Lionel Santa Fe Blue Paint

If no one chimes in on the color match, Bob,  I'd settle for some fine black sharpie marker around the rim. 

Did the prototype have a bulb there Bob?…if so, got any pics of the prototype with that bulb in place?….then maybe we can make recommendations based on what the real thing looked like…..other than that, use royal blue model paint, and keep adding dots of black and mix till you get a close enough match that you can live with….

Pat

@Strap Hanger- black or blue sharpie was on my list.

@harmonyards-   I actually do have a photo Pat. I forgot about it until you mentioned the prototype. Looks like a clear lens over the light. I will try the blue/ black combo. Once I finalize the LED placement I can see what I have left to fix.

Thanks guys.

@RSJB18 posted:

@Strap Hanger- black or blue sharpie was on my list.

@harmonyards-   I actually do have a photo Pat. I forgot about it until you mentioned the prototype. Looks like a clear lens over the light. I will try the blue/ black combo. Once I finalize the LED placement I can see what I have left to fix.

Thanks guys.

That's an FT.

Here's a 200-series F7 link.

Thanks!

- Mario

@RSJB18 posted:

@Strap Hanger- black or blue sharpie was on my list.

@harmonyards-   I actually do have a photo Pat. I forgot about it until you mentioned the prototype. Looks like a clear lens over the light. I will try the blue/ black combo. Once I finalize the LED placement I can see what I have left to fix.

Thanks guys.

FT, F7, F3, …..don’t matter now, the deed is done,…Bob, I’d find a nylon spacer bushing like the kind Ace hardware sells in their small parts bins, and try slicing it down with a razor knife or razor blade ( be careful please ) get it as thin as you dare, or even run it back and forth on a piece of sand paper to simulate the ring around the bulb you installed,…then mix model paints to make a match as best as you can and paint your new “ trim rings” and affix them over the holes/bulbs you installed,….that’d make the cleanest look to your mod,….might find just the right washers to do the same thing either in your junk box, or again at a place like Ace Hardware, etc,…

Pat

Class light on EMD F-units are Fresnel lenses retained by a ring or gasket (sorry, don't know the material.)  Every F-unit photo I've looked at indicates the the retaining ring is painted the body color.

Sorry, I never had the opportunity to take photos of a Santa Fe freight F7.

This is on a GM&O F3:

This one is on a rather tattered Milwaukee Road F-unit:

VIA FP7:

The paint shop just masked off the lenses and painted away to their hearts content.

Rusty

Thanks for the tips and suggestions. My plan is to get the tip of the LED set to simulate the lens and then I will fabricate the ring.

Bob

@harmonyards posted:

FT, F7, F3, …..don’t matter now, the deed is done,…

Apparently, they are in different locations (per the pics) but that may not influence the best way to reproduce them.

@palallin posted:

Apparently, they are in different locations (per the pics) but that may not influence the best way to reproduce them.

Apparently Bob already committed by drilling holes in his shell,….I seriously doubt he’s gonna move them….

Pat

To the OP question. I recently needed to touch up a scratch on a Lionel Santa Fe GP30. I used Citadel Colors brand “Kantor Blue” and found it to be a very close match out of the pot. Not perfect, but maybe close enough that additional tinting may not be required. And the GP30 blue may not be the same as yours either.

In addition to color, you’ll need to be concerned about finish as well. Citadel paints dry to a flat finish so you may also need to finish with a gloss top coat.

Citadel brand paints are sold by hobby stores that sell the Warhammer franchise of tabletop gaming miniatures. Their range is large, and while the names are meaningless if you don’t play the games, the paint is very high quality, durable, and extremely consistent in color. They are also expensive; almost $5 for a small pot.

@palallin posted:

Apparently, they are in different locations (per the pics) but that may not influence the best way to reproduce them.

@harmonyards posted:

Apparently Bob already committed by drilling holes in his shell,….I seriously doubt he’s gonna move them….

Pat

Lionel has their simulated class light in the correct position (more or less) for F units equipped with the large number boards.

Only locomotives equipped with the smaller, bullet shaped number boards have the class lights placed in front of the number glass.

Bob has drilled the correct location.

Rusty

@Rusty Traque posted:

Lionel has their simulated class light in the correct position (more or less) for F units equipped with the large number boards.

Only locomotives equipped with the smaller, bullet shaped number boards have the class lights placed in front of the number glass.

Bob has drilled the correct location.

Rusty

Rusty- I did drill out the molded class light which is on top of the number boards on these models. As I said, my heavy hands got a little too aggressive with drill in hand and I ran one bit through which chipped the shell. My goal is simply to touch up the paint once I get the LED placement set. Since I have two bodies, I will put this shell on the trailing A unit. Hopefully I can drill the other shell more accurately now that I know how the material reacts.

Thanks

@ByronB- Thanks. I will check that paint out.

When I drilled out the molded in lights on my PA, I made a flat spot on the face first, then used a hand vise to drill a pilot hole in the middle and then went progressively bigger to get it where I needed to be.

I have faith that you can do it without the need for touch up.

Thanks!

- Mario

I agree with Mario’s plans, hand drill much more controllable. Puts you in the driver’s seat.

Pat

@harmonyards posted:

I agree with Mario’s plans, hand drill much more controllable. Puts you in the driver’s seat.

Pat

Yep. After the fateful slip up I was actually spinning the bits by hand. I do have an old (and I mean old....) hand-drill.

Belonged to my wife's grandfather.

The older the better Bob, …I bet that drill works like a fine Swiss watch….

Pat

Bob, would it be possible to put a thick black O-ring around the LED.This may cover the enlarged hole and simulate a housing around the LED.

@RSJB18 posted:

Yep. After the fateful slip up I was actually spinning the bits by hand. I do have an old (and I mean old....) hand-drill.

Belonged to my wife's grandfather.

An old conductor was asked what size shoe he wore. He replied..."I wear a size 12, but, a 13 feels so good I wear a 14." 😉

@romiller49 posted:

Bob, would it be possible to put a thick black O-ring around the LED.This may cover the enlarged hole and simulate a housing around the LED.

Thanks Rod. I have a few ideas kicking around. Once I get the wiring figured out I will see what the final mount will look like.

@Big Jim posted:

An old conductor was asked what size shoe he wore. He replied..."I wear a size 12, but, a 13 feels so good I wear a 14." 😉

I have added marker lights to many locomotives and would suggest using a small length of shrink tubing over the outside of the LED. It will form the ring as shown in your picture. Also if one layer of shrink tubing is no sufficient a second layer may be added.

Also, I forgot to add that when I need to touch up the paint on a locomotive, I have found the color matched sample pints from the local hardware store work great. Just bring the shell to the store and the match it and the pint cost about six dollars.

@RSJB18 posted:

Yep. After the fateful slip up I was actually spinning the bits by hand. I do have an old (and I mean old....) hand-drill.

Belonged to my wife's grandfather.

Amazing, I have one of those too, in quite good condition I might add. Came from my mom's father Needless to say ... overkill. I just bought a pin vise set from da Bay, and that's the ticket!

George

@GeoPeg posted:

Amazing, I have one of those too, in quite good condition I might add. Came from my mom's father Needless to say ... overkill. I just bought a pin vise set from da Bay, and that's the ticket!

George

@Paul Duesing posted:

I have added marker lights to many locomotives and would suggest using a small length of shrink tubing over the outside of the LED. It will form the ring as shown in your picture. Also if one layer of shrink tubing is no sufficient a second layer may be added.

Good idea Paul. I always use shrink tube on the back of LED's to cut light spill. I can just extend the tube far enough to make the bezel around the light.

Thanks