Is Lionel changing its UP Armour Yellow?

To my eyes; the color on your 7579 looks closer to prototype than the others.

Curt

All this stuff is contracted out. Its probably impossible to ensure perfect paint match color in this system as I understand it.

Yellows have become problematic.  I think it is due to a ban on chromium.

MTH changed also.

Why not change, they changed the pennsy graysilver to bright silver on the H10's.

I prefer my UP engines to have as new appearance.  So i prefer the true Armor Yellow thats like the first run AC6000.

As this fades, it gets lighter yellow as the red tint fades out..

It is hard to compare colors from a computer screen and the actual color of the object.  Computer screens are backlit vs reflected light, and unless you have calibrated the computer screen, the colors displayed may not be accurate.  Color photos have a similar problem.  You can get much different color shades depending on the color temperature of the light.  You need to hold the model up against the real engine in the same light and see how the colors compare.  I always thought the Lionel color was a little too orange, but not as orange as the Kato colors.  This new AC6000 seems too yellow based on my recollection of seeing UP engines.  I am surprised that Union Pacific, as part of the licensing agreement, didn't specify the exact colors to be used.   If you look at their webpage, there is a logo that is in a "yellow" box.  I suspect that is supposed to be Armour Yellow.  If I try to color match my desktop screen to match that box something around RGB, 255,190,0 looks similar.  But, backlight colors and reflected colors aren't always the same.  Sandwiching the yellow between areas of gray also changes the perceived color in real life.  From what I have read, years ago the enamel used was Dupont #93-9356 Delux Yellow. I would not be surprised, however, that with restrictions in allowable paint pigments that the modern Armour Yellow is slightly different than in earlier times

So, I really don't know which rendition they have used is closer to being prototypical, I just wondered why after so many years they decided to change the color.  Prototypical or not, I prefer the more orange color of the previous models.  Need to wait until later this year when the 2nd run of SD70ACe are available to see what color they decided for them.

I think paint colors in general has become quite a struggle for all manufactures as of late.

I sure hope Lionel doesn’t screw up the paint on the UP E6

Larry JFC454 posted:

It is hard to compare colors from a computer screen and the actual color of the object.  Computer screens are backlit vs reflected light, and unless you have calibrated the computer screen, the colors displayed may not be accurate.  Color photos have a similar problem.  You can get much different color shades depending on the color temperature of the light.  You need to hold the model up against the real engine in the same light and see how the colors compare.  I always thought the Lionel color was a little too orange, but not as orange as the Kato colors.  This new AC6000 seems too yellow based on my recollection of seeing UP engines.  I am surprised that Union Pacific, as part of the licensing agreement, didn't specify the exact colors to be used.   If you look at their webpage, there is a logo that is in a "yellow" box.  I suspect that is supposed to be Armour Yellow.  If I try to color match my desktop screen to match that box something around RGB, 255,190,0 looks similar.  But, backlight colors and reflected colors aren't always the same.  Sandwiching the yellow between areas of gray also changes the perceived color in real life.  From what I have read, years ago the enamel used was Dupont #93-9356 Delux Yellow. I would not be surprised, however, that with restrictions in allowable paint pigments that the modern Armour Yellow is slightly different than in earlier times

So, I really don't know which rendition they have used is closer to being prototypical, I just wondered why after so many years they decided to change the color.  Prototypical or not, I prefer the more orange color of the previous models.  Need to wait until later this year when the 2nd run of SD70ACe are available to see what color they decided for them.

 

A slight correction- DuPont No. 93-9356 “Dulux” Yellow Enamel.

Larry 

Reading RR posted:

Why not change, they changed the pennsy graysilver to bright silver on the H10's.

Not to mention the berks and niagara.

I'm waiting to see someone receive their production version to be sure, but I'm a phone call away from cancelling my h 10.

Every Lionel steamer I have from the last 15 years all have the same "graphite" colored smokebox.

This new h 10 will be an ugly duckling for sure.

For those purists modeling Union Pacific, you should be aware that the UP armor yellow, has changed quite a bit, depending on the time frame you are trying to model. The most significant, and VERY noticeable, change occurred in the early 1970s, when the government outlawed lead in paint. 

When the UP was informed by the EMD Sales Dept. that Dupont was prohibited from supply the "famous UP Armor Yellow", for the completion of a current locomotive order, the UP management had a fit! Eventually, after all the politicking by UP executives, the "new" UP yellow became standard,,,,,,,,,that was lead free. Naturally it didn't match all the other UP yellow diesel units, cabooses, and passenger equipment. 

Real locomotives have the same variations in color as our models. Some of UP's new repaints are a much brighter yellow than some of the SD70AH's that came out a few years ago. And by the time you factor in fading and a nice layer of road grime (and out in the mountains a covering of exhaust from tunnels), there is really no such thing as "UP yellow" and it (in my opinion) is ok if the model colors change a bit.

I remember reading in an old Railway Preservation News, a group was restoring a UP sleeper.  They discovered 15 different shades of Armor Yellow during the process of removing the old paint.

Rusty

I prefer to look at freshly painted engines with my own eyes, because grime, aging, bleatching etc you guys mention.  Then angle of sun, atmospheric and camera and computer issues...

In around 2008 i think lionel got some help from UP on colors of heritage units, and those were spot on for colors.  At that time, UP yellow was changed when Lionel did the #8444 SD70ACE.  It is the best armor yellow.

It seemed like they kept that color for some time.  As posted originally that color was on lots of engines and pass cars.

To my eye, (like a fwiw) the new AC6000 run resembles what UP yellow would look like 15years after application.

Ryan did mention he was looking at intentionally fading the original RG schemes on the UP patch engines for more realism, and also in catalog they have the fade on the CSX 86ft box car for more realism...

The yellow in lead paint actually comes from the lead itself. Lead chromate it’s s bright vibrant yellow. Hard to duplicate that.