Attention EMD Cowl locomotive Fans!

[AntonioFP45]

Thanks Don,

I've been using the DuPont SPECTRAMASTER color chip book for color matching photographs. Since you're a photgrapher, I strongly recommend that you inquire about obtaining one. You'll be impressed at the thousands of color variances displayed! You'll find yourself blinking repeatedly as colors within a family group have such subtle variances that 4 or 5 chips in the same row will look identical, until you walk out into the sunlight . This is how my students have been paint matching some of the rolling stock and locomotives for the Largo Central Railroad. ( large scale, Live Steam www.lcrailroad.com )

As I stated on another thread, we actually used Athearn HO scale models to color match an SP bay window caboose for the Largo group. The club's Seaboard S12 was also color matched using photos. Not a 100% accurate method, but the customer was quite happy!

Cheers!

Thanks for the info. You've made me keenly aware of color discrepancies. I will be contacting DuPont to and request the "commercial" color chip references used by railroads.

[Don Gibson]

Addendum for Tampa Tonio:

My recommendations for Scalecoat II (Santa Fe Red and Reefer yellow) for FP-45'w and F'units in general is based on matching my refernence Dupont Lucite Santa Fe Color chips rather than picking a photograph. I can lighten (for chalking) or weather from there. Unfortunately none of the model Santa Fe's Blue's seem to come close - too brown - too green - too black. Actually, Floquil's dark Diesl Blue is the closest.

I could not get Color chips for thhe Daylight, so I went with small cans of Dupont paint packaged by MHP and painted some cars and an engine to use as reference I noticed everybody had a different color interpretations for Daylight Red (and Orange). Rivarossi's red and tangerine-orange cars for example were off - plus they're smooth. sided.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info Antonio! I'll go check it out right now!

[Don Gibson]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45

Interesting thing Don,

...how did you get a railroad color chip chart?

At the time Dupont's Industrial Distributor had them.

Being a photographer, different films have different 'casts' Ektachrome 64 vs. 100, Kodachrome 64 vs. 25 for example. I photographed the same Santa Fe 'Red noses' with both Ekrachrome (lighter orangy red) and Kodachrome (darker red). Kodacolor prints go beyond color-casts -ranging all-over- the spectrum due to the particular processor's attention to chemical replentishing and temperature. Ever notice purple asphalt or pink snow?

Add to that the color separations for printing, and the printer's selection of inks. Do you get the feeling that color prints in publications or prints in your hand are unreliable?

I haven't even mention the color differences between noon daylight and shade, or noon and other parts of the day. And how long the engines have been out in the sun (chalking).

When looking at a color print I look for something nuetral in the photo. Steel rail for example. Same for printing something in my darkroom it's a point of reference to tell me the color cast.

Life isn't perfect either. Some of us try harder than others.

[AntonioFP45]

Interesting thing Don,

I guess it's just the lighting conditons, but I've got about 30 pictures of Santa Fe FP45s in the Red/Yellow/Silver scheme. The red on the Athearn units "seems" to be very close! Then again, most of the internet and book pictures I have feature these units in bright sunlight. I have a beautiful shot of #5993 freshly painted and shiny, hauling an Amtrak train. Conditions are cloudy and the red does look slighlty darker.

I'm no longer using scale coat though because of the fumes. I've switched over to the Polly Scale and Model Flex paints. The Santa Fe colors look pretty decent when compared to the photos.

By the way, how did you get a railroad color chip chart?

[Don Gibson]

Thre are some pretty good KATO GP 35's out there (I have 4) but the Athearn FP-45 is still pretty decent - with a good motor - as you pointed out. Unfortunately their Santa Fe Red is a bit 'Tomato-y, but some 'Scalecoat II' will nail it (according to my Dupont color chip). Santa Fe Red was a 'Signal' or Stop sign red when those engines existed. The yellow was a rich 'Reefer yellow' - again Scalecoat II.

(I never figured out why Scalecoat's I paint was never a match). DG

[AntonioFP45]

Hey FP45/F45 modelers, Just a quick info tip.

As of this writing there are some Athearn and AHM FP45s for sale on Ebay. There are also a couple of F45s for sale too. There were even more last week, two brand new.[:D]

Prices have been decent. Highest bids have been in the $25 to $50 range. Interestingly enough, the AHM units are way overpriced!! [:0] Unless you really want one, I'd recommend staying away from the AHM units. IMHO, bodies are "cheesy" and the drive train not that good. The Athearn bodies are more accurate even though some of the road names are incorrect. Nothing a 91% alcohol bath and an airbrush couldn't cure. [;)]

I've gotten 3 Santa Fe red & yellow warbonnet units off of EBay. One is mint, the others sightly used but in great shape. I wasn't overly concerned about running condition. I'm installing Mashima motors in them anyway since I'm going DCC/sound and want the lowest current, trouble-free drive train I can get since sound decoders are reputed to be quite"finnicky" with electrical current. Resistors can create heat, so for me remotoring is the way to go. [:p][8)]

I was a little leary at first about shopping on Ebay, but my friend Cmarchand showed me how to use Ebay as well as how to shop "SMART". I'm glad I did! The prospect of waiting another year or two for Athearn to begin producing the cowls again seemed a little frustrating!

Several of you (me too) have e-mailed Athearn suggesting that they upgrade the cowls to genesis / RTR standards, especially considering that it's been the same body from 1976, when my mother bought me an Amtrak FP45 from Chester Holley's in Tampa. I was 13 and ready to do back flips!

Athearn is going to be upgrading the GP35, so there may be some hope for our cowls!

Peace!