[OldNoob]

I just purchased this heavy damaged Lionel GP-20 in hopes of restoring it. However i see now its beyond restoration.
It has USA trains bogies (GP 38 i believe) and body mounted Kadee couplers. The body and frame are damaged from a fall. and the fame has been "modified"
I guess i will pursue a custom build over a restoration.
So this is the next project. I'll be starting this in a couple weeks time.

My "GOAL" would be something like this Burlington route GP-20
(minus the smoke stack )

Gonna have to bone up on my plastic welding knowledge

 

[Nick Jr]

Looks like you don't have much to start with, but I'm sure you will prevail. Keep us posted. Chuck posted a good 'welding' product a couple of items back you may want to try.

 

[Scott]

Pirate what you can off of the old model that is useful. You have so many options to make the unusual Geep units that certain railroads are known for. GP8, GP9, GP10, GP12, GP15. Paducah rebuilt a number of Geeps into useful individuals found on shortlines all over the US. Burlington Northern ran a number of interesting units back in the 70s until the merger with the ATSF.

 

[trainmanfw&sw]

Being a modeler I would like to find more models in that condition for re-building. I hope you didn't pay too much for it, I would say somewhere around $40-$50 dollars would be about my max for it and it would have to be in good running condition, that is the trucks and motors are working. I would say if you are not into modeling, don't start working on it and make it worse then it already is, you can do more damage then can be repaired. It looks like JB Weld the 5 min. stuff would be the best for repairing the cracks, it is sand able so doing small areas and working into the larger areas would be the way to go. Don't try to glue all those cracks at one time, you will never get it to look good. I've never had a Lionel G Scale engine, or rolling stock, but there all pretty much the same when it comes to working on them, I pretty much just stick with LGB, or USA Trains. Good Luck, skills in modeling come with time and many hours of just doing it to get the results you want, more hours into a project the better the results. I would say that looks like a 20-30 hour project including paint and the model repair.

trainman .

 

[Paul Burch]

If those are USA motor blocks, they have quite a bit of value. The lousy Lionel motor blocks that come with the stock model are oversize anyway. Will you share what you paid for the loco?

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Well, I took your smokestack off!

If there are that many cracks, I would worry that all the plastic is brittle, and will continue to come apart.

Good Luck!

Greg

 

[OldNoob]

Well, I took your smokestack off!

If there are that many cracks, I would worry that all the plastic is brittle, and will continue to come apart.

Good Luck!

Greg

HAHAH thank You!

 

[OldNoob]

If those are USA motor blocks, they have quite a bit of value. The lousy Lionel motor blocks that come with the stock model are oversize anyway. Will you share what you paid for the loco?

too much.. i got antsy and jumped on it

 

[OldNoob]

Pirate what you can off of the old model that is useful. You have so many options to make the unusual Geep units that certain railroads are known for. GP8, GP9, GP10, GP12, GP15. Paducah rebuilt a number of Geeps into useful individuals found on shortlines all over the US. Burlington Northern ran a number of interesting units back in the 70s until the merger with the ATSF.

Yep a Gp10 might be an interesting project

 

[Scott]

I like the look of that. GP9u? or GP10? As both had that large crossways vent giving it that shoulder appearance. I used to model Santa Fe, then BNSF up until large scale called me.

 

[trainmanfw&sw]

I re-due just about every G Scale engine and piece of rolling stock item that I own to my personal railroad name, the Fort Worth & South-Western. Here is an LGB 2055 White Pass Alco that has had some body changes and repainted to the FW&SW, then RailPro battery powered system installed.
trainman

 

[OldNoob]

The graphics on this engine are actually very nicely done. I would leave it but im not a fan of that line.
The engine definitely sits too high and is unbalanced with most of the weight being toward the rear.

And apparently it has a operating fan in the rear. I'm eager to open this engine up!

 

[Scott]

Fresh challenges, lets start this journey and see where it takes this engine.

 

[Paul Burch]

Here are a couple photos of Lionel conversions I did around 1997. Long since sold, after I decided on 1/29 instead of 1/32.

 

[OldNoob]

Here are a couple photos of Lionel conversions I did around 1997. Long since sold, after I decided on 1/29 instead of 1/32.

Awesome work and mods. very sharp paint and graphics

 

[Nick Jr]

Noob, if you check out my postings of the A-1-A shark, you can make that fan an operating eye catching feature with a little 3V, 100 rpm motor.
EDIT: OOPs, just noticed you did mention it was an operating feature, sorry.

 

[OldNoob]

Noob, if you check out my postings of the A-1-A shark, you can make that fan an operating eye catching feature with a little 3V, 100 rpm motor.
EDIT: OOPs, just noticed you did mention it was an operating feature, sorry.

Yep your A-1-A shark nose is an amazing build, im definitely following it.
Im not sure yet if the fan is actually a "operating fan" it moves and i can see wires .. but i have not done a track power test yet due to the extensive damage to the engine, im going to open it first

 

[Scott]

Those Lionel units look a treat! Very nicely modelled.

 

[trainmanfw&sw]

What scale do the Lionel units scale out to be, are they 1/32, 1/29, 1/24, or 1/22.5 LGB scale

trainman

 

[OldNoob]

What scale do the Lionel units scale out to be, are they 1/32, 1/29, 1/24, or 1/22.5 LGB scale

trainman

Supposedly the Lionels are One gauge ,1:32 like the MTH. But Sadly Lionel has abandoned detailed One Gauge engines long ago. And their 1/32 rolling stock , MDC, Lionel and now Piko was nice but a bit short. Although still very affordable compared to MTH and AMS