Monon Passenger colors?

[SkipGear]

I'm trying to help a customer at the shop do some research. She is new to modeling but not afraid to jump in with both feet. She has decided to model Monon so really has no choice but to jump in and start painting equipment as there are hardly any Monon loco's and none in the passenger scheme which she wants to start with.

Does anybody have any suggestions for the red to use on the passenger loco's and cars?

[thomasjmdavis]

There is a little info on their historical society site-

http://www.monon.org/paint.html

I've used both SF red (badger in my case), and Testor's acrylic red (I know, but they really don't look bad).  My personal opinion is that Monon red fades just a bit toward orange (rather than maroon)- which would be a consideration for a car not just out of the paintshop.

Another issue is decals- surprised me, but I've never found a source for Monon passenger car decals in N scale.  The numbering is easy enough- I've been using numbers and the circle logos from Monon locomotive sets.  But the red Monon letterboard lettering I had to do myself on a printer, but they came out more maroon than real red.

[chessie system fan]

The passenger paint scheme is the school colors of Indiana university.  The freight scheme is Purdue. 

[SkipGear]

Thanks for the info on the red.

As far as decals, she just bought out Walthers of the diesel passenger sets to use what she could for the cars and the loco she just bought to repaint. If all else fails, I have an Alps and can take care of the red lettering. I don't think she is as picky about the cars. She is just going to paint some of the Bachmann smooth sides when they become available. It is something to fill in while waiting for the unlikely possability that actual Monon passenger equipment is made.

[chessie system fan]

I believe the old atlas/RR rpo baggage is a monon car rebuilt from a ww2 hospital car.  I think?

[cjm413]

Thanks for the info on the red.

As far as decals, she just bought out Walthers of the diesel passenger sets to use what she could for the cars and the loco she just bought to repaint. If all else fails, I have an Alps and can take care of the red lettering. I don't think she is as picky about the cars. She is just going to paint some of the Bachmann smooth sides when they become available. It is something to fill in while waiting for the unlikely possability that actual Monon passenger equipment is made.

The Atlas/Rivarossi Baggage-RPO is based on a Monon prototype.

[nkalanaga]

Is Walthers making decals again, or are these from somebody else, and just sold/distributed by Walthers?

Many years ago they had N scale decals, at least some for roads that, to my knowledge, have never been offered by anyone else.

[thomasjmdavis]

Since I think I have all I need, I can part with a small secret- what I have been using for Monon passenger cars are the old Des Plaines kits for Shasta Daylight cars.  The window patterns are not identical, but the window size and shape and general look of the cars are similar.  Last time I was at Des Plaines Hobbies, they still had one or two of the coach kits in the sale box, and they come up on eBay now and then.  I have considered kitbashing the sides into something more accurate, not sure yet if I will go that route.

Also note that Monon 75, a heavyweight parlor car, can be kitbashed from a couple of MT parlors- just replacing some of the windows- the Monon car was all seats with no drawing room.

At any rate, wish her the best of luck on her project, and make sure she knows about Jerry's photo site, and N scale Varnish group.

[cjm413]

Here's a RTR Monon passenger locomotive:

http://www.atlasrr.com/Images/NLocomotives/nc420/1109/40000204_TQ.jpg

[jmlaboda]

Since I think I have all I need, I can part with a small secret- what I have been using for Monon passenger cars are the old Des Plaines kits for Shasta Daylight cars.  The window patterns are not identical, but the window size and shape and general look of the cars are similar.  Last time I was at Des Plaines Hobbies, they still had one or two of the coach kits in the sale box, and they come up on eBay now and then.  I have considered kitbashing the sides into something more accurate, not sure yet if I will go that route.

Nice to know I was not the only one that considered slicing and dicing SP coaches to achieve nearly accurate Monon cars... an idea also good for doing the early Alaska RR streamlined cars, which also had the similar window sizes used.  Probably the biggest thing to consider is if a modeler was wanting to do the extra work to get the rivets and the ends right, which would be a bit of an effort to say the least.  For unique equipment it is definitely the way to go... even for a freelanced line it would be possible to create some interesting cars... just don't know if I would want to consider this (both ARR and Monon had very old cars in use when the hospital ward conversions were rebuilt, meaning that their particular rosters would greatly benefit from the "new" cars, where as my freelanced lines would not have the same need, with many cars being newer than either of those roads... so such likely won't be considered).

One thing to keep in mind... the trucks on these cars were not the trucks used on many heavyweights, which is a common error modelers make when trying to model these cars.  The trucks were a newer versions of the earlier trucks with some detail definitely being different.  I think DPM has these available but can't seem to find them easily on their site...

[thomasjmdavis]

Jerry, I think it may have been you who gave me the idea about 5 or 10 years ago, on N scale Varnish.  I know we briefly discussed it a few months ago as well- but at the time I was in the middle of bidding on several of the cars on eBay and didn't want to draw too much attention.

This (if I remember how to insert the photo) is an in progress (needs a bit of touch up) of an SP 38 seat coach w/ crew room, painted for Monon-

[thomasjmdavis]

Take 2
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[jmlaboda]

That's a nice coach!!!

[UP4-8-8-4]

Here's a post I did on nScale.net of my Monon collection.
The crimson red & grey passenger, the gold & black passenger, other diesels and steamers as well as freight cars.
Since pics was taken I have added more freight cars and several more cabooses, one being Shapeways bay-window copula caboose that only the Monon owned.

http://www.nscale.net/forums/showthread.php?18849-Show-us-your-locomotives!&p=245907#post245907

Ernie

[Roger Holmes]

Ernie-- The depth, breadth and quality of your Monon roster is exceptional!