Weekend Update 8/23/15

[SD452XR]

SD452XR:  Thank you.  Those are the first modeler-painted SP&S units I've seen that actually look right.  Most seem to be too yellow.

I've never tried Tru Color paints, and as far as I know, nobody in my area carries them.  I also don't have an airbrush, or room to use one, and haven't heard anyone mention brush painting with them, so hesitate to order any.

Tru Color paint has a lot of great colors. Most of their paint isn't that great for brush painting though. They do make a few paints (basic colors) that are made for brush painting. I did brush paint the grab irons. I had to do it with multiple passes.  It does take a little getting use to. I use a psi of 30-35 to shoot. I also thin 20-25% with their thinner. I am not a fan of their primer. It doesn't stick well. I had paint pull up constantly while masking. I do a really good job of cleaning the model before paint and use powder free latex gloves as well. I finally found something to fix this issue. Adhesion Promoter. You can get it in a spray can at any auto parts store or amazon. It goes on clear. I still use the tru color primer with in a few min of the promoter. The only reason I still use tru color primer is more for a uniform base color.

When I first shot the SP&S green I thought it almost looked black. Once I put dull coat on the models, it really brought out that nice dark green. I am really happy with how they turned out. I painted some CB&Q SD45's with Tru-Color too in the Chinese Red. I'll post some pics of that later today.
Steve

[SD452XR]

The CB&Q had their SD45's delivered in a version of the BN hockey stick paint. I painted mine in the Chinese Red.
Steve





The Adhesion Promoter I use.

[Micke C]

Some background work done.

[Kisatchie]

The CB&Q had their SD45's delivered in a version of the BN hockey stick paint. I painted mine in the Chinese Red.
Steve

Those came out really nice. I always liked the CB&Q red/gray scheme.


Hmm... I prefer the CB&Q
gray/red scheme...

[SD452XR]

Those came out really nice. I always liked the CB&Q red/gray scheme.


Hmm... I prefer the CB&Q
gray/red scheme...

Lookin good. Really like your grass work.

[peteski]

Tru Color paint has a lot of great colors. Most of their paint isn't that great for brush painting though. They do make a few paints (basic colors) that are made for brush painting. I did brush paint the grab irons. I had to do it with multiple passes.  It does take a little getting use to. I use a psi of 30-35 to shoot. I also thin 20-25% with their thinner. I am not a fan of their primer. It doesn't stick well. I had paint pull up constantly while masking. I do a really good job of cleaning the model before paint and use powder free latex gloves as well. I finally found something to fix this issue. Adhesion Promoter. You can get it in a spray can at any auto parts store or amazon. It goes on clear. I still use the tru color primer with in a few min of the promoter. The only reason I still use tru color primer is more for a uniform base color.

Steve

Steve,
if the plastic shell you are painting is made of polystyrene or ABS (which pretty much covers all the N scale shells) and it has an overall neutral color (like light gray) which doesn't clash with the paint color, there is no need for primer. TruColor adheres extremely well to those plastics.  But they have to be absolutely clean and grease and oil free.

If you don't like TruColor primer try Tamiya's Fine gray or white primer. It is expensive but once you used it you will probably never use another primer again.  But again, surface cleanliness is extremely important.

The adhesion promoter should only be needed for parts made from flexible plastic (like Delrin or Celcon).  Items such as handrails.  Personally (to minimize the paint thickenss) I sandblast those items using a Badger blaster with aluminum oxide media then I "prime" them with a thin coat of Pactra paint for polycarbonate RC car bodies.  Then I apply the final coat of TruColor.  That way there is practically no paint buildup on those delicate handrails, yet the paint remains very durable.

[SD452XR]

Like I said, I really give everything a good washing before hand. Dawn dishsoap, warm water and a soft brush. All handling of the shells are with gloves. I am currently working on my NP SD45 fleet. Most are stripped shells. Kato uses different color of plastics. Some of the cabs are yellow some are black. The reason I do a base coat is to have a uniform color to start. I guess I could use any light color for this. Even with the use of my adhesion promoter, I do not get thick layers of paint. As you can see from my locos, even with the layers of paint I use, no details are lost. I use very thin coats of paint. Some of what I do may be considered overkill, but I got sick of having to repaint multiple times because of the paint coming off.  The use of the AP has solved my problems. I am very happy with my results. I'm not trying to say that this is the correct way to do things. I am just saying this is what works for me.

Steve

[jmlaboda - RIP]

Also very nice but I am a fan of the Black Birds...

I model mid to late 70's and the BN merger never happened.

I am wondering though... in your world has the SP&S go through with buying EMD SD45s and SD45-2s?  Would have been a natural extension of their purchases... I have read that the GP38-2s were purchased because the line could not buy any more ALCO C415s though I do not know for sure if this is true.  Dang it... you almost make me want to model an alternate SP&S line instead of my heavy electric and steam roads... almost...

