New Lionel AC-9 #3800 lettering color?

BobbyD posted:

Lionel modeled the as built "Southern Pacific Lines" lettering scheme, looking to verify this has the 1939 Aluminum Bronze lettering color rather than incorrect White. Need some info since this would be a huge hit to our yearly budget. Thanks!

 

Try this link from Train World's video. Might answer your question.

Video

Thanks Marty, my greatest fear that the paint would be white lettering, white handrails, and whitewall tires.

Seems they looked at that pre-delivery photo on the internet and went with it.  

That "pre-delivery photo" is a typical company photograph at the builder's factory, in this case Lima Locomotive Works, in Lima , Ohio. Many "builder photos" of steam locomotives are "enhanced" that way, i.e. white trim & tires plus gray paint, in order to show more details on "official Builder Photos". The sample, or "class locomotive" was rarely ever shipped to a customer looking like that.

Hot Water posted:

That "pre-delivery photo" is a typical company photograph at the builder's factory, in this case Lima Locomotive Works, in Lima , Ohio. Many "builder photos" of steam locomotives are "enhanced" that way, i.e. white trim & tires plus gray paint, in order to show more details on "official Builder Photos". The sample, or "class locomotive" was rarely ever shipped to a customer looking like that.

So it will be prototypical only on static display outside the factory.  

BobbyD posted:

Hot Water posted:

That "pre-delivery photo" is a typical company photograph at the builder's factory, in this case Lima Locomotive Works, in Lima , Ohio. Many "builder photos" of steam locomotives are "enhanced" that way, i.e. white trim & tires plus gray paint, in order to show more details on "official Builder Photos". The sample, or "class locomotive" was rarely ever shipped to a customer looking like that.

So it will be prototypical only on static display outside the factory.  

Correct, and ONLY one day at THAT! The builders generally didn't let a bran spanking new locomotive sit around for long, as they wanted to be paid for it/them as soon as possible.

What color is "Aluminum Bronze"? (referred to in the original post).  I'm not familiar with that.

B Smith posted:

What color is "Aluminum Bronze"? (referred to in the original post).  I'm not familiar with that.

The Southern Pacific styling and painting information shows "Lettering Gray" for the color of the lettering and numbers on steam locomotives. Pretty difficult to tell "lettering Gray" from white in black & white photographs of working steam, i.e. dirty, back in the day.

Lionel got it right on the AC-12.

Perfect canidate for some light weathering..... and the white walls are easy to get rid of ;-)

Don't know about the AC-9, but white or silver driver tires were common on SP freight locomotives in service.

bob2 posted:

Don't know about the AC-9, but white or silver driver tires were common on SP freight locomotives in service.

Please post photos of them!

B Smith posted:

What color is "Aluminum Bronze"? (referred to in the original post).  I'm not familiar with that.

According to the SP books it is the color SP used on steam locomotive lettering until 1946 when they switched to lettering gray which lost the metallic aluminum mixed into the paint. Did Lionel did paint the GS-6 correctly?