Kato Tweaks UP Yellow

[peteski]

peteski,

did someone notice this in the pre-production photos as well?  My report is about the latest (last month) re-run of
GEVO's....

As I said, it's not a dramatic change, but definitely is a change.

Nevermind.  I thought there was some mention of the  Business Car Train. I thought there might have been pre-production photos. 

[EspeeGoldenState]

Nevermind.  I thought there was some mention of the  Business Car Train. I thought there might have been pre-production photos. 

Not trying to stray from the original topic of 5353 and other GEVOs colors but...

There has been photos, even on the the Kato website.....

http://www.katousa.com/N/FEF/pics/ET-Kenefick.jpg
http://www.katousa.com/N/FEF/pics/ET-PowerCar1.jpg
http://www.katousa.com/N/FEF/pics/ET-PowerCar2.jpg

The colors in the pictures don't look far off from the CoLA cars and other cars that I have, and yes there is shade differences on those, but there is also shade differences on the prototype.

If you are going to judge before them come out, then you were just looking for an excuse. It's like saying I'll pass on the 844 as the wheels aren't all the same color, and details are missing.

Chris

[ljudice]

I agree - and it's a subtle enough difference it is really only visible under certain light, etc....

I just thought it was interesting....   The 5353 error though is more annoying.....

[Leggy]

Now that's quite obvious....Kato got it fairly right on the passenger stuff, why'd they have to keep tweaking it?

[ljudice]

On further squinting, that observation car may well be the same color as the 5515.  I found some bodyshell components in the junk bin of an even lighter yellow from an old SD40-2 shell.

I need to forget this at this point before I go nuts....   

[EspeeGoldenState]

I guess I'm not that much of a rivet counter, I can handle the little bit of difference. Heck its not like its the Fox Valley BNSF GEVOs that were bright orange or even the Fox Valley UP 7400 that the ribbon looked more purple than pink. I was quite disappointed in that as I had planned on getting one.

Chris

[ljudice]

I guess I'm not that much of a rivet counter, I can handle the little bit of difference. Heck its not like its the Fox Valley BNSF GEVOs that were bright orange or even the Fox Valley UP 7400 that the ribbon looked more purple than pink. I was quite disappointed in that as I had planned on getting one.

Chris

I agree - it's a whole different discussion but I think I only noticed this because I was looking at them at my desk which has warmer lighting than the layout.

[flight2000]

I guess I'm not that much of a rivet counter, I can handle the little bit of difference. Heck its not like its the Fox Valley BNSF GEVOs that were bright orange or even the Fox Valley UP 7400 that the ribbon looked more purple than pink. I was quite disappointed in that as I had planned on getting one.

Chris

Actually it's the other way around.  FVM originally released a more subdued orange compared to Kato's bright orange that set all the BNSF groupies hair on fire...   The "internet experts" said FVM was wrong and basically set Matt on fire, so he went and tweaked his paint even though he had an actual paint chip for the right color.  Go figure...I actually preferred his first batch over Kato's choice. 

I'll give Kato some credit, at least they fixed the CSX lightening bolt on the latest ES44's...   

Cheers,
Brian

[C855B]

... actual paint chip for the right color. ...

This is an ongoing problem in model railroading. The "actual color" frequently doesn't look right... at all... in the context of indoor lighting on scale models. Also, given the wide variations in color temperature in consumer lighting, what may be OK for MRR #1 is going be OMG! wrong on MRR #2's layout. The manufacturers likely use the graphics industry standard of 5000K lighting in Munsell N8 (neutral) gray viewing booths, which certainly isn't going to be the 2800K (or so) incandescent or equivalent "warm" lighting usually at home. Frankly, to that end I am implementing warm (3000K) lighting in my layout room, even though I know the difference, as I find a whole room full of 5000K somewhat glaring and uncomfortable. But to each their own.

I think we have had discussions here that PRR DGLE is especially vulnerable to variations in color temperature. I may not be recalling correctly, but I think somebody here noted that a real DGLE color chip appeared nearly black in common indoor lighting conditions. So we have to play tricks with the colors to make the models match what our mind thinks is "right".

