The new Lionel Legacy GP35 doesn’t need red paint to make it cool. This O gauge diesel locomotive is a total package, from the body design and motor operation to the command and sound packages.
The GP35 is a 2,500-horsepower locomotive built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors between 1963 and 1966. It has that ubiquitous carbody that might have a casual trackside observer guessing it would be anything from a GP30 to a GP60. More than 1,300 GP35s were built for North American railroads, and the list of original buyers ranged from the mighty (the New York Central and the Pennsylvania RR) to the minis (the Ann Arbor and the Toledo, Peoria & Western). Of these, 26 GP35s went north of the border – 24 to the Canadian Pacific and 2 to the Canadian National.
Our sample is from the Canadian Pacific’s “Multi-Mark” marketing era (1968-1987), when the line was branded CP Rail and the icon of a point and a curve suggested wheels and motion.
Opening the box
Opening the box, the red-and-white paint scheme impressed me as stunning. My first thought was, “Zoom, zoom, zoom,” from the old Mazda automobile commercial. The flawless red-and-white striping on the nose caught my eye, and I started scanning the body’s paint application. It was terrifically smooth and flat, and borders with other colors were crisp. This Lionel O gauge GP35 is a prime example of why today’s painting and decoration are superior to those of our beloved postwar trains.
The pilot features add-on brake and multiple-unit cables as well as an add-on uncoupler arm. The front deck has a drawbridge and safety chain. The deck has a safety tread texture cast-in, one more reason this is about as ship shape a model as you’ll find.
All the handrails and grab irons were finely assembled and installed detail pieces. Of note are the delicate white grab irons on the nose and running up to the top of the long-hood end of the model.
The nose has running lights and a cap for the sand tank. The forward windows all have wiper arms, and the side windows have sun shields. The top of the cab has an illuminated number board, a headlight and an add-on horn up top.
Flowing backward along the hood reveals loads of detail. The nice yet fragile lift rings make their presence known. The smoke unit/exhaust is about 1½ inches behind the cab. There are three large- and two small-diameter fans atop the body.
On the long-hood end, there is a curved grab iron to allow crew members to safely climb on the roof without needing to grab the frame of the fan! Unlike the red-and-white striping on the nose, the rear of the unit is a business-like display of black-and-white safety stripes.
The cast-in detail on the body that caught my eye first was the latches for the battery box. This detail, situated beneath the cab, is another case of what a difference the body color makes.
They really popped! The texture of the body would never have stood out this clearly if it were in my beloved New York Central’s black paint scheme. The hinge and door detail is some of the nicest I’ve seen (or touched).
The casting for the die-cast metal trucks and the fuel tank was flawless, and the detail was outstanding.
Execution of the paint scheme, striping, and graphic accents (like the builder’s plate) was superb.
On the test track
The O gauge GP35 has two can-style motors controlled by Lionel’s Legacy command system, which delivers sterling performance. The motor operated smoothly in all speed ranges and was responsive to changes of command.
Our low-speed averages were interesting considering how close the conventional and command speed numbers were. Normally there is a bit more of a gap, with the conventional low speeds running higher.
Our conventional-mode low speed was 1.5 scale miles per hour, while the command mode low-speed average was 1.1 scale miles per hour.
Lionel’s speed-control circuitry clearly delivers great performance in either command or conventional realms.
Our high-speed average was 89.8 scale miles per hour, and the drawbar pull measured 1 pound, 8 ounces.
Features, such as crew talk and the remote coil couplers, worked fine; the smoke unit was cough-inducing.
The sound suite on the locomotive is outstanding. The sounds the GP35 generates are spot on – the real deal. If there were some way to pump it through a stereo system, you’d swear the 5:18 from Saskatoon was blowing through town.
The Lionel Legacy GP35 is a solid example of the train-maker’s art. This O gauge road diesel looks great and runs well. No wonder Classic Toy Trains staff member Kent Johnson added it to his Canadian fleet! –
Features: O-31 operation, two can-style motors, Legacy command and sound system, coil couplers, smoke unit
Nice article about the GP35.