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"fantasy" paint schemes on locomotives

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  • Member since
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  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, January 13, 2023 12:34 AM

csxns
Kevin that is one great looking locomotive.

Thank you Russell.

It is one of two locomotives I used for my unpublished article about detail painting for emphasis.

I hope everyone understood the tounge-in-cheek nature of my post.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Friday, January 13, 2023 7:10 AM

SeeYou190

I know what you guy mean about how frustrating these "Fantasy Schemes" can be.

Just look at this model of SGRR locomotive 508:

-Photograph by Kevin Parson

The prototype for this locomotive had center side louver stampings that were only 17-3/8 of an inch because of a misplaced stamping die in the factory that assembled the doors. The (poorly researched and innacurate) model has the louvers modeled in a scale 17-27/64 of an inch.

I don't understand why they couldn't get this detail right with just a little bit of research.

However, that detail is correct for locomotive number 505, but 505 had the bell positioned 3/16 of an inch off-center on the short hood.

Thus, this model has the right bell position for 508, but the correct louvers for 505. This is unforgiveable.

These fantasy schemes simply need to stop. It is ruining the hobby.

-Kevin

 

Love your sense of humor.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by Water Level Route on Friday, January 13, 2023 11:41 AM

ATLANTIC CENTRAL
Love your sense of humor.

+1

Mike

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Posted by fwright on Saturday, January 14, 2023 9:36 AM

For some reason, a couple of my locomotives have that brass color fantasy scheme.  You know, that universal scheme applied by most model manufacturers who couldn't be bothered to research the correct colors.  Most of mine have since been "weathered" with spots of tarnish.  And the paint shop can never get around to fixing them.

Fred W

 

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, January 14, 2023 10:05 AM

fwright
A couple of my locomotives have that brass color fantasy scheme.

I wonder if I could get away with saying this is the standard SGRR steam locomotive paint scheme.

-Photograph by Kevin Parson

It sure is a fancy-looking scheme!

-Kevin

Living the dream.

DrW
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Posted by DrW on Saturday, January 14, 2023 10:57 AM

John-NYBW

498671001948uehgyopo818048571.jpg (1564×1024) (american-rails.com)

They say there is a prototype for everything. It seems that is true for unpainted brass locos. 

Actually this is a CB&Q Northern that was gold plated to help celebrate a couple of anniversaries being celebrated in 1964.

 

Well, Fred and Kevin, here is your prototype.

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, January 15, 2023 10:37 PM

Wasn't there a 'gold' CB&Q Pacific, too?

Getting back to B&O, what about GM50?

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, January 15, 2023 10:42 PM

Overmod
Wasn't there a 'gold' CB&Q Pacific, too?

How about silver? Although a 4-6-4.

 Timken_Rods_Fig. 6. by Edmund, on Flickr

Overmod
Getting back to B&O, what about GM50?

 Camden Station, Baltimore, MD -- One of Five Photos of this Fantrip by Marty Bernard, on Flickr

 

 A Runby at Aberdeen, MD -- One of Five Photos of this Fantrip by Marty Bernard, on Flickr

 Gold painted GP40-2 #GM50, Harpers Ferry, WV 05 Nov 72PS by Rick Wright, on Flickr

 Thomas Underwood Coll B&O569 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr

Regards, Ed

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 11:56 AM

As a rule I'm not a fan of fantasy paint schemes but I have to admit there's some out there that look pretty cool. 

"If the New York Central never had a Mohawk in the Pacemaker scheme maybe they should have!"

So much so I'm considering doing a steam locomotive in a fantasy New Jersey Transit scheme, postulating an NJT "pet" steam locomotive for excursions, say in the original NJT "Bluebird" scheme.  But I'm not in a rush.   

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 12:30 PM

Flintlock76
In the original NJT "Bluebird" scheme. But I'm not in a rush.

That sounds like it would look great.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by doctorwayne on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 12:43 PM

I would consider most of my HO locomotives, steam or diesel, to be in "fantasy" paint schemes, simply because very few of them are based on real ones.

