Chessie Paint Scheme


D

dpeterson3

Member
I am going to start building a locomotive shortly. I want to do it up in this paint scheme.
http://www.bullsheet.com/key-to-symbols/CS_6627_1.JPG
I have an IHC Pacific that has that paint scheme on it only the top of the loco is blue. I can't seem to find a picture at the moment. I am just curious why this engine has the paint scheme it does. I always thought it was prototypic, but I looked into it and learned the Chessie system was not formed until the steam was gone. I know the engine is mean to be Chessie and not just C&O because the tender has Chessie System with the Kitty logo on it.
 
dpeterson3 said:
I am going to start building a locomotive shortly. I want to do it up in this paint scheme.
http://www.bullsheet.com/key-to-symbols/CS_6627_1.JPG
I have an IHC Pacific that has that paint scheme on it only the top of the loco is blue. I can't seem to find a picture at the moment. I am just curious why this engine has the paint scheme it does. I always thought it was prototypic, but I looked into it and learned the Chessie system was not formed until the steam was gone. I know the engine is mean to be Chessie and not just C&O because the tender has Chessie System with the Kitty logo on it.
Click to expand...

I used to live in a development adjacent to the B&O (Chesie) line from Philly. Back in 1977, I observed the Chessie Steam Safety Special proceeding toward Baltimore, pulled by a Reading T1 4-8-4; painted in contemporary Chessie system colors. I believe they also used a C&O engine painted the same way in other locations. So the Chessie colors on steam is correct, but not on a Pacific (4-6-2) type.
 
I knew they did up the 1201 in Chessie colors, but that was for promotional purposes. My Pacific is USRA design, and I don't know of any Chessie steamers from before WWII that were used. I thought all the specials were 4-8-x style locos. Just as a note, ICS advertised another loco with the same paint scheme as mine, only it was a Mikado instead of a Pacific. I have yet to see a Pacific identical to mine. Maybe mine was a factory error?
 
dpeterson3 said:
I knew they did up the 1201 in Chessie colors, but that was for promotional purposes. My Pacific is USRA design, and I don't know of any Chessie steamers from before WWII that were used. I thought all the specials were 4-8-x style locos. Just as a note, ICS advertised another loco with the same paint scheme as mine, only it was a Mikado instead of a Pacific. I have yet to see a Pacific identical to mine. Maybe mine was a factory error?
Click to expand...

Not a factory error, not accurate either. IHC produced a lot of non-protypical products, because they sold. It helps the bottom line.

The B&O Museum has the last remaining USRA 2-8-2 and 4-6-2 locomotives operated by the B&O. They are displayed in B&O passenger and freight colors as applied. The last steam operation on the B&O was in the late 1950s to my knowledge, other than the specials with larger power.
 
It's what we call a "foobie". :) An engine either painted in colors that that engine never had or for a road than never ran that type of engine. That engine was part of a train set, and people bought it because it looked pretty, not because they had any understanding if the engine was prototypical. That's very common with trainset engines, and some other models as well. Tyco, Model Power, and IHC/AHM were well known for this. Just go ahead and run it for an excursion engine and don't worry about if it's exactly prototypical. Hardly anyone else will know either.
 
It will deffinately continue to run. That engine is one of my best haulers and can handle track cleaning without any problems. Most of the stuff I run isn't prototypic as it is (I love running my cab forward with a string of doublestacks). I was just curious. I think I will still paint the engine I want to build that way. I really do like how it looks. Black is nice, but I like color better.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top