N&W brass diesels - opinions about custom paint

NW Modeling List nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org
Mon Jan 30 16:11:52 EST 2012


I'd think N&W Blue, Pevler Wabash Blue, is not unlike N&W Red in that there is a lot of room for debate and disagreement as to what is the right shade. Certainly weather and dirt and whether it came on a new locomotive or was repainted over a NKP, WAB, or N&W black unit made for significant variations. When I began painting N&W HO model locomotives in the 1970's (and was able to real ones painted blue regularly up close and in person....at Brewster or Bellevue or when back home in Virginia) I settled on Scalecoat Santa Fe Blue (also Scalecoat II). It's somewhat like my comment on N&W Red......."after a point you need to simply pick the color that best pleases you individually and use it". To me that was Scalecoat Blue. As for Blues used by model manufacturers, I have or have had factory painted N&W Blue diesels by Overland, Oriental Ltd. (Challenger), Athearn RTR, Athearn, Atlas, Intermountain, and others. No two shades are exactly the same............ yet none are really beyond the acceptable prototypical range of shades. To me this is kind of like the real locomotives were. If you look at various units in pictures or movies you'll see what I mean. There are a lot of acceptable shades of "N&W Blue".

Ed Painter: Narrows, VA living in Russellville, AR.

-----Original Message-----
From: nw-modeling-list-bounces at nwhs.org [mailto:nw-modeling-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Modeling List
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 11:05 AM
To: NW Modeling List
Subject: Re: N&W brass diesels - opinions about custom paint


To add to this topic the color that was used back in the day by ALCO and GE was a fleet color. I have had this blue mixed at my local paint store and it matches pictures of engines in the Norfolk and Western book by Mr. Timko. I have it mixed in the Nason brand of paint that is a Dupont brand of paint at a lesser cost. It's an Acrylic Enamel and the paint code is 76547 IE. It was actually a GM fleet truck color from back in the 50's. I have it mixed by the half pint and the last time I had it mixed I had the mixer put twice the amount of white in the mix. This gave it the washed out look of an older painted engine. At that I can remember being next to recently painted engines that were so fresh they reaked of paint smell and one engine could be a darker blue than the one along side of it. The shiny blue paint job is almost a shame to weather it. I hope that this information is of some use. Actually I got it from this site about a year ago when I had the same question.

Regards,
George Keller


---- NW Modeling List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

> Thanks, Ed.

>

> I’d say you’ve clearly answered my questions 1) and 3).

>

> It’s reassuring that the numbers applied are appropriate N&W numbers for the respective models.

>

> Regarding my question 2): I cannot discern whether the SD-40 is painted black or a really dark blue. The blue on the RS-11 seems to be something like the blue that I recall.

>

> Again, I appreciate your reply!

>

> Regards,

> Jerry P.

>

> From: NW Modeling List

> Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 11:55 AM

> To: NW Modeling List

> Subject: RE: N&W brass diesels - opinions about custom paint

>

> I do eBay searches on N&W HO models virtually on a daily basis and had seen these 2 models. Reading your note today I went back and looked them over again. In the past with my model railroad I had 3 each of the ALCO Models/KMT SD-40’s and RS-11’s. I sold them in the mid 90’s. These model’s are state of the art 1970’s brass. They lack good detail and are real difficult to keep running as well as growling like the devil when they do.(I had 30 or so KMT built diesel models of this basic mechanical/electrical design and level of prototype detail that were imported in the late 60’s or 70’s). They collectively were a never ending maintenance project if you wanted to keep them running.

>

>

>

> As for paint N&W 1604 was blue with the ½ moon scheme when delivered from EMD later becoming black NW and may have even received the final N&W black scheme prior to retirement as well s NS. I’d have to go pull 35mm slides to see what 2850 (the number is that of a NKP RS-11)was initially painted after the NKP/WAB/PWV/ACY merger but blue is likely correct. The ALCO model has dynamic brakes that weren’t on the former NKP RS-11’s but it’s other features are relatively close to the NKP prototype.

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> If I recall the starting prices on the models are $129ea? This is pretty high for what these older KMT built models not to mention the quality of the paint.

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> My 10 cents…

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>

>

> Ed Painter; Narrows, VA currently living in Russellville, AR

>

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> From: nw-modeling-list-bounces at nwhs.org [mailto:nw-modeling-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Modeling List

> Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 9:09 PM

> To: NW Modeling List

> Subject: N&W brass diesels - opinions about custom paint

>

>

>

> Hello N&W Modeling List,

>

>

>

> I am interested in your opinions concerning the custom paint on two brass diesels that were recently on eBay.

>

>

>

> My questions are:

>

>

>

> 1) N&W did indeed have these on their roster at one time, right?

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> 2) Are these painted in appropriate colors?

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> 3) Are the numbers applied correct?

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> The eBay item numbers are SD40 120845098759 and RS-11 310372889282. You should be able to copy/paste the items numbers into the eBay search box and find these, now ended, auctions.

>

>

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> I look forward to your replies.

>

> Best regards,

>

> Jerry P.

>

>

>

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