Anyway, this problem plays again and again with that BNSF orange, and Armour Yellow. Kato's problem is they keep mucking with it, probably trying to respond to complaints. The only UP yellow "interpretation" I find just wrong is the brownish shade BLI has been using lately.

[ljudice]

This fits with my impression - I only noticed this when I turned a warm desk lamp on...

The whole layout lighting color temp is a good topic for the main forum...

- Lou

[Leggy]

FVM also did the Maersk GP60M with the correct Maersk blue used and it appeared too dark so they ended up doing a second run with a lighter blue. Colour doesn't scale too well....

[EspeeGoldenState]

Actually it's the other way around.  FVM originally released a more subdued orange compared to Kato's bright orange that set all the BNSF groupies hair on fire...   The "internet experts" said FVM was wrong and basically set Matt on fire, so he went and tweaked his paint even though he had an actual paint chip for the right color.  Go figure...I actually preferred his first batch over Kato's choice. 

For whatever reason I was thinking it was FVM that was wrong, apologies, it's been a good spell since I've been in the LHS where he has plenty of that bright orange units as well as 7400.

Too bad Matt probably wont rerun 7400 with a better looking ribbon.

I guess I just have sour taste left in my mouth with FVM, my IAIS 513's motor sounded like a coffee grinder, although my NS 8098 was fine other than the dim ditchlights on both. Never could figure out what the problem 513 was and dealer traded me for a new one as it was like that out of the box.

Club mate has 3 of the NS heritage units and they run fine, and just as smooth as Kato.

Edit ~ And I'm by no means trying to bash FVM/Matt at all, I like my two N scale GEVOs, and will probably purchase his HO GP60s in SP/UP when they come out.

Anyways, back to the OP.

Chris

[up1950s]

The problem the humans have with UP and their yellow will probably go on for ever  .

1 ... The UP contributed to the problem by changing their yellow a few times .

2 ... Given photos are taken at sunset and sunrise that more orange glow makes the paint appear more orange .

3 ... Then there are those red rocks and dirt , not only does it cast a glow just being there , its dust on the paint affects what we see .

Having said all that , I feel the manufacturers are still killing the potential market by making them too orange too often .

[robert3985]

Being a confirmed rivet counter and a diehard U.P. modeler, two decades ago I went to extremes to find the "correct" U.P. colors (Armour Yellow, Harbor Mist Gray) by spraying various brands' colors over a primer base, then taking my samples down to the Riverdale Yard and comparing them to real engines parked there between noon and 2:00PM on a May day. 

My findings were that Scalecoat II had the best color as well as a nice shiny finish for newly painted U.P. colors.

However, on really weathered faded engines, Floquil was the best Armour Yellow, even to its flat finish.

Harbor Mist Gray was different on most faded engines with a combination of dust, grime, exhaust fume coating and fading due to sunlight or heat.  Location on the engine also made differences.

Later, as I got into modeling specific U.P. engines, cabooses and passenger equipment using photos as references, it became obvious that there were many variations in the prototype colors depending on where the equipment was shopped, its usage, and how long it'd been since the last shopping, with photos containing images of several pieces of equipment supposedly painted the same colors showing obvious variations.

The conclusion that I came to regarding various manufacturers' versions of U.P. colors is that (within certain parameters) the variations in equipment color in N-scale on my layout doesn't bother me anymore, since there are similar variations in the "real world".

With the addition of weathering, the differences become less obvious...even just a bit of weathering with an airbrush or chalks makes a huge difference in the overall appearance, and individual color differences start to look much more acceptable and prototypical.

Just sayin'....

[EspeeGoldenState]

I'm sure what I'm about to ask is probably ludicrous to some, but I don't want to go the brass route yet (if ever).

I plan on converting my Dome-Lounge tailcar from the Kato CoLA set into a UPP 9009 City of San Francisco. Mainly I would have to remove the side lights and of course the neon light and plan on just filling that back in with styrene  and a diaphragm, as well as probably shaving the rear light off.

What is the best paint match for the set?

Chris