Product Review: Walthers Proto GP9 Phase III, Illinois Central. July 2024

This product review is for the July 2024 release of Walthers Proto GP9 in the phase III variation. They offered two road numbers in the Illinois Central orange and white paint. These are factory installed DCC/sound. I did upgrade to a Scale Sound Systems speaker and did a demonstration of the speaker upgrade compared to the factory speaker. Enjoy!
Links to prototype photos used in video:
9305: www.rrpicturear...
9360: www.rrpicturear...
9356: www.rrpicturear...
9350: www.rrpicturear...

[@terrymank5586]

I like the crew members on the cab. Makes running more realistic. Great video,thanks

[@XBOXShawn12thman]

I just came across this video .... Subscribed!!!! 👍

[@brunobiava4833]

Great Review... just a couple things I would like to add. One is the addition of the IC specific "Tool Box" located just behind the Fuel Filler and Emergency Cutoff Button on the Engineer Side Skirt... Walthers should be commended for adding them as they certainly add to the character of the IC's Geeps. Another is that Four IC Road numbers are available if you include the DCC Ready versions. (yep, I got all four of 'em) Like you, I also have a couple of the IC phase II GP9s in the Mainline offering a couple years ago and have most all the parts I need to upgrade them. One thing holding me back is "Hemming the Skirts"...in about 1961 (emphasis on "about") IC began to make subtle changes to the High-Hood Geeps. Adding the nose mounted Bell, the "Tool Box" and "Hemming the Skirts". Also the White Frame Stripe ( remember, this is before the Orange and White was adopted in 1967) was widened. By about 1964, all the IC's GP7s, and the phase I and II GP9s had got their Skirts Hemmed, the new Tool Box and nose mounted Bell and the appearance was updated. About the only details Walthers missed are the Exhaust Screens (Athearn's are a wonderful etching, but sometimes IC removed them...) and the little visors over the Classification Lights (Intermountain did them on the Paducah GP10's on the rear end of the IC and ICG versions). Both details are nice to have, but aren't deal breakers in my book. I really want to trim the Skirts on my Phase IIs, but I don't know if I will. All said, I am still happy with the Mainline version... I'm not knocking it. But Walthers really did an Exceptional Job capturing the essence of the IC's Geeps with the Proto version.

[@rozlin88]

The poling pockets are missing too but can't have everything I suppose

[@MartyLuther-n9g]

I have a GP9 IC from 1970 in 027 scale no sound but still runs great