Help the modern-day NYCS select a livery for its standard cab locos!


mtrpls

Ignorance is Patriotic
OK, many of you know that I have taken much creative license in creating my modern-day New York Central System.

I have always assumed that the railroad would keep its "cigar band" or "bankruptcy black" paint scheme throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Only after the railroad purchased its first widecab locomotives (SD60Ms and Dash 8-40CWs) in the 1990s did the Central re-introduce its famous "lightning stripe" paint scheme, and all widecab power purchased from then on would boast this fancy scheme.

However, I am debating whether or not the Central should re-paint its standard cab power into the new lightning stripe scheme introduced in the 1990s. Standard cab locomotives are getting old, with a limited lifespan, so perhaps the railroad would prefer to keep everything from GP38s to SD40-2s to C40-8s in the cigar band scheme?

I have come up with two versions of a lightning stripe paint scheme, which you can review by clicking the link below. Please see the benefits and drawbacks to each option. Don't laugh, as they are very crude. I cut out the striping and attached them to the locomotive with scotch tape. Like I said, very crude...

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Click here to review paint schemes
 
I like your Option C it gives your modern new your central a corporate history that blends in with the real history of the New York Central.
 
I would use option C and I like the reasons you choose for using it.

Steve
 
How about Option "D".. Like I created a sensable "bridge to the future" scheme with my KATY scheme, think of how the Cigar band might have evolved.. perhaps a cigarband/lightning stripe blend? I'll post an Idea I have for it Thrursday, ok?
 
IMHO I would use the lightening stripe on some and the "cigar" band on others.
Why? It would appear the NYC is repainting some of its units in a new bold "Road To The Future" paint scheme.
I would leave some units "freshly painted" while others would be lightly faded.
 
I like option "A". In option A the stripe would remain the same as on your widecabs. If the real NYC if they were still around why would they change the paint scheme for the standard cabs? They wouldn't have any reason to change the paint scheme for just the standard cabs.
 
I'd say go C, with some in a B/A mix. I like the way the B nose stripe is, then add the lightning stripe portion just behind the cab, so the stripe ends up high on the body?
 
Option D: Use the lightning stripe from Option A surmounted with the cigar band logo on the top half of the nose.
 
IMHO I would use the lightening stripe on some and the "cigar" band on others.
Why? It would appear the NYC is repainting some of its units in a new bold "Road To The Future" paint scheme.
I would leave some units "freshly painted" while others would be lightly faded.

I like that idea, it goes along with what i said about giving the modern NYC some corporate history.
 
Thanks EVERYONE for the awesome comments and suggestions you posted! After several days of thinking about this issue, I have decided to abandon all the schemes presented earlier, and create a new "road to the future" paint scheme that would be distinct from the widecab lightning stripes, while still adhering to the same color scheme with many similarities.

I have decided to leave the old "cigar band" on many standard cab locos that have not been repainted or reshopped, while standard cabs that did get repainted would feature their own unique paint scheme. The scheme I have chosen maintains the same dark gray/light gray as the widecab diesels, features a lightning stripe starting immediately behind the cab, lacks a lightning stripe on the cab and the nose, and features a white face ala "BN whiteface". Also notice the silver trucks, in keeping with their widecab sisters.

The paint scheme is this:

nycs40concept1.jpg


As you can see, the standard cab paint scheme is remarkably similar to the lightning stripe scheme seen on the SD70MACs and other widecabs, but is "less dressy" so to speak and features a white face on the front of the cab. The scheme is very similar to the widecabs and CAN NOT be confused for a different railroad, but it still distinct enough to allow the widecab power to have the "superior" paint scheme with the full-blown lightning stripes on their cabs and noses.

highbridgecloseupsmall.jpg


Additionally, the reasoning for the white face scheme on the standard cabs is simply "SAFETY". These engines will likely be switching cars in yards, serving industries, and traversing dense inner city industrial areas. Visibility is of course a major issue, and there can be added safety in painting the front of the cab white.

Remember, too, that many standard cabs will still bear the old cigar band scheme, so the NYCS roster will be an eclectic mix of old cigar band, new "whiteface" repaints, and of course the full-blown lighting stripe widecab diesels.

So... what do you think!?
 
I like this scheme much better than the other options. Have you considered white cab roofs? That is a common modern practice for crew comfort. I also would not paint the trucks as that is a 'fancy' thing to do, I would reserve that for Wide Cabs only.

Whatever you end up going with, it will make a nice mix of paint schemes.

BTW: Nice photshop job on the paint scheme.
 
I like Fred's idea of reserving the silver trucks for the wide cabs, but you can even add one more element, and say they started to do truck repaints, but gave up due to cost.
 
If you are going to mimic the BN's "whiteface" why not have some fun and do up a couple orange & black tigerstripes as well.... :)
 
I like your ideas about the trucks remaining dark gray, and painting the roof white. I think I will run with that... However, if I paint the roof white on my standard cabs, wouldn't that mean I would have to paint the roofs white on the wide cabs as well? I know it's all up to me in the end, but why would a railroad have a policy of painting white roofs on standards on not wide cabs?

And the tiger stripes? Come on now, what do you think this is, a ZOO!? :D
 
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I think if you put gray stripes on the front of the engine that would look nice. especially in the light of safety, that's a good way to promote it. Rio Grande did that and it looks nice.
http://rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw5354amr.jpg

I think you should also continuw the stripe around the nose of the loco. You could also enlarge the NYCS logo on front, look a little small.
 
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However, if I paint the roof white on my standard cabs, wouldn't that mean I would have to paint the roofs white on the wide cabs as well? I know it's all up to me in the end, but why would a railroad have a policy of painting white roofs on standards on not wide cabs?

Painting the roofs white is a cheap alternative to air conditioning for the standard cab engines. So if your wide cabs had AC from the factory, no white roof is needed... You could also paint future wide cabs with white roofs saying the practice was adopted later when you found it worked well on the standard cabs. You can explain anything when you're in charge :)

I like the grey trucks better. Nice work. I personally am not a fan of the white roof, I just mentioned it because it is a modern practice that would fit in well with what you are doing. I say grey trucks and roof.
 
OK, after looking over my pictures again and comparing them to my models, I realized the gray paint is way off in the pictures. It should have a more greenish tint, so here's yet another picture, color corrected. I think the silver trucks look good now, what do you guys think?

nycs402concept1.jpg
 



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