2026 UPDATE: On 10/20/2024 I gave a virtual presentation to the Potomac Division of the NMRA on upgrading the Proto 2000 GP7/9 three different ways. I go over this installation method as well as a couple other ideas. Check it out!
My friend, Tom Matty, who models the Thomas Sub of the Western Maryland Ry, a very skilled and talented modeler, offered to do a writeup of how he re-motors an old Proto2000 GP7/GP9 with a much higher quality Kato drive. It involves milling the frame, fitting the motor, linkages and worm gears and then installing your favorite flavor of DCC/sound. (we won’t cover the DCC installation here today). Tom gave me permission to post his process on the blog so I figured I’d share it with everyone who may be interested in this fantastic upgrade.
Parts needed:
- 1x Kato 956010 Motor with Flywheels and old style Motor Mount (1ea)
- 1x Athearn ATH90116 HO Dog Bone .805” F7A/B/FP7 Rear, 6 per pack
- 2x Athearn ATH34128 HO Worm Assembly, High Performance, 1 per pack
How-To Guide
Download the PDF here:
Hello! I just did this to a P2K GP9. Everything worked, except…does the ATH 90116 dog bone actually fit the ATH 34128 HO Worm Assembly? This is the “High Performance / New” worm assembly from Athearn. Seems as though it does not snap into the worm, but it falls out. Just wondering if you had learned anything since the posting. I found this extremely helpful so far. Thank you! Roger
Roger – I’m so sorry to have not replied sooner, as I’ve been offline for a while and just getting back into the swing of things. As for your question – let me ask my cohort Tom who actually wrote the instructions. I gave a presentation in 2024 on doing this installation. I’ve added the link to the blog post. Since I gave that presentation, I’ve since changed my tack a bit and will be going in a different direction, namely using Kelly Regan’s wonderful brass frame.
*Update – I checked with Tom, and he verified the part numbers are correct. Maybe Athearn created a new one? Would need to compare new vs. old to be sure. Sorry it didn’t work out for you. Definitely something for others to keep in mind when doing this. Thank you!