SP's 'Halloween' Passenger paint scheme?

[Don Gibson]

There is a Overland ALCO PA -2 being offered on EBay with a wide yellow nose reverse teardrop and called a 1958 SP "Halloween" scheme .
Sort of a reaction to the 'Bloody Nose?

News to me. Anyone remember such ?

[Anonymous]

Experimental paint scheme prior to adoption of "bloody nose".

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Gibson

There is a Overland ALCO PA -2 being offered on EBay with a wide yellow nose reverse teardrop and called a 1958 SP "Halloween" scheme .
Sort of a reaction to the 'Bloody Nose?

News to me. Anyone remember such ?

Yeah. A number of SP units were painted in experimental schemes in 1958. The "Halloween" scheme is black and orange (as is the model) and had a couple of variants, this one http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/f-unit_photos/6371_sp-f7a-don_jewell.jpg and a graphic scheme that became what we know as "Bloody Nose" when red and gray were substituted .

Additonally, a couple of E-9's (6048 and 6050 IIRC) were experimentally repainted into Black Widow colors and 6051 got the Halloween scheme, although I can't remember it it got the one like the PA-2 on eBay and the F-7 in the link or the one that looked like "Bloody Nose" but with black and orange.

Personally, I like the Halloween scheme, albeit not on passenger units. Even there, though, I prefer it to "Bloody Nose". I think I'd have preferred it if the gray was offset by yellow rather than red.

Andre

[jabrown1971]

I never knew that was out there-interesting. Would have been a nice paint job for the freight units in the 70's and 80's

[SSW9389]

There is a photo in Joe Strapac's Southern Pacific Review 1981 of PA #6039 in Halloween paint. It is the only known PA unit to carry these colors. The 5922 PB unit was also done.

[twhite]

I think I saw one of those units running through Truckee, CA, back in 1958, when I had a summer job with the Forest Service. I thought either the mountain air had finally gotten to me, or SP was duplicating one of my own sloppy paint jobs.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by twhite

"I thought either the mountain air had finally gotten to me, or SP was duplicating one of my own sloppy paint jobs."

You mean the SP actually knew what a paint job was? All my sp Units are modeld by taking undecorated shell, burying in the garden for two to three years. after digging up and giving a rough wash down. spray on a thick gunky coat of gray primer, slop some red on the front of the nose. Bury for another six months. Set in the south facing basement window for three months more to age to perfection. Think about putting "Southern Pacific" on it someplace. put it on the frame and off we go. Then I get complimented on my fantastic wheathering job. [(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Student of Big Sky Blue

QUOTE: Originally posted by twhite

"I thought either the mountain air had finally gotten to me, or SP was duplicating one of my own sloppy paint jobs."

You mean the SP actually knew what a paint job was? All my sp Units are modeld by taking undecorated shell, burying in the garden for two to three years. after digging up and giving a rough wash down. spray on a thick gunky coat of gray primer, slop some red on the front of the nose. Bury for another six months. Set in the south facing basement window for three months more to age to perfection. Think about putting "Southern Pacific" on it someplace. put it on the frame and off we go. Then I get complimented on my fantastic wheathering job. [(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]

Well there goes a potential business doing custom SP paint jobs. He just gave away all the trade secrets.

Well, not all. He forgot to mention that when you bury the shell after applying the paint, the place of burial is the cat's litter box. There's a down side to this. You can't change the cat litter for 6 months. By then, your cat probably will be looking for a new owner, your children will have charged you with child abuse and your wife will be making arrangements to have you disappear into the Marianas Trench wearing nothing but concrete overshoes.

OTOH, you'll have an authentic model of an SP diesel unit of your choice of make and model. It's all a question of risk vs. reward.

Andre

[twhite]

OUCH, THAT HURTS! But you guys are right, SP was never a very good housekeeper after Black Widows and Daylights. I can't tell you how many steamers I saw go through Truckee in the final days that looked like rolling junk-yards. Made me sad. Especially when I remember as a kid that those same locos looked sooooo clean! Or maybe it was the stars in my eyes.
Kitty litter? Really? And here I thought that those two 25 pound Maine Coon cats that I love and adore were only good for playing hockey and keeping the neighborhood dogs off my front lawn. Thanks for the info. Wow, NEW WEATHERING TOOL!

[Jetrock]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess...seeing beat-to-heck Geeps and SD's rolling through Roseville and Sacramento gave me a permanent preference for heavily weathered, banged-up, character-filled locomotives. Every time I take Amtrak I keep my eyes peeled for roughed-up old SP engines, especially since the number of remaining "bloody-nose" engines has dropped rapidly due to an outbreak of Armour Yellow Fever...

[twhite]

Jetrock: Actually, I'm kind of with you, buddy. At least on the Armor Yellow disease. Last time I was in Roseville (last week) there were still a few 'bloody noses' along with a couple of Rio Grande jeeps sitting around. Kind of made me nostalgic, too. Sorry, just can't look at those UP units and think heavy, burly freight motors. Of course, THAT statement's going to get me crucified by a lot of UP fans, isn't it? heck, I'd even TAKE that SP Halloween paint-scheme right now!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by twhite
"Of course, THAT statement's going to get me crucified by a lot of UP fans, isn't it?"

Who cares about UP. Their case against Lionel, Athearn, et.al. is causing bad JuJu among the model railroad community. I just can't see a valid reason the fans of an organization that supports Bush and his evil leagon of death, should get all bent out of shape because we prefer the stoic integrity of their slain conquest.

All seriousness aside, I am glad everyone enjoyed my SP huor. [8D]

[Jetrock]

Actually, back on the subject, I may have to show this pic to my wife...she is very fond of all things Halloween-related, and her favorite paint scheme to date is SP "Black Widow" but I'm sure she'd love the Halloween scheme too!! The CSRM's "Sacramento Southern" line has a 44-tonner in a black/orange "Halloween" looking paint scheme that they use on their Halloween train.

Black Widow is nice...I occasionally catch glimpses of an old Geep in Black Widow colors in Oakland near the Bay Bridge!

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jetrock

Actually, back on the subject, I may have to show this pic to my wife...she is very fond of all things Halloween-related, and her favorite paint scheme to date is SP "Black Widow" but I'm sure she'd love the Halloween scheme too!! The CSRM's "Sacramento Southern" line has a 44-tonner in a black/orange "Halloween" looking paint scheme that they use on their Halloween train.

Black Widow is nice...I occasionally catch glimpses of an old Geep in Black Widow colors in Oakland near the Bay Bridge!

That old Geep is is SP #5623 http://www.ncry.org/roster/d_5623/sp5623.shtml owned by the Pacific Locomotive Association, which operates the Niles Canyon Railway. Go out to Sunol some weekend when they're operating and take a ride. Currently, it's every Sunday. Here's their website: http://www.ncry.org/home.htm

Andre