Proto 2000 GP30 kit review

Proto 2000 GP30 kit review Proto 2000 GP30...
Proto 2000 is Life-Like's premium brand name. They have come out with a number of limited run kits. The GP30 kit they came out with first was a Phase II GP30. It is accurate for C&O GP30's #3002-3047. I got mine from the C&O Historical Society. To my knowledge they are the only ones who had the Chessie version made. I do not know if they have any more available. They also offer C&O blue paint scheme. Mine cost me around $50. It is well worth it. Proto 2000 announced that in May 2001 they will be coming out with a Phase I GP30, which will be accurate for the B&O GP30's.

Chessie only had 118 total GP30's. The C&O had only 46 or so of these. Of the C&O GP30's #3000-3001 were slightly different body style. The main difference is the left side of the cab is shorter on the first two and long on the last 44. For #3002-3046 you can easily see the off center look of the window and the first stantion on the handrail behind the cab appears to be missing. These are the two tell tale signs of the last C&O GP30's, and this is how the P2K kit is.

Any way you cut it, this is a great kit. The paint scheme is nearly perfect. No cutting will be required to make this kit perfect. If you want to see my GP30 and a complete "how to" article, see my P2K GP30 tips page. For even more on GP30's look on either my 3002c&o or 3022cs-c&o pages.

Below are Dean Heacock pics of the real thing. Notice how #3001 seems to have an extra stantion on the hand railing right behind the cab. Its window also is perfectly centered in the shorter cab, compared to #3022. Use the P2K Phase II kit for the #3002-3046.

Below are a few pics of my GP30. Compare this one with the real pic and see that a vertical stantion seems to be missing right where the handrail bends down from the back of the cab. This, along with the fact that the window appears off center in the cab, are the tell tale signs that this is a Phase II carbody.