Rock Island's new 2007 Paint Scheme


Macjet,

I'd love to see the photos of you on the 4354. Ahhh, yes, I remember when between 1974 & 1980 when I was befriended by the local crews and they let me ride the switching locomotives while they did their work. So many excellent memories....
 
Macjet...

drop the rock island letters....move the sheild where the "ro" was at and that should look good....
 
I think I've settled on a design for my post-bankrupt blue RI paint scheme. I have modified the nose strip to match the old design off of the solid maroon paint schemes. This paint job will be assumed to have been a 1985 roll out.

The hardest part to paint I assume will be the narrow black stripe and the white nose stripes.

Now I need to decide what brand of locomotive to buy. I'm leaning towards a pair of Athearn engines but I'm still not sure. Any input would be appreciated.
 
I hadn't thought of a marker. I was more concerned with the time involved in masking off such a narrow strip.
 
I'd say just pick up a package of Microscale "Parallel stripes" decals in black. $5 for the pack should cover 3-4 units.
 
Thanks. That will make it a lot easier.

Jbaakko, you're a big engine guy, what do you think of the Athearn products? My comparison would be to Proto 2000 since that is all that I currently own outside of some 20 year old Athearn stuff.

I'm looking at doing four RI SD40-2's. Two in paint scheme #3 and two in #5. Sort of a late 80's transition.
 
Microscale is sold out of the 1963-75 RI decals that I need and I can't find the stripes that you're talking about (aboot for our Canadian friends). I also need to find some large white numbers. Looks like I'll have to call Monday.
 
I would recommend Kato SD40-2's, they run a little better than the Athearns. But the Athearn ready to roll SD40-2 is a good product for the price. (less than an Kato)
You can also consider Broadway Limited, but the Kato runs better and the Athearn looks better, so I would not recommend that one.

That's my $.02 anyway.

I like the scheme you chose to do, very nice.
As for the stripes, you can buy them from micro scale as Josh said. You can also buy solid colour sheets of decal paper and cut them to the width you need. You can done the white nose stripe that way too.
 
macjet said:
Thanks. That will make it a lot easier.

Jbaakko, you're a big engine guy, what do you think of the Athearn products? My comparison would be to Proto 2000 since that is all that I currently own outside of some 20 year old Athearn stuff.

I'm looking at doing four RI SD40-2's. Two in paint scheme #3 and two in #5. Sort of a late 80's transition.
Click to expand...

I would get some KATO SD40-2's. For doing a fantasy scheme they would be the best out there IMHO. I own a SD70MAC and a SD80MAC both KATO and I love them. I have had Athearn RTR locos and they are nice but are somewhat lacking in details. I do not have a BLI SD40-2 but I do have a BLI Blueline AC6000. It's a nice runner, and the detail in nice as well. They may be a little noisier than KATO but not by much.

So after all that rambling I would get a KATO SD40-2
 
If money is not an object, the Kato's are a dream.

Athearn RTR SD40-2's and the slightly older Hex drive kits are nice. Older blue box SD40-2's are usually solid runners, and you should be able to find one for $30 or less on eBay.

As for the BLI, I do not own one yet, but, as like Smoke, I own the AC6000CW, its a nice model, and for $120 with sound from Factory Direct trains, its always nice.
 
How do I know that I'm not bidding on an older wide body or one with the coupler cut-out in the ends?
 
Well, I think I've changed my mind again on a final design. I think I like this "cleaned up" design a little better.
 
I hate to do this, but I've been playing with the paint shop some more and now I really can't make up my mind. Help me out.

Options A,B,C, and D.

Edit: Options A,B, and C are missing the Rock Island herald on the ends.
 
Athearn SD40-2's were never wide body. The only units that you'd have to worry about there are the SD45, GP35, SDP40 (and some others I cannot think of off the top of my head). So no worries about that. To pick out the "age" just look for the mounting lugs found on the side of the body, if they're there, its an older unit, if they're not, then its a newer unit.
 
jbaakko said:
Athearn SD40-2's were never wide body. The only units that you'd have to worry about there are the SD45, GP35, SDP40 (and some others I cannot think of off the top of my head). So no worries about that. To pick out the "age" just look for the mounting lugs found on the side of the body, if they're there, its an older unit, if they're not, then its a newer unit.
Click to expand...

Thanks!!!!
 
Macjet, are you going to keep the ultra-cool scheme with the red/silver arc scheme for your modern units?

I don't feel inspired by any of those four...they're not attractive. I see a fading glint of the arc scheme in that odd angular line behind the cab...which is VERY 1980's, so it might work.

With a little work the 1980's -era scheme you're playing with may work, but all designs seem too gaudy for a railroad that just barely survived bankrupcy by the skin of it's teeth. it in a way reminds me of the failed SP-SF merger, and the "KodaChrome" scheme it spawned.

I'll play with a few schemes to see what you think.

Out of that group, I believe that "A" has the most merit of the group as far a believeability.
 
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