cost of aluminum paint was considered, along with its high maintenance costs, since aluminum color wears off rapidly, and must be refreshed at least three times as often as most other colors. To save the added cost of aluminum paint on upcoming MP and WP repaints, in 1984 the aluminum color was changed to gray on the railroad's locomotive trucks. The change to the painting diagram was dated February 15, 1984.

One of the first units to be completed was DDA40X 6922, which had its trucks painted gray in late May 1984 in Salt Lake City, in preparation for a Memorial Day excursion special between Denver, Colo., and Speer, Wyo.

During mid 1982, possibly as a brief test of different colors, some units were reported as having received gray trucks, but the gray was a bit lighter than the standard Harbor Mist Gray. During mid 1986, the gray trucks of the six GP40Xs were repainted back to silver because of these units' high visibility on Amtrak trains and on special passenger moves for company directors and shippers."

Rusty

Thanks for the feedback on the truck color.  Anyone have an answer to my question regarding the use of anti-blare green or gray on the nose?

Does the WBB GP30 have enough detail to make it a decent trailing unit behind Lionel's, if I turn it into a non-powered unit?

Thanks,
Mario

I would think that WBB GP-30 has plenty of detail to run behind a Lionel unit. But why turn one into an unpowered unit? You still have a lot of weight to consider pulling even if you take the motors out of it.

Buy an unpowered unit at a train show or at an online auction site for a few dollars.

The new WBB GP-30 will cost almost $200.00 even from a discount online dealer.

 

Lee Fritz