Over the years, when I have seen HO models of F B units, they sometimes have the railroad name/logo, like the A unit. On others, they are painted in the same color scheme but without the name or logo. Was one approach more common than the other in the real world?
You should also put in the mix railroads that put the name on the B unit, but not the A.
Northern Pacific passenger F's come to mind.
I do wonder why you care which version was the most common. Are you planning something for your own freelance road?
Ed
7j43kI do wonder why you care which version was the most common.
I'm just curious, because I've seen models of the same railroad that either do or don't have the name and logo on the B unit.
The SP had just road numbers on their B units that were in Black Widow and Bloody Nose paint their Daylights had SOUTHERN PACIFIC on the sides I believe...
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
Shock Control 7j43k I do wonder why you care which version was the most common. I'm just curious, because I've seen models of the same railroad that either do or don't have the name and logo on the B unit.
7j43k I do wonder why you care which version was the most common.
I will be surprised if anyone has done such a study. I had never thought about the matter, before. It does seem that a railroad would naturally put the railroad name on both A's and B's. To me. But, obviously, there were railroads that saw it differently.
Consider that F's were originally run as sets. Perhaps the railroads thought it "a bit much" to repeat the name on EVERY unit.
I had noticed this on prototype railroads. On the STRATTON & GILLETTE F units in freight service have the railrad name on both the A and B units. F units in passenger service only have the railroad name on the A units.
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I honestly thought that was how the real railroads did it. The examples given here seem to prove that theory wrong.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I'm still stuck trying to figure out why ATSF put fancy stainless cladding on some of the passenger B units, but not the As.
The people who decide such stuff are the artsy types. Figuring them out is not worth your time.
CGW121 The people who decide such stuff are the artsy types. Figuring them out is not worth your time.
If one is examining prototype diesel paint schemes, "figuring them out" is only a matter of curiosity for model railroaders--sort of like trying to figure out why a railroad chose a particular route over a mountain--you don't need to understand "why" to model it, but it can still be interesting to study the options.
But.
If you are doing a freelance model railroad, and you want your freelance model railroad to be believable, it would make perfect sense to understand the options and decision points of the real railroads.
For example: why did GN paint their early diesel switchers black, but their early road diesels "flashy"? Instead of the other way around.
Or: why did New Haven adopt a "weird and goofy" paint scheme in the mid-fifties? And why the one they did? I just found out that they were considering using yellow instead of red for the "bright" color.
Going to other disciplines than artsy: it isn't necessary for modeling, but it is interesting that ALL EMD diesels were, and are, supercharged. As opposed to Alco, Baldwin.......
The Western Pacific had B units with logo on only one side. They were run in ABBA sets.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Many railroads bought F-units in sets, and considered each set one locomotive...kinda like how an articulated steam engine is considered one locomotive. Often these would be an A-B set, with a drawbar between the A and B units. They didn't need to repeat all the lettering on both units, as the railroad considered it one unit. It's kinda like how some railroads put the railroad's name or initials on the steam engine's cab, and the engine number on the tender; some put the railroad name or herald on the tender, and the engine number on the cab. Since the engine and tender worked together, they didn't see a need to have the same information on both the engine and tender.
7j43kOr: why did New Haven adopt a "weird and goofy" paint scheme in the mid-fifties? And why the one they did? I just found out that they were considering using yellow instead of red for the "bright" color.
I take it, then, that you haven't gone to the Herbert Matter Web site and watched their very, very informative little video on this?
It will curl your hair when you see what most of the 'alternatives' were. I had almost forgotten how hokey much of the Fifties design tropes were. I will not forget again soon. Or easily.