ScaleTrains GP30 Arrival (End of January)

[lock4244]

Did the high hoods not ship? STC website is still showing drawings for those.

-Mark

Lombard has all of the first release GP30's up, so the would seem to have shipped.

[OldEastRR]

Any word on which decoder to use for DIY DCC?

[Wolf N Works]

ESU nano e24 connector 58925 loksound.   59925 Lokpilot

[samusi01]

59925 Lokpilot

Good luck finding them!

[C855B]

Good luck finding them!

Unfortunately, too true. I started my search in early January and was surprised. I needed 10, and I found maybe a couple of places with 1 or 2. But the usual big DCC suppliers like Tony's Trains and Streamlined Backshop were out with no relief in sight. Then I remembered that ScaleTrains stocks the 59925, and was able to snag what I needed, which they packed with the GP30s. Apparently I got in just under the wire - they are now sold out.

[C855B]

I'm wondering what these look like under the shell. I'm sure they're similar to their previous releases but man, things have got to be cramped in there!

Here you go. This is a GP30B without sound:



My five minutes of running the bare chassis to verify the DCC install indicated that these are way too light. There's not enough weight to break through "normal" slightly dirty track that doesn't faze much else in the fleet. Testing forthcoming.

[peteski]

Clean the hell out of the factory-new wheels. If you have one, even use one of the Mintrix/Marklin brass brush wheel cleaners.  Seems that the wheel blackening and whatever else is on the wheel treads impedes electric connectivity.

[C855B]

Clean the hell out of the factory-new wheels. If you have one, even use one of the Mintrix/Marklin brass brush wheel cleaners.  Seems that the wheel blackening and whatever else is on the wheel treads impedes electric connectivity.

Pete, this has never been a problem with the multiple ST locos I have from previous production. They have all been flawless runners out of the box. I'll try it, but I'm still of the mind that they are too light, as @pedro pointed out up-thread.

[C855B]

@peteski , after about a half-hour of testing with the bare chassis, we're both right. I cleaned the wheels, and it helped; worthwhile noting that there were not the black streaks I usually get from Atlas locos, for instance. But it still stuttered on the test track. Taped 0.6 oz. of weights, and while not perfect, it was much better. Bare chassis weighs 1.95 oz., the B-unit body weighs 0.26 oz.

Don't know where I'm going to find space for a half-ounce of additional ballast with the body on, but IMO it needs it.

[mu26aeh]

Pull the motor out like the prototype did 😆

[kiwi_bnsf]

Here you go. This is a GP30B without sound:



My five minutes of running the bare chassis to verify the DCC install indicated that these are way too light. There's not enough weight to break through "normal" slightly dirty track that doesn't faze much else in the fleet. Testing forthcoming.

If those solder pads on the board include both U+ and GND, I would install a TCS KA-N1 capacitor circuit. That will likely bridge any pickup issues and there looks to be sufficient room.

Cheers

[peteski]

Hmm  . . . Mike's photo of the chassis seems to show a motor similar to the ones used by Kato and Atlas.  If that's the case how did Scale Trains manage to model properly scaled width hood while the other companies have models with extra-wide hoods?

Or is Scale Trains motor narrower (smaller) than Kato/Atlas motors even if visually looks to be the same?

[kiwi_bnsf]

Hmm  . . . Mike's photo of the chassis seems to show a motor similar to the ones used by Kato and Atlas.  If that's the case how did Scale Trains manage to model properly scaled width hood while the other companies have models with extra-wide hoods?

Or is Scale Trains motor narrower (smaller) than Kato/Atlas motors even if visually looks to be the same?

Kato motors are usually only 9.4mm in width. It's the flywheels on some Kato locomotives that increase the effective width to 9.9-10.2mm depending on the model.

Even then, it's possible to fit them into a scale width shell without fouling. A case in point would be milling down the chassis from a Kato SD40-2 Mid to fit a scale width Intermountain SD45-2 shell without any other modifications…  https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55139.0

Cheers

[peteski]

Kato motors are usually only 9.4mm in width. It's the flywheels on some Kato locomotives that increase the effective width to 9.9-10.2mm depending on the model.

Even then, it's possible to fit them into a scale width shell without fouling. A case in point would be milling down the chassis from a Kato SD40-2 Mid to fit a scale width Intermountain SD45-2 shell without any other modifications…  https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55139.0

Cheers

Flywheels could have easily been made smaller.  Not sure why Kato did not do that in the first place.  They could keep larger flywheels for the covered-wagon style of locos.  But Kato does things their way . . .

[C855B]

If those solder pads on the board include both U+ and GND, I would install a TCS KA-N1 capacitor circuit. That will likely bridge any pickup issues and there looks to be sufficient room.

Not a fan of keep-alives. They may address the issue of stalling in poor contact situations, but they don't fix control communications loss. This was the other problem I was having, that it was ignoring commands because it wasn't "hearing" the whole control packet. Next test is to run the cleaner train through the test section and see what it does or doesn't improve.

I do see enough space above the front gear tower for possibly 0.3 oz. or so, but am concerned about weight bias. However, this is a B-unit; I haven't pulled the shell off an A to see how much room isn't there.