Frank Libuse huge contribution to the O scale world the F3

Good stuff!  I always enjoy watching your vintage trains in action.

By the way, there is no "backwards" on a B-unit.  When called on, they ran which ever way they were facing in the diesel facilities.

Rusty

@Rusty Traque posted:

Good stuff!  I always enjoy watching your vintage trains in action.

Rusty

100% agree with this...these things must weigh a ton.

Mark in Oregon

Why not just reverse the body?

Jay

Wonderful models and video.  Thanks for sharing such great information.

No false modesty in the ad copy:  "The Most Important Announcement in Model Railroading History!"

I'd never heard of these models before, but I was acquainted with the striking white bodied, black and red striped livery of the Burlington first generation diesels.  Richard Sherry of Chicago was a well-known Lionel restorer and painter who introduced me to painting about 30 years ago and used this livery to start with.

Curiosity led me to a bit of research to discover the model shown above is actually an F-2 as documented by the Burlington Route Historical Society here.  Units numbered 150A to 154A were F-2 models.

Here's my version using a PW Lionel 2243:

For a beginner, this is a simple project--spray everything white and apply the red and black decals.  The bodywork is another story.  It's held up fairly well these past 30 years or so.

The diesels really are not white. An avid CB&Q acquaintance of mine said the only way to paint F units was to tale a bottle of ScaleCoat white and add like 5 drops of red.

Dick

@CBQer posted:

The diesels really are not white. An avid CB&Q acquaintance of mine said the only way to paint F units was to tale a bottle of ScaleCoat white and add like 5 drops of red.

Dick

Most model railroad companies in the 50's and 60's incorrectly used silver because the painting diagrams stated "aluminum."

Even in some prototype photos the Q F's appear white.

As I've stated many times, the "aluminum" is quite the chameleon color:

Same locomotive, same camera, different lighting.  The model's paint does match the EMD paint chip.

Rusty

That is a nice engine, Rusty: forgive the thread drift, but is it S scale?

Mark in Oregon

@Strummer posted:

That is a nice engine, Rusty: forgive the thread drift, but is it S scale?

Mark in Oregon

Yep.  S-Helper Service.  (BTW, MTH painted their ex-SHS F7's white. )

Rusty

Lighting aside, I've looked at a lot of Burlington F unit prototype photos and none appear to be "aluminum" -- they appear to be a shade of white.  I have a builder's photograph/postcard and it sure looks white to my eye. 

@Pingman posted:

Lighting aside, I've looked at a lot of Burlington F unit prototype photos and none appear to be "aluminum" -- they appear to be a shade of white.  I have a builder's photograph/postcard and it sure looks white to my eye.

I agree, prototype photo's seem run the gamut from light gray to white depending on conditions.

None the less, "imitation aluminum" is what the official EMD paint code is called.  Probably one of the reasons why HO models up until the 1980's were painted silver...

Rusty

I really need to add to this . . .

These are All Nation, but 1 1/8' gauge.  Painted here.  When I was a kid, it would be an AC-12 on the point, then 110 wooden ice cars, then four of these (ABBA), only with stainless grilles along the upper vents.

Bob, the SP paint scheme looks good. I always like seeing photos of your models.

Lee Gustafson

@Lee G. posted:

Bob, the SP paint scheme looks good. I always like seeing photos of your models.

Lee Gustafson

Me too...

Mark in Oregon