Proto 2K Loco owners: Have you painted or planning to paint your engine crew?

[AntonioFP45]

Hello Crew .

Just a "Modeling Idea" to consider when you're in the Paint Detailing mood. I was curious if any of you have painted your diesel locomotive crews in Proto or any other line.

Check this out: www.brifayle.ca

The P2Ks are great looking locomotives but the crew is molded in black. I'm going to paint my crews but want to use a variety of "clothes colors"for the engineer and fireman in each diesel unit.

Even as a kid I remember that most of the locomotive engineers I saw didn't wear the traditional blue or striped overalls like the crews on steamers. The typical engineer I saw wore jeans or khakis with either "golf style" polo shirts or button up short sleeve shirts like office workers in the summer.

Back in 1979 I remember one engineer on the Amtrak Silver Star wearing slacks and a tie! ( He sure commanded the female passengers' attention at the station when he got off the SDP40f! ). Another engineer, Randall Hodge, seemed to favor a button up white shirt. Almost always though, these locomotive engineers wore some type of safety shoe.

I have a variety of Acrylic paints and tiny paint brushes. Going to "give it a whirl". I plan on painting at least one engineer with a white shirt as this color stands out. I have a couple of cheap, unpainted figures that I'm going to practice on first.

Hope those of you with crews give it a shot!

[Anonymous]

Painted my BL2 crew last week. Since it's for a late fifties layout though, I gave em both white shirts and blue jackets. It really is amazing though how much difference it makes when you see that engine go by and it's crew has some color to it! [:D]

[tomwatkins]

Painting them makes a huge difference. A coat of light gray spray primer ( I use Floquil) gives a good base and makes the details much easier to see and paint.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[rrinker]

Yeah they are really inconsistent with that stuff - I have 3 GP-7's, non-painted crews (and installed the wrong way, Reading ran them long hood forward, so I have to pop them out and turn them around), but my S1 has a painted crew.

[Anonymous]

I haven't painted them yet, someday I might.

off topic: rrinker, I see your modeling the RDG's East Penn Branch, what section of it are you doing?

[rrinker]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dougal

I haven't painted them yet, someday I might.

off topic: rrinker, I see your modeling the RDG's East Penn Branch, what section of it are you doing?

Hopefully the whole thing, Allentown to Reading. Allentown will be in staging though, I'm not building a hump yard. Been there, done that with the club I belonged to (even worked, too, my favorite place during open houses). On the other hand, I may go more proto-freelance, kind of like Bill Gruber, and just keep a Reading 'flavor' because the East Penn is quite boring from a switching standpoint. Or include parts of other sections, although since my space is long and narrow it's hard to have multiple lines coming out at different angles.

[Anonymous]

That section of trackage (which is now Norfolk Southern's Reading Line) is one of my favorite areas to head to on railfanning trips.

[Anonymous]

Sure do. With every decoder installation. Its just a natural, as long as the shell is off!

[Anonymous]

I have always wanted to paint the crew in my E8s. I should say have a friend paint them, she is good at it. I not.

[dave9999]

I pulled the crew out of my P2K Gp-7 and painted them.... now I'm having a terrible time getting them back in place. That is a small area and the Geeps crew is mounted to the shell, unlike the F units where the crew sits on the chassis. Dave

[bogp40]

I pulled the crew out of my P2K Gp-7 and painted them.... now I'm having a terrible time getting them back in place. That is a small area and the Geeps crew is mounted to the shell, unlike the F units where the crew sits on the chassis. Dave

Dave, try small curved needle nose or tweezers padded w/ bit of cloth or paper towel- Don't want to wreck the fresh painted crew.
Bob K.

[Anonymous]

I still have to paint the crew in my SD60M. I'm not sure if I will though. I have the trucks and underframe all weathered nicely so I'd hate to take the shell off and ruin it.

