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Reviews (2)
May 24, 2016
Nice model, though perhaps over
This is a model of the GP60M, a locomotive that EMD began producing ca. 1990 for the Santa Fe. The locomotive provides good representation of the prototype, with sharp paint lines and many finely printed decals which are legible under magnification. The unit includes many details, including a cab interior, lift rings, and see through fans.
The locomotive I received, which includes ESU Loksound, has an MSRP of $299. Finely detailed as it is, it does not quite rise to the level of similar models in its price range. The fans do not provide good representation of the Q fans that these locomotives have. Sand lines are missing from the model entirely, and many of the finer details, such as step lights and truck details, appear to be molded on, rather than separately applied.
Mechanics. This locomotive weighs in at 14 ounces, making it a reasonably good puller. The engine runs smoothly and quietly at all speeds, including at its lowest speed of less than one scale mile per hour. All trucks pick up power, but the locomotive appears overly sensitive to dirty track and slight gaps, stalling where other locomotives do not. All wheel sets on my model measured in gage with my NMRA standards gage, and the coupler heights were correct according to my Kadee gage.
Sound. The ESU loksound decoder provides excellent motor control and sound for the GP60M's 710G3 prime mover. It was a little bit disappointing, however, that none of the horn options seemed to capture the K3LA of the prototype. The unit I received came with an 8 Ohm speaker, though of somewhat limited range and quality. The sound would consistently get staticky after a few moments run time, almost as if the amplifier had blown out the speaker. This issue improved tremendously when I replaced the speaker with an assembly from RailMaster Hobbies. It is disappointing, however, that this step was necessary.
Lighting. This locomotive has separate functions for headlight, reverse light, ditch lights, and number boards. Each lighting function uses LED and fiber optic light tubes. This permits one to remove the locomotive shell readily (assuming careful removal of the handrails), without worrying about lights and wires attached to the shell. The draw back is that the fiber optic tubing used to transmit light, particularly those serving the ditch lights, make right angle turns. This makes the lighting very dim. Because some systems, like the ditch lights, are buried within the walkway, it is difficult to remove the tubes and replace the lighting.
While this model is a beautiful representation of a GP60M, its several significant drawbacks would make me hesitant to shell out the MSRP of $299. Many comparably priced models contain more detail and stronger overall mechanism. Although Fox Valley is the only premium manufacturer for the GP50M, one might consider that Athearn's Ready to Run model, though lesser detailed and lacking a decoder, retails for less than 1/3 of the price at about $90. With a $200 difference, one can do a great deal of detailing, add sound and better lighting to the Athearn locomotive. However, since I was able to obtain mine through an Ebay seller at $103, these arguments don't quite apply to my case.
Apr 06, 2025
Great couplers. A little closer to scale...
Great couplers. A little closer to scale,but still compatible with most other knuckle couplers