Erie Mining Company Colors

[cedarwoodron]

I want to do a C420 ALCO unit in the Erie Mining Company colors (northern MN Taconite ore hauler).

Proto photos online appear to show a pale yellow and primer red type scheme. 

Any one have more specific info on this?

Cedarwoodron

[rrinker]

 The Atlas and Walthers ones look like the prototype photos, other than Atlas model of 7222 being a C424 and the real 7222 is a C420. Haven't seen any photos that justify the wild paint scheme MTH used on theirs though.

                                   --Randy

 

[Doughless]

cedarwoodron

I want to do a C420 ALCO unit in the Erie Mining Company colors (northern MN Taconite ore hauler).

Proto photos online appear to show a pale yellow and primer red type scheme. 

Any one have more specific info on this?

Cedarwoodron

 

Atlas made C420s painted for EMCO in a variety of road numbers.  Note the 7222 is accurately painted yellow along the top of the cab and long hood, whereas the other numbers have black along the top.  Atlas later came out with a C424, road #7230, which is accurate.

http://www.atlasrr.com/HOLoco/hoc420c.htm

The C424:

http://www.atlasrr.com/HOLoco/hoc424b.htm

 

[DSchmitt]

rrinker

 The Atlas and Walthers ones look like the prototype photos, other than Atlas model of 7222 being a C424 and the real 7222 is a C420. Haven't seen any photos that justify the wild paint scheme MTH used on theirs though.

                                   --Randy

 

 

 

Atlas is or will offer the same paint as MTH both  on a RS-11    http://www.hogtrainz.com/ATLASRS11RESERVATIONS.htm

 

[cedarwoodron]

I took a second look at the images I downloaded from Railpictures.net of Erie Mining enginrs and saw that that old Alco C420 had a black top over tje cab and to the rear along the top, albeit somewhat faded.

My issue is that the yellow looks like it began as a paler yellow- but what type of yellow ?

Cedarwoodron

[wjstix]

 The original yellow wasn't a pale yellow, it was a fairly dark yellow, similar to UP yellow, or CNW 'old' yellow. Yellow will fade over time, not get darker. I think the Atlas Alco's yellow is good. The red is a dark red or maroon, closer to the old Soo Line maroon than primer red. (Remember red will fade to a lighter shade too.)

I'd suggest (if you can't get up to Duluth) to google "Erie Mining 4211", the F9 currently used by the Lake Superior Transportation Museum on fan trips and dinner trains, to get an idea what a 'like new' (or 'slightly used') version of the last Erie Mining scheme looked like.

BTW the Erie Mining F9s originally were dark blue and silver, and the Baldwin S-12s and Alco RS-11s were sort of red and chocolate. (I have one of the Atlas HO RS-11s in that scheme, very well done!) In the 1960's they started repainting (and buying new engines) with yellow bodies with a dark red stripe along the side. Black on the tops/roofs didn't start being used until the 1970's...at least, on the F-9s. Not sure about the road switchers, but that may explain why some of the Alco models have black roofs and some don't.

I don't have the issue numbers at hand, but the Missabe RR Historical Society did an excellent two-part story on EMCO in their "Ore Extra" magazine. It included a lot of color pictures, going back to the start in 1954.

[Doughless]

This is from memory of my past research on these, so it may not be totally accurate.

The 7222 might be a later number...renumbered from either the 4219 or 4218.  Atlas's model has both the black roof version of the same loco..either  the 18 or the 19...and the later yellow roof version...the 7222. 

The colors look as built, so the yellow is fairly vibrant relative to what you'd see in a weathered pic.  And the model's red is a bit burgundy and not brick colored, again probably reflecting as-built colors.  

2017 pics of the 7222 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=229179

Its sister 7220 also had the yellow cab roof:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=13561

And recent pics of the C424

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=96411

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=13560

Since I model a freelanced modern shortline, these still operational locos and the Atlas models were going to be part of my railroad's roster once upon a time.