GM&O colors?

Sam, try this here - http://condrenrails.com/MRP/Me...Freight%20Trains.htm

The colors aren't all that different. You can flip a coin on them - on the prototype age, wear and who or what shop painted it all figure in.

Also look at the Williams models for comparison; they have an E unit and a PA. And there are many pics on the net of prototypes.

But, the Atlas looks "prettier"...they usually do. I'd trust them on this.

Btw, it's prototypical to have Southern and GM&O passing each other or one taking a siding for the other.

Try the GM&O HISTORICAL SOCIETY. The f unit is the closest color. Some of the 1500 class Alcos had a different paint scheme. LOCOMOTION

As a member of the GM&OHS (and former employee; not relevant, but...) I can shed a little
light on this:

The red/darker red/maroon scheme is the "Alton scheme", which the GM&O used after it purchased
the Alton (old Chicago and Alton). The colors vary a bit, and often had to do with whether the loco
was painted by a "North End" (St Louis north) or a "South End" (south of St. Louis) shop.

North End: tended more toward a maroon tone, especially early on; your RS3 looks "Northern".
South End: redder; your F's look more "Southern"; but, strangely, the EMD F's only worked the North End;
the South End used Alco FA and PA road power.

But, the South End colors tended to dominate as time went on (the HQ was, after all, in Mobile). Both of your
locos shown are correct.

I believe the 1503 and the 1516 had completely different paint colors. The 1503 was more red and the 1516 was more of a maroon color. I also, think we used what ever color was available. They were not into pretty engines we just wanted to move freight. After the merger with the IC, we had a general Roundhouse Foreman, who had every engine washed after each inspection. They were washed inside as well as outside. I was a machinist and later a roundhouse foreman in Bloomington. LOCOMOTION

Could we probably agree it depends on what shop painted and maintained it? That's the case with some other roads.

I remember the time when the question came up of which was the right shade of green on the Crescent Ltd passenger cars, MTH or Lionel. I asked an old Southern hand about it, who also owned a toy train shop. He'd worked on the steam excursion trains and really knew the road. His answer was, either could be correct depending on what shop maintained it.

Variations may well have existed, as several posters above noted. That said, Atlas O does research its colors, and attempts to be as accurate as possible, and they're good at it. MTH, on the other hand, has been "color challenged" many times over the years (witness their total color miscue on their KCS F units, one of many examples).

Based on this, I'd trust the Atlas colors as being the more accurate. I agree that your assessment of the GM&O colors - I've always thought they were beautiful, too. They had a big shop in Jackson, TN, about 20 miles from where my wife's from.

After the IC merger and closing of the backshop in Bloomington,a couple of fF units were painted orange and white and were numbered in the 1600 series. LOCOMOTION

Anyone have any idea on what Floquil paint mix would most closely match the GM&O maroon?  I have discovered that the red it essentially the same as SP Scarlet Red and the yellow "Dulux" gold.  Can't seem to pin down the maroon though.

The color's going to depend on where and when painted, plus how long it's been in service after painting.  Reds and maroons are particularly susceptible to fading,

 

Rusty

I do understand that.  If you look at photos the paint is all over the place, but I'm trying to match the colors right after they assumed ownership of the Alton.  In other words a more or less freshly painted unit.  At least the maroon is not as inconsistent as Rock Islands.   Wow there is variation there.  Worse than PRR Tuscan Red!