Lionel 6-28237 U30-C, repainted or new shell C&O #3309?

Have you tried the crewtalk on the locomotive. Older engines announce the cab # . That may at least tell you if it's just a shell swap.

Unfortunately, I do not have TMCC or Legacy. Currently run conventionally. Got back into the hobby last year which seemed to be the wrong time if you want to try command control. Hopefully the Base3 out soon haha

You may be able to activate CrewTalk by repeatedly pressing the horn/bell button on your transformer while the locomotive is idling (i.e., powered in neutral).

What, me worry?

Can you post more pictures? All of the importers are great about the smallest of detail lettering. Builders plate, safety notice, caution, etc. It looks like if you google images of the real C&O 3309, there’s some tiny lettering under the cab number that your model doesn’t have. Some small lettering on the front cab door too. While it’s not proof yours isn’t factory painted, what about the cut out in the yellow sill stripe on the MTH picture that doesn’t seem to be on yours? Not at all meant as nit-picky of yours, the MTH model has yellow with a blue cut out that’s not the same as shown below.

Maybe its just an MTH unit put in a Lionel box? Might fit. It would say MTH or Lionel somewhere on the underside of the engine, if so, cast into the metal in raised letters.

With regard to repaint or not, hold it up to the light at an angle.  If you see decal film around the lettering, its been repainted.  No matter how well its been decaled it never fully disappears.

With regard to whose shell is it, the lionel one is multiple pieces, and there's a break right behind the cab. The only thing that comes off the MTH shell is the radiator grilles for access to the switches.  Also, the lionel one probably doesnt have mesh grille work and the MTH one does.  I'd say you have a lionel shell just from that and also the lack of mirrors and sunvisors on the cab.  Based on the fact that the lettering yellow doesnt match the frame yellow, its been repainted and whoever painted it bought "C&O Yellow" and "C&O blue" without colormatching the paint to the decals. Heaven forbid the matching shade may have been a shade of yellow listed for another railroad.

Here are more pictures. The yellow strip along the side, looks like it has some blue over spray, not sure the camera picked it up. The  C&O (side and front) do not look like a decal. Paint is flat or at the best semi-gross.

@452 Card posted:

Maybe its just an MTH unit put in a Lionel box? Might fit. It would say MTH or Lionel somewhere on the underside of the engine, if so, cast into the metal in raised letters.

Shows Lionel, that was my first thought

@Sam Jumper posted:

Can you post more pictures? All of the importers are great about the smallest of detail lettering. Builders plate, safety notice, caution, etc. It looks like if you google images of the real C&O 3309, there’s some tiny lettering under the cab number that your model doesn’t have. Some small lettering on the front cab door too. While it’s not proof yours isn’t factory painted, what about the cut out in the yellow sill stripe on the MTH picture that doesn’t seem to be on yours? Not at all meant as nit-picky of yours, the MTH model has yellow with a blue cut out that’s not the same as shown below.

Added more pictures above, just did not quote reply the new picture post

My opinion is its a repaint. Lionel made a Chessie/C&O U30C but I couldn't find a listing on the Lionel website for a solid blue C&O U30C. However, MTH did make these in solid blue.

On the pictures in your first post I can see several minor flaws in the decal work where the decals didn't snuggle down into the spaces between the long hood engine access doors. I have painted C&O diesels in blue using Microscale decals. They aren't quite as opaque as they need to be so the yellow lettering takes on a slightly greenish tone. The lettering looks exactly like Microscale decals, not factory applied lettering.

Finally in your last set of pictures you have one with the rear top of the shell removed. The inside of the shell is a pale yellow. Had this been factory paint that would have been painted blue. Whoever painted this shell left the removable piece in place when he painted it.

Ken

@kanawha posted:

My opinion is its a repaint. Lionel made a Chessie/C&O U30C but I couldn't find a listing on the Lionel website for a solid blue C&O U30C. However, MTH did make these in solid blue.

On the pictures in your first post I can see several minor flaws in the decal work where the decals didn't snuggle down into the spaces between the long hood engine access doors. I have painted C&O diesels in blue using Microscale decals. They aren't quite as opaque as they need to be so the yellow lettering takes on a slightly greenish tone. The lettering looks exactly like Microscale decals, not factory applied lettering.

Finally in your last set of pictures you have one with the rear top of the shell removed. The inside of the shell is a pale yellow. Had this been factory paint that would have been painted blue. Whoever painted this shell left the removable piece in place when he painted it.

Ken

Thanks for the input Ken.

This was kind of what I was thinking.