# Help me ID this G Scale GP-35



## egates17 (Oct 10, 2014)

Any ideas what the manufacturer was for this? Or was a kit bash deal. It was my Dad's but since he passed away I can't determine the history of it. Thanks!


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I don't know, so I'll bump this thread back to the top....


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi egates,
welcome to MLS! 

my first thought is that it is one of the plastic K-line GP35's, which are also around in un-powered versions..they are quite primitive and of low value..

However your GP35 doesnt look quite like that one..it looks nicer!
There were some brass GP35's made once a upon a time..
So first, to go forward, can you please confirm if the body of the locomotive is plastic or metal?

thanks,
Scot


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## egates17 (Oct 10, 2014)

Plastic, definitely not brass. When I look at the bottom it appears there may have been some paint applied at one time or another. I thought there might be a name on the bottom of the fuel tank or on the trucks, but I don't see anything. Approximate value?


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

hmmm..very interesting.
It is most likely based on one of the K-line GP35's then, that is the only plastic GP35 that has ever been offered in the hobby, as far as I know.. 
a lot of the details on yours dont quite match though. here is the one I am talking about:










It has been offered in a powered version, and more recently in an un-powered version, I believe it is the same basic shell in both cases though..

Yours seems to have been "improved" quite a bit, if it is in fact one of those models.
some of the detail is finer, new handrails seem to have been added, while other detail is oddly missing.

So im not totally convinced it is one of the K-line GP35's..too many details don't quite add up. But, I cant think of anything else it could be!  
perhaps someone else will have some ideas.

If it is one of the K-line engines, its value is low..somewhere in the $25 to $75 range probably..
they are primitive models and are low-cost when new, and are in low demand.

If it is not a K-line GP35, then we have no idea what its value is..yet.
so far, it's still a bit of a mystery! 

Is it powered or unpowered? any chance you can take the shell off and photograph its innards?
that might be helpful.

Also, how long is it? please give us a length measurement of the locomotive, not including the couplers.

Scot


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

A picture of the underside of the loco should ID the motor blocks really easily.

Greg


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## egates17 (Oct 10, 2014)

20" long










Thanks!
Eric


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## egates17 (Oct 10, 2014)

Underside shot:


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Clearly not aristo nor USAT... 

Are you sure the shell is molded or is it built up from pieces?

Don't know what the NWSL "magic carpet" drives look like, but maybe those?

Also, at one time Accucraft made some strange drive blocks, but not this loco.

Greg


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## egates17 (Oct 10, 2014)

The shell appears to be two moulded pieces, the cab and hood are separate.


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Those look a lot like NWSL power blocks. They are 1/32. Axles are 3 3/8 on center. http://www.nwsl.com/uploads/chap2_web_09-01.pdf 
Bottom of page.


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

There was a small, as in maybe a dozen locos made, maker in Chicago I believe who did offer such locos around 20 years ago.
One came to OZ and I did a battery conversion for the owner. I will have a trawl through my GR collection and see if I can come up with something positive to identify it.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Definitely NWSL motor blocks. I don't remember if the sideframes are also NWSL or if they came from another supplier, but I've seen them on a number of diesels from the late 1980s era that use those same NWSL trucks. (I've got a custom-built NW-2 that uses them--aluminum skin over wood, so it's not the same manufacturer as the GP-35.)

I'm with Tony on this one. I don't know if I'm thinking of the same manufacturer he is, but there was an outfit that made small runs of locos using NWSL's trucks. I just finished organizing my old GRs, so I'll leaf through them as well to see if I can find a reference. 

I can say that the NWSL trucks are pretty robust. I believe they've got 12-volt motors in them (mine do). I'm not sure how they do with track power, as mine have been battery power from day 1. 

Edit - I got home and leafed through my GRs from 1990 to 1994. Chicago Train Works and Great Trains (aka Standard Car Co.) both offered various 1:32 diesels using these trucks, though I could find no reference to this specific locomotive to be able to say definitively if it was from either one of them. Neither company advertised much after 1992.

Later,

K


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## Beddhist (Dec 17, 2013)

The underside of the cab looks like a home-build to me. The hood is enclosed underneath, which you cannot mould like that out of one piece.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Perhaps it was a prototype model and is one of a kind.


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Mystery solved.
Chicago Train Works. 1/32nd scale. Original asking price was US$300 ea.
Available in BN, CNW, DRG, PRR, SOO & Undecorated.
First announced in March - April 1989 Garden Railways and was reviewed in the next issue.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Thanks, Tony! My '88 and '89 GRs went missing when we moved out to CO. Glad you still could find yours. 

Later,

K


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

I have every issue of GR up to about 5 years ago except an early one. Have two of another early issue and would be willing to swap to make my collection complete.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Tony, check your PM.

Later,

K


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Kevin.
Don't do private messages.


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

TonyWalsham said:


> Mystery solved.
> Chicago Train Works. 1/32nd scale. Original asking price was US$300 ea.
> Available in BN, CNW, DRG, PRR, SOO & Undecorated.
> First announced in March - April 1989 Garden Railways and was reviewed in the next issue.


Tony,
Would you by chance have the manufacturer's product number for this model?
And for the models with the other liveries?
I would like to include this in the Large Scale database

Thanks,

Knut


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

G'day Knut.
The CTW ad in GR did not not have any part #'s listed.


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

OK,

Thanks Tony for the quick reply.

Knut


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## egates17 (Oct 10, 2014)

Thanks guys! Very helpful


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## Martino (Jun 28, 2008)

My Guess it was made by GREAT TRAINS.
The same company that made a 1/32 Amtrak consist back in the late 80's.
Not sure what it is worth, but it certainly is a rare one if it is.
I remember having a GREAT TRAINS catalog sheet that pictured a soo line GP long before Aristo or USA or even LGB introduced their Alco.
Thanks for sharing.


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

You are bit slow Martino. ;-)
Mystery was solved 9 posts back.


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm not sure his loco is a GP35. The yellow picture loco is a Gp35. Look at the difference in the radiators on the sides and the fans on top. The Pensey looks more like a GP40-narrow. 
BTW, I did a kitbash on one of the unpowered locos pictured above. It came out pretty good. I posted a thread in the modeling forum.
JimC.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Nope, its absolutely a GP35.. no question. Two large fans with a smaller fan in between is the hallmark of a GP35..a GP40 has three fans the same size.


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## egates17 (Oct 10, 2014)

If anyone is interested in picking this unit up PM me


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