Walthers GP35


NorthTexasRailroad

NorthTexasRailroad

Well-Known Member
This might be the wrong place to ask this, but I didn't see another thread it would be appropriate for. Anyone purchased Walthers Proto locomotives before? Thoughts (good, bad, meh)? I've mostly seen them do early diesel era locomotives.

I'd like my next major purchase to be a locomotive to expand my fleet. I'd like to get a modern ScaleTrains model, but I saw this beauty and thought I want that Santa Fe paint scheme:
www.walthers.com

EMD GP35 - LokSound 5 Sound & DCC -- Santa Fe #3374

Make one of EMD's most popular roadswitcher models part of your diesel fleet in minutes with the WalthersProto(R) GP35! This series has the thinner sidesills found on Phase I C/D production units and includes: NEW - Phase I C/D side sill NEW - Based on units built from 1963 to mid-1965 - many...
www.walthers.com www.walthers.com
 
NorthTexasRailroad said:
This might be the wrong place to ask this, but I didn't see another thread it would be appropriate for. Anyone purchased Walthers Proto locomotives before? Thoughts (good, bad, meh)? I've mostly seen them do early diesel era locomotives.

I'd like my next major purchase to be a locomotive to expand my fleet. I'd like to get a modern ScaleTrains model, but I saw this beauty and thought I want that Santa Fe paint scheme:
www.walthers.com

EMD GP35 - LokSound 5 Sound & DCC -- Santa Fe #3374

Make one of EMD's most popular roadswitcher models part of your diesel fleet in minutes with the WalthersProto(R) GP35! This series has the thinner sidesills found on Phase I C/D production units and includes: NEW - Phase I C/D side sill NEW - Based on units built from 1963 to mid-1965 - many...
www.walthers.com www.walthers.com
Click to expand...
I have a number of their locos. Solid mechanisms. Loksound 5 is a solid decoder. Very good detail. In general, I'd say they are worth the money. I'm looking at their upcoming F units in SP bloody nose.
 
Willie, not a desire for a GP35 per se, but
santafewillie said:
If you want a GP35, don't look to ScaleTrains yet, as the only 4 axle engine that they have offered is a GP30. My experience is with the older LifeLike P2K GP35's which run very well. If Walther's didn't mess with the tooling too much after they bought LifeLike, then this should run reliably.
Click to expand...
Willie,
It isn't that I want a GP35 per se, but I do like the older Santa Fe paint schemes. This seemed a like a good one to get potentially. Scale Trains doesn't have anything available at present. Their Santa Fe SD40-2 was most recent, but they are sold out.
 
NorthTexasRailroad said:
Willie, not a desire for a GP35 per se, but

Willie,
It isn't that I want a GP35 per se, but I do like the older Santa Fe paint schemes. This seemed a like a good one to get potentially. Scale Trains doesn't have anything available at present. Their Santa Fe SD40-2 was most recent, but they are sold out.
Click to expand...
Lombard Hobbies still has a couple of the ST SD-40s in stock. Looks like a quantity of 1 for 2 road numbers.

lombardhobby.com

ScaleTrains Rivet Counter HO SXT38773 DCC/ESU Loksound 5 Equipped EMD SD40-2 Locomotive Santa Fe 'EMD Lettering' ATSF #5162

ScaleTrains Rivet Counter HO SXT38773 DCC/ESU Loksound 5 Equipped EMD SD40-2 Locomotive Santa Fe 'EMD Lettering' ATSF #5162
lombardhobby.com lombardhobby.com

lombardhobby.com

ScaleTrains Rivet Counter HO SXT38765 DCC/ESU Loksound 5 Equipped EMD SD40-2 Locomotive Santa Fe 'EMD Lettering' ATSF #5142

ScaleTrains Rivet Counter HO SXT32395 DCC/ESU Loksound 5 Equipped GE ES44AH Locomotive CSX 'First Responders' #911
lombardhobby.com lombardhobby.com
 
I buy alot from here cause they almost alway beat everyone's price

www.trainworld.com

Walthers 920-42177 HO EMD GP35 - LokSound 5 Sound & DCC - Santa Fe #3359

NEW - Based on units built from 1963 to mid-1965 - many still in service NEW - High-hood Norfolk & Western and Southern Railway models NEW - Available with LokSound 5 Sound & DCC for DCC or DC layouts One time run of these roadnumbers, order
www.trainworld.com www.trainworld.com
The are solid engines.
 
Willie wrote:
"My experience is with the older LifeLike P2K GP35's which run very well"

LifeLike didn't make any P2K GP35's to my knowledge.
They DID make GP30's (I have three of them).

Walthers Proto has made GP38's and GP35's (I have a couple). But this was after they bought out LifeLike in 2005.

The Walthers GP35 I have has good detail, nice runner.
I paid $100 for a previously-owned one (from ebay).
But I don't know if I'd pay around $320 for a new one with sound.
 
I love all five of my Walther's Proto locomotives. I usually wait until the end of the run and get them for around 260 instead of the brand new 320 or more price. One thing I will suggest is that if you ever need servicing on a Walther's Proto... send it back to Walther's to have the work done. There have been changes made over the years as to the parts that are used and I found out the hard way that the Proto's are best serviced and/or fixed at the factory. Unless of course, you have an ace mechanic that can do the work. The pick ups in the trucks needed to replaced on my two GP 60s and I finally saw the light and took the advice from the folks on the forum and sent them to Walther's after a bad experience at a very reputable hobby shop here in Michigan. The customer service I received from Walther's was top notch. They fixed the Locos and I talked with a tech on the phone for an hour as he patiently answered my many questions about different aspects of model railroading.
 
J.Albert said:
Willie wrote:
"My experience is with the older LifeLike P2K GP35's which run very well"

LifeLike didn't make any P2K GP35's to my knowledge.
They DID make GP30's (I have three of them).

Walthers Proto has made GP38's and GP35's (I have a couple). But this was after they bought out LifeLike in 2005.

The Walthers GP35 I have has good detail, nice runner.
I paid $100 for a previously-owned one (from ebay).
But I don't know if I'd pay around $320 for a new one with sound.
Click to expand...
I understand what you're saying but, a Soundtraxx decoder for a GP35 runs at around $120 and a cube speaker is about another $16, plus you'd have to do all the work yourself, so if you take your $100 GP35 and add in the decoder ($120) and speaker ($16) and say $20 for your labour that's $246 Vs $320 for BNIB which, if it were to develop any fault, you send it back for Walthers to fix.

So the reality is whether it's worth getting a 2nd hand locomotive that may or may not already have a problem, marks or blemishes and adding in all the bits you want to have sound versus BNIB with sound and a warranty for a cost difference of $74.
 
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