After installing the lights and decoders (see the “under the
hood” section), the loco was assembled and test run. After this
I weathered it using Tamiya weathering sets, as well as powders
of a variety of shades and makes. I didn’t weather the unit too
heavily, but I certainly wanted it too look as it is earning its keep.
Below are a few pictures on my home layout, as well as a shot at
the club.
Under the hood
Under the hood, things needed changing too. This being an old-
er LifeLike release, it had suffered from the well-known disease
of split axle gears, and I wanted to build in DCC plus sound.
I cut out part of the weights to facilitate space for the speaker
and give it some room to breathe. The axle problem is easily
solved. Walthers sells replacement axles, but you can also use
the axles of the Athearn blue-box or RTR ranges. All you need is
10
10. SP Lark gray painted on.
SP GP9 commuter loco - 6
the plastic center part. The original wheels will pull off the defec-
tive shafts and fit straight onto the Athearn gears.
I soldered wires to both sides of the truck power pick-up,
and guided these to the DCC decoder. The LifeLike drive is
an updated clone of the old Athearn blue-box, and for all its
strengths, it does rely on the chassis for power pick-up. This is
fine when everything is new, but over time dirt and grime will
get into these places, and then problems start. The wires bypass
this all together and give a much more reliable pick-up.
For a decoder, I used a ESU Loksound Select Direct, with their
recently released GP9 sound files which sound fantastic. Also,
the Loksound decoders have some of the best motor control on
the market, so to have both in one decoder was an added bonus.
For me, motor control is most important. I love very slow crawls
and being able to pull away smoothly or stop without a notice-
able “yerk.” With this motor control, I can run this loco so
11
11. Masking tape removed.
MRH-Sep 2014
