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Genesis GP9's Track and electrical/DCC
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Regular poster 127 posts Roundhousecat Regular poster 127 posts
Roundhousecat

Scooped a couple of these this weekend at 25% off. Got a pair of Southern Pacific's for my new Southern California shelf layout. I noticed in the manual they mention that installing a DCC decoder that on these Southern Pacific's have extra lights on the rear and I will have to solder them to the rear most pair of the tabs on the right hand side of the circuit board. I plan on using RailPro with these locos and not DCC at all. I'm starting out new and have decided that RailPro will be much easier for my layout.

Has anyone done this with this loco before? And determining right from left on these locos. Have the loc verticle and cab facing up and the rear at the bottom and my right is the loco's right? Or placing the loco horizontal and the loco cab facing right, the right side of the loco is facing me?

Just want to make sure. Suggestions please.

Pretty impressed with these ones. very good detail and at $150 without dcc installed, I couldn't pass them up.

 

Thanks.

 

 

Thanks.

____________________________________

Doug.

 
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ctxmf74 Super User 15,984 posts
ctxmf74

"determining right from left on these locos"

 SP GP-9 used the short hood as the front. Most roads used short hood as front but a few used the long hood as the front. If you can read it in photos of the prototype there should be a letter F on the end the railroad is using as the front. SP had a lot of extra lights in the old days but if you model the later years you can remove many of them and just glue a plate over the hole..DaveBranum

1990.jpg 
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Bremner Prolific poster 1,217 posts
Bremner

the plate....

not all GP9's lost their lights, check proto photos

am I the only N Scale Pacific Electric Freight modeler in the world?

https://sopacincg.com 
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Roundhousecat Regular poster 127 posts
Roundhousecat

looks like there are only 1

looks like there are only 1 set of lights on the front and rear. anywsyof determining which years they represent? what should I look for?

Thanks.

____________________________________

Doug.

 
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Bremner Prolific poster 1,217 posts
Bremner

Doug, the SP light package

Doug, the SP light package changed over the years, and also during production  runs. The SD9's (I know, you have a GP9) had 5 variations of options from the factory. Knowing the number and paint scheme would help date the loco. IF it is a standard SP 5 light package, the rotating lights on SP equipment in general were made by either of two different companies; Mars or Pyle-National. The Mars lights were known simply as Mars lights. Pyle-National, on the other hand, called theirs the "Gyralite" (Note the exact spelling, and with a capital "G", as it is a registered trade marked name.). The exterior shapes of the two brands are different, which is how one can discern between the two.

The large red light only came on IF the train had the emergency brake turned on, and the other pair of lights were the normal headlamps.

am I the only N Scale Pacific Electric Freight modeler in the world?

https://sopacincg.com 
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Roundhousecat Regular poster 127 posts
Roundhousecat

I have attached a photo with

I have attached a photo with my inital post. 3384 bloody nose series I think they were called. if you read my fist post, there is an attachment with a photo of the loco. from the manual, it mentions on soldering the lights to the main board.

Thanks.

____________________________________

Doug.

 
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