I have a bunch of these, which might be similar to some prototypes, but the paint scheme and lettering is pure fantasy...

Likewise for these....

...and likewise for these...

There are a bunch more, but I do have a few that are non-fantasy...

These two are the first few that got a proper TH&B paint job...

I eventually made (and painted) 66 TH&B diesels, both geeps and switchers, when Atlas finally released their more-to-scale diesels (narrower hoods than the Athearn models) in TH&B colours, followed shortly by similar ones from (I think) Walthers.

Wayne

 

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Posted by Great Northern Fan 54 on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 11:34 AM

I personally wouldn't have minded them if they hadn't clogged up HO Collector's website for advertisements for their crap. 

For some reason, HO Collector now advertises "future collectibles" which are those stupid "Limited Edition" Novelties.

 

I come to HO Collector to read about weird stuff like the Lionel Coil Car, not some tacky "Blackbonnet F7" made by Broadway. 

 

The closest thing to a fantasy scheme that I like are the weird John Deere paint schemes Athearn applied on some models. The John Deere Genesis F7 would not be a bad basis for a freelance passenger railroad.

 

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 9:22 AM

The only fantasy schemes I didn't care for were the political ones done during the 2020 election cycle.  As far as I'm concerned politics should be kept OUT of model railroading, this should be a "neutral ground" where all are welcome.  Politics has a habit of turning normally laid-back people into werewolves. 

But then if those who made those political engines made money on them who am I to judge?   

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Posted by Great Northern Fan 54 on Thursday, January 26, 2023 3:06 PM

Flintlock76

The only fantasy schemes I didn't care for were the political ones done during the 2020 election cycle.  As far as I'm concerned politics should be kept OUT of model railroading, this should be a "neutral ground" where all are welcome.  Politics has a habit of turning normally laid-back people into werewolves. 

But then if those who made those political engines made money on them who am I to judge?   

 

 

I 100% agree, I would rather not think about the chance that my money may go to a politician I disagree with since usually if a company is running political rolling stock, it's because they support the politician.

 

I'm looking at you MTH

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Friday, January 27, 2023 10:19 AM

Great Northern Fan 54
I'm looking at you MTH

In all fairness MTH covered both sides, I've seen the examples.  Which were the better sellers I have no idea and don't care to know.  I still don't like it though.

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, January 27, 2023 2:59 PM

I come to HO Collector to read about weird stuff like the Lionel Coil Car, not some tacky "Blackbonnet F7" made by Broadway.

The issue there is that Rapido already demonstrated the self-fulfilling expensive limited-production collectible craze with that black Amtrak E8.  And the Broadway F unit is a toy train with a toy-train origin history!

I take it you're not in the market for the ES44... which adds to the consternation by being the foobie Heritage unit of a foobie ATSF scheme (itself a foobie in a different sense until BNSF does Heritage units!)

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Posted by Flagman515 on Sunday, January 29, 2023 8:13 PM

tstage

You'll find those who like 'em and those who don't care for 'em.  I'm somewhat of a purist so I'm in the latter camp.  I do like the look of the P5 boxcab though.

If a particular fantasy paint scheme on a prototype locomotive appeals to you and that's what you would enjoy running on your layout - go for it!  Who cares what others think...

Tom

I whole heartedly agree with you. Like Steve Brown said "I.M.R.R."! Personally I would LOVE to get my hands on the Blue Fantasy Scheme Norfolk & Western Y6B steam engine.

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Posted by NittanyLion on Monday, January 30, 2023 11:10 AM

Overmod
The issue there is that Rapido already demonstrated the self-fulfilling expensive limited-production collectible craze with that black Amtrak E8

Although Amtrak did that when they painted the thing in the first place.

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Posted by GN24 on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 9:58 AM

I specialize in custom models. I have a lot of experience with fantasy paint schemes and I find it cool to modify the locomotives.

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Posted by n012944 on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 5:58 PM

I hate foobies.  I would never knowingly own one.  That being said, this is a large hobby, and there is more than enough ways for everyone to enjoy it.  Just because it is not my thing does not mean people who like them should not enjoy them.

An "expensive model collector"

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