[SD452XR]

I kind of think the SP&S would have went with the SD40-2. Might have to do a couple of those one day too.
Steve

[nkalanaga]

I don't know if the SP&S would have bought SD40-2s.  Other than the C636s, they preferred 4-axle freight locomotives.  Their railroad didn't have much in the way of steep grades, so they really didn't need the lugging power.  The NP and GN had gone almost entirely to 6-axle units by the merger, but the SP&S was still buying 4-axle. (5 changed to six)

If the merger had been a few months later they might have gotten those GP-38s in their own paint, and they would have been seen more widely on the BN.  The Alcos tended to stay on the old SP&S, mostly because other shop crews weren't familiar with them.  CB&Q units were common in Pasco, and the GP-38s travelled widely as BN units.

Those red 45s also look good.  In my opinion the "hockey stick" was fine on a passenger unit, and didn't look bad at all on a matched set of Fs, but looked a little silly on freight engines, and just odd on passenger cars.  The late 70s "business train" green and white, with a straight stripe, looked better for the cars.

Jerry:  Your "Black Birds" would look good with my favorite "what ifs".  Take the early BNSF round herald scheme, and replace the heralds with GN.  Every time I saw one of those I thought about Rocky going back to green and orange, and wondered what they'd look like paired with a modern unit in BSB.

[wazzou]

The NP and GN had gone almost entirely to 5-axle units by the merger, but the SP&S was still buying 4-axle.

Interesting.  So they bought a lot of C Liners then...

[SD452XR]

I don't know if the SP&S would have bought SD40-2s.  Other than the C636s, they preferred 4-axle freight locomotives.  Their railroad didn't have much in the way of steep grades, so they really didn't need the lugging power.  The NP and GN had gone almost entirely to 5-axle units by the merger, but the SP&S was still buying 4-axle.

If the merger had been a few months later they might have gotten those GP-38s in their own paint, and they would have been seen more widely on the BN.  The Alcos tended to stay on the old SP&S, mostly because other shop crews weren't familiar with them.  CB&Q units were common in Pasco, and the GP-38s travelled widely as BN units.

Those red 45s also look good.  In my opinion the "hockey stick" was fine on a passenger unit, and didn't look bad at all on a matched set of Fs, but looked a little silly on freight engines, and just odd on passenger cars.  The late 70s "business train" green and white, with a straight stripe, looked better for the cars.

Jerry:  Your "Black Birds" would look good with my favorite "what ifs".  Take the early BNSF round herald scheme, and replace the heralds with GN.  Every time I saw one of those I thought about Rocky going back to green and orange, and wondered what they'd look like paired with a modern unit in BSB.

I was thinking of the SD40-2 as a replacement/ supplement for the C636. In the 70's as trains were getting heavier and fuel getting more expensive, so my thought was along those routes. If it wasn't going to be the SD40-2, maybe the GP40-2. I could picture either one being used more on the route south to the WP then along the Columbia River line. I just wish someone would come out with the C636.
Steve

[craigolio1]

Well, its not N-scale.  Not even close.  It is a 1/32 scale tugboat kit that I modified to look like one of the Lackawanna's Consolidation class diesel tugs from the late 1950's.  I am currently adding the electrical gear to move this thing around the pond.  I couldn't have done it without the help of Bryan Bussey and his skills.  He made the font for the boats lettering and printed the decals for me.  This project was my savior while I was recovering from my brain tumor.  I didn't have the physical ability to work on trains in N or HO scale.  For whatever reason, I was able to work on this boat.  One day I would like to model the EL tug fleet in N-scale but for now, it is back to the trains since my recovery is going well.

Scott Lupia

Scott,

Beautiful model and I'm glad to hear your improving.

Craig

[sirenwerks]

I kind of think the SP&S would have went with the SD40-2. Might have to do a couple of those one day too.
Steve

I would think U25Bs and U30Bs would be the way the SP&S went.  Although GP40s with former FA/RS unit trucks might be neat too.

[nkalanaga]

The GP40-2 would be a likely candidate for the Inside Gateway.  The WP favored 4-axle units, and any units bought by the SP&S would almost have to run with them.  After the BN merger we saw a fair number of WP units in Pasco, and a few SP, which connected with the Inside Gateway in southern Oregon.  The SP were almost all tunnel motors, and seem to run through to at least Spokane, while the WP units didn't go beyond Pasco.  For all I know the SP may have come from Portland, and not up the Inside Gateway at all.

Interestingly, for those not familiar with Northwest railroads, the section from Bend, OR to Bieber, CA was owned by the GN.  So even though most locals called it all "the SP&S", there were actually three railroads on the Inside Gateway.  The GN also used mostly 4-axle locomotives on their section.

According to Four Ways West's "GN Color Pictorial Vol 2" the GN also leased two Alco C636 demonstrators in October of 1969 - after Alco was out of the locomotive business.  I assume they were for the Inside Gateway, because the GN had long since gotten rid of their Alco road units, and I can't imagine them wanting to lease two orphans for main system.  If the merger hadn't gone through, I wonder if these would have been transferred to the SP&S?

Wazzou:  tired fingers in the dark can do wonderous things - as in "wonder how they did that?"...  I fixed it.  Thank you.  Talking about 4 and 6, then throwing in a 5, could be very confusing.