GP -15s and 38-2

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  • June 23, 2016 at 10:59 pm #5775
    bargetanika
    Participant

    I want two or three mid to late 1970’s diesels to run an occasional period branchline ops session. I already have a athearn GP 15. Should I get two more of them? Or would one , or two, GP 38 s be better?

    June 24, 2016 at 4:19 pm #7989
    clemmie_doris12
    Participant

    Pat,

    The choice is really up to you. It was pretty much mix and match between the 15s and 38s. They were both considered, equally, as low-horsepower 4-axle units by the power assignment folks. You used what was available. Any combination of these two locomotive types would be prototypical.

    I liked the GP15-1 for switching because it was quick. The GP38-2 was slower, but it would pull like crazy. Each was better suited to certain jobs due to these characteristics, but that meant nothing to the mechanical department. They considered both models to be interchangeable.

    June 24, 2016 at 10:05 pm #7992
    bargetanika
    Participant

    I’ll probably get one of each. They both appear to be available again.

    June 24, 2016 at 10:06 pm #7993
    bargetanika
    Participant

    What do the “1” and the “2” mean?

    June 24, 2016 at 10:46 pm #7995
    clemmie_doris12
    Participant

    I’m a stickler for detail and some times it makes a difference. The official designation is GP15-1. That signifies that the locomotive did not have the Dash 2 electrical components. The GP15-1 was intended to be a factory option to compete with rebuilds of GP7 and GP9 units. Consequently, they did not use all state of the art components. There is a difference between a GP38 and a GP38-2. The Dash 2 line was an improvement of certain systems on the locomotive, mainly electrical, and was applicable to all models in production at the time it was implemented (1972 ?). The vast majority of MP 2000 hp EMD units were Dash 2s.

    June 25, 2016 at 3:28 am #7996
    bargetanika
    Participant

    I did not know that, Kevin, thanks.

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