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My Favorite "Locos" This Week: My New Black Bonnett GP35 Trio

3K views 39 replies 14 participants last post by  lashup50 
#1 ·
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#5 ·
Mine arrived yesterday as well, yes, they're very sharp.

What I did find interesting though is that the unpowered B unit is completely empty. It's just a shell on a frame. I have a Southern Pacific sharknose A-B set in which the B unit has electronics for lights and smoke.
 
#11 ·
GRJ - Thanks for the info about the sound. I wish you could turn the sounds off. But I can get used to it, I suppose.

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Mine arrived yesterday . . .
What I did find interesting though is that the unpowered B unit is completely empty. It's just a shell on a frame.
Yes, and my first thought on seeing all the empty space inside when I pulled the hatch (that is over the controls on the powered units) off was, "Wow, this would a great place to hide jewels and money that no one would ever think to look in."
 
#13 ·
Heads up on these puppies, folks. Initial experience with them in a Legacy environment is showing the engine ID of these GP-35's can't be reprogrammed. Whether the PGM/RUN switch is set to PGM or RUN, these locomotives fire up like they're ready to head out. And when you set the PGM/RUN switch to PGM and "try" to reprogram the engine ID and hit SET -- nothing happens. Normally, the horn will toot. But with these locomotives, the Railsounds is already fired up... which shouldn't be the case.

Very disappointed that Lionel still hasn't solved this problem. How many different locomotives are gonna be saddled with it, before this gets fixed once and for all? :mad:

David
 
#16 ·
Yes, John. I thought it was odd that the Railsounds fired up as soon as I gave the track 18volts -- even though the PGM/RUN switch was set to PGM. Usually, when in PGM mode, I don't hear any Railsounds until the SET button is pressed after changing the Engine ID -- and then it's just a quick toot of the horn, not an entire ramp up of the diesel engine sounds. :eek: Very odd. But I've been told this is the same symptom displayed by earlier locomotives with the engine ID problem. So apparently here we are again! :eek:

David
 
#17 ·
I confess to not having my hands on any engines with the ID issue. There were some on the shelves at Henning's, but I wasn't looking for any of those, so I didn't bother testing them.

Given the fact that I know of at least three different models that had the same issue, I have to believe a code revision to the basic RCMC base code broke the ID processing. Until they catch and fix them, all of the new stuff will likely have the same problem.
 
#20 ·
I don't do no stinkin' bluetooth. We're strictly good old fashioned conventional here. Good enough in 1954, still good enough now.

I'll just live with the shuffling sound. At least its unique.

And its so disappointing that the locos weren't perfect after all, but had a flaw I just didn't pick up on.
 
#26 ·
FWIW, these new Railsounds on the GP-35's are like many of today's hi-tech features: some folks will like them, while others might object. Once I was able to get my GP-35 engine ID's straightened out this evening (Tuesday), I let them run for 20-30 minutes or so. And I heard nothing like the thumping and clanking we've heard from some of the non-VisionLine boxcars in recent years. But what I did hear in the background of the diesel engine RPM's were some subtle wheel-flange or brake squeal sounds that I didn't find too objectionable at all.

David
 
#29 ·
After all the commotion surrounding the reprogramming of the engine ID's, I gave the Black Bonnet GP-35's a few trips around the layout. The glossy paint scheme looks TERRIFIC, and here are some quick "nighttime" photos I captured yesterday with my iPhone. The last photo shows a black bonnet caboose (also available from Pat's Trains) as well as a K-Line aluminum tanker produced in K-Line's heydays as a 4-pack.


Transport Train Railway Vehicle Mode of transport



Transport Vehicle Railway Mode of transport Train



Transport Railway Train Locomotive Vehicle



Transport Train Vehicle Scale model Railway



Transport Vehicle Train Locomotive Railway
 
#31 ·
Love you pictures, Rocky Mountaineer. And you are correct, they are great looking locos!!! I'm sorry for the owners of those locos with the programming/electronics screw up that affects some of the new Lionel GP35s, but for a guy who runs only in conventional, that does not matter. They are very nice locos. I also have a bunch of those K-Line BB tanker cars like you showed. Wonderful cars!!!

My 4th GP35 arrived. I was correct: four is better than three of them!
Arena Sport venue Stadium Music venue Building
 
#33 ·
. . .

BTW, hows the redevelopment going? I see a bare spot on the top level, I'm guessing something is going to appear there at some point. :)
I'm thinking about what to do with it, and that is the problem. I keep changing my mind. I have thought about and planned:
- A trainyard for my "smaller locos" - the O-gauge loop I thought of adding when I decided ON30 was not going to work out.
- Making it open country again, just prairie-land with cows grazing and a farmhouse or two . .
- Making it a cool downtown area with some BIG art-deco style skyscrapers, and such. If I do this I need to contact Andre and River Leaf about some custom stuff for me.
- Making another car-dealership and "Ferrari factory" area like I like I had years ago. That was fun!!!
- A military base with operating missile silos, etc.
Right now: a) I enjoy thinking about each of plans, etc., so much, I don't really want to move on, and b) with another surgery coming up in two weeks, it will be late this year before I can again take up that project anyway.

Time has been really short lately due to "minor" distractions like surgeries, vacations with my family, etc., but my latest project was to add a set of pull-out drawers to hold all my latest Black Bonnet acquisitions (four GP35s, two MP15DCs, fourteen boxcars and four K-Line tank cars: these five drawers replaced an old silverware and "cleaning supplies" storage cabinet not being used. The drawers have room for six locos and all 18 of the new rolling stock, and a spare drawer for future acquisitions (!!!! :):):):) ).

Arena Sport venue Stadium Music venue Building
 
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