[rrinker]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dave9999

I pulled the crew out of my P2K Gp-7 and painted them.... now I'm having a terrible time getting them back in place. That is a small area and the Geeps crew is mounted to the shell, unlike the F units where the crew sits on the chassis. Dave

Yes, a small tweezer should do it. I had a hard time getting mine back in a GP-7 as well. Eventually I gave up and set it aside. A week later I picked it back up and it just dropped right into place. If you get frustrated, it just gets MORE difficult and never works. Put it down, walk away, and do something else.

[darth9x9]

I usually cut most of them out as there wouldn't be engineers in all 5 locos in a consist.

[AntonioFP45]

Darth 9x9 brings up a good point. Makes this forum a good "tool-for-thoughts"

If one has more than one locomotive in the same road that will be used in MU, then it might not be a bad idea to have crews in only one or two units.

So if for example, one has 5 Chicago & North Western engines that are used regularly in MU lashups of 3 or more, than perhaps two of the units should have crews while the other three don't as the locomotives with the crews will be used for other assignments as single units.

It might be a bit of a hassle, but one can also take off the shells and remove/install the engineer and fireman if the particular unit will be used in the same type of service repeatedly.

As for switchers, because they often work alone it might not be a bad idea to leave the crew inside, painted of course.

Way to go Darth!

[CP5415]

This is a fantastic idea.
However since only my Proto units have a crew, I've decided not to paint any of the interior at this time.
As soon as I get around to doing something with my Athearn units, I might decide to paint the Proto units.

Gordon

[AntonioFP45]

CP5415,

Do you have Genesis series Athearns with the interiors in them? Another option would be to buy Preiser figures in sitting positions that could be used as engineers and firemen on diesels.

[Anonymous]

WHAT!!!! Bring diversity and color to our mono chromatic plastic universe? Sacrelige and blasphemy. Where are the fashion police when we need them. Next thing we'll have to put (paint) white socks on our crews. When will it end!!!!
Will ... obviously I have neglected mine .....to date, yes I know you're watching!

[Darth Santa Fe]

I painted the crew in my SD60 about half a year ago. I painted the faces and hands light tan, painted the suits blue, the hair brown and left the shoes black. I also painted the seats brown.

[Rotorranch]

As long as I'm not in too big of a hurry to run a new loco, I'll sit down at the bench and paint the crew when new. Otherwise, I'll paint them when I take the shell off again later.

It makes a big difference over the MIB guys running the train from the factory! [:D]

Rotor

[Anonymous]

If I have a engine for operating perposes, I paint the crew and leave them in. My other engines that are only used on the club layout usually will get a lead unit with a half open window and the engineer will be hanging his arm out of the window, it looks pretty neat. The rest of the engines that I only run MU'd with the lead get the crews removed and I model the sunshades In the down position. A great example of this would be my WM GP-35, GP-9, GP-35 and GP-30. The last 3 are all modeled sunshades down and crewless, while the lead geep-35 runs with a Engineer and a fireman inside the cab.

[AntonioFP45]

Quick Observation.

Prior to painting the figures wipe them clean with alcohol, then very lightly scuff them up with a Scotch or Scuff Pad. Helps the paint adhere to the smooth plastic surface.

[oleirish]

I used to paint my people,but now buy them allready painted,even with my bi-focals I can't see real good,but yes my steamers will all have crews.
JIM

[BRAKIE]

Antonio,I remove the figures from my Atlas engines and removed them from my former P2K units.and pitch 'em in the trash can.I also remove the cab's side glass regardless of brand.[:D].

[AntonioFP45]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE

Antonio,I remove the figures from my Atlas engines and removed them from my former P2K units.and pitch 'em in the trash can.

----------Hmmmmmm. O.K sounds like a good place for them if it makes you happy.............. I guess to each his own.

QUOTE: I also remove the cab's side glass regardless of brand..

----O.K, open cab window. On my P2K hood units, I plan on cutting open only the forward-half of the window glass as I've seen engineers on prototypes with just that front glass slid open. I don't want to open the windows on all of my units since on occasions they'll be used as trailing units in an MU lashup. Prototype railroad crews tend to close windows and doors on trailing units.