Can Bachmann retro-fit a new motor to a Lionel GP-9 diesel locomotive made in 1977?
Bachmann doesn't do that kind of work. Your best bet is to try and find a motor that is a close equivalent to what's in there (maybe a Sagami). If you're inexperienced, maybe your local hobby shop can assist. I don't think I've ever seen the innards of a Lionel HO model, so I can't say what kind of motor they used. Probably some kind of open-frame, which can usually be substituted with a newer can motor.
I seem to recall reading somewhere that Lionel HO was produced by Athearn and Rivarossi. I assume that the Lionel items were standard Athearn or Rivarossi products but with unique numbers and/or paint jobs. Athearn is alive and well so you might check with them. Hope this helps some.
Rusty
When the line was introduced, Lionel showed the mechanism of a GP-30 in ads and it had, if I remember, a can motor made by GE. It shouldn't be too difficult to remotor the engine. It might take some minor soldering.
My best suggestion is go on the HO Seeker website and look up the Lionel material they have posted. It may have an exploded drawing.
Alternately, if you can afford it, invest in one of the nice Bachmann diesels that are available (Good grief, I'm telling someone to buy a diesel!) Good Luck.
i once had a lionel gp30, it had the pancake motor mounted on the front, similar to bachmann locomotives of the era. lionel also had a ge u18b in their line. i don't believe anybody else has ever done one of those, and the gp30 was also unique to lionel at that time. i am not sure about freight cars, they may have been athearn kits that were pre assembled. i know the cars cox had in their sets were athearn.
Hello Everyone
Lionel from the late 50's to the late 60's used Rivarossi and Athearn for their suppliers, athearn used the same shells on most of their products up to the 90's so the chassis will be easy to locat with a motor,
the rivarossi stuff is hard to find parts for, the places that sold parts in the USA either closed or ran out of parts, Hornby does not want to supply parts for older rivarossi,
Bachmann did produce a lot of stuff for Lionel back in the day, look at the southern pacific daylight and some of the diesels, all of the parts are the same except the bottom plate that said lionel,
Roco even made some of lionel's stuff.
so parts wise depending on what you have, there is a lot of sources.
if you want to remotor it and you don't know how to do it, there is a lot of sources on the net that can help
take care
George