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Re: DT&I 41' Gon was GM&O Gon

Greg Martin
 

Dan and all,
 
This is not a "my dog is bigger than your dog" note.
 
The Athearn is a dirty little bash to be quite honest. However, it was well researched by Richard Hendrickson and I did my homework as well by converting the builders photos to scale to acquire the dimensions and verify them.  No need to defend the results. 
 
If you want to do the project from the P2K car be my guest and the instructions from the SHAKE N TAKE project will certainly help with things like a better representation of the drop end casting. 
 
Regardless, keep modeling and make compromises when you have to.
 
Greg Martin  
 
Eventually all things merge into one and a river runs through it.
Norman Maclean
 
Dan writes:

I prefer to save the phrase "stand in at best" for some other project.

I built my GM&O cars from my stash of P2K kits in 2005 or so.  Maybe I am missing something, but...

-The P2K gon allows me to get the right length in 2 major cuts.  The Athearn Gon requires 6 major cuts. (4 to shorten body, 2 to remove ends)

-The P2K Gon gives me the right ends.  The Athearn route requires scratch built or custom cast ends.

-The P2K Gon give me the right underframe, trimmed similar to the body, complete with brake gear.   ;The Athearn Gon has an incorrect drop centersill with no brake gear.

-The P2K Gon has correct stirrups, grabs etc. out of the box,  It also gives me interior and floor detail.

-The P2K Gon is a finer level of tooling, and just as cheap.  Who didn't buy stacks of P2K kits back in the day for $5?

-And even more importantly for me: my P2k cars were a 2-day project.

I understand the merits of a Shake and Take project, and that things are donated for some group fun and group execution of the same model.  But I really don't care about that. 

The Athearn Gon just seems like the long way to go, even if it is "free."  Yes, I do get a slightly cheated floor height with the P2K Gon.  Yes, the 4 middle ribs on the side drop are a hair short on a P2K kitbash.  This can be fixed with some styrene modeling.  Perhaps some of us consider that easier than scratch building ends and dealing with the shortcomings of a 50 year old Athearn kludge. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Dan Kohlberg
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