MTH CNJ GP9 Green Color match

I moved this to the correct forum since it is specifically talking about an MTH product.

I repainted a couple of CNJ MTH wood passenger cars. The color was close to the Rutland cars I was modeling. Rather than repaint the whole car. I painted just the sides and tried to match the car ends and roof window green.

I used Mission Models paints. Pretty user friendly acrylic. Plenty of green shades to choose from as they deal mostly in military colors. Most colors are flat. I bought a bunch of greens to cover any passenger car projects that came along. Pretty sure I started with a Dark Olive and altered it a bit with another shade of green. Not perfect but pretty close.

Of course this may all be for naught. Not sure the passenger car green would be the same as a Geep.

I think Tru-Color CNJ Deep Sea Green is for the early units with striping.

The Austerity Green, a darker green, was used on later engines without the striping.

Jim

Thanks Dave. I can mix paints to get a close shade if it comes to it. I was hoping there was an actual match out there in the railroad paint world. I tried to buy the proper color pilots from MTH, as they had them listed as green with yellow. Turns out, they are PRR Brunswick Green…almost black.

Thank you Alan. I wasn’t really sure how to categorize this inquiry. Lionel used a similar shade on their CNJ H16-44, so there may be Lionel guys out there who can help too…hopefully!

Thanks Jim. I looked at Hobbylinc and saw they had two CNJ Greens in Trucolor. I bought both to see which one matches…fingers crossed!

Tom

Hi Tom…I’m a CNJ fan and modeler and have faced this issue before.  As CNJ Jim mentioned above, Tru-Color’s “CNJ Deep Sea Green” is the closest color match I’ve found to the prototypical CNJ green for its early road diesel fleet.

It may not be a perfect match for MTH’s interpretation of CNJ diesel green, but it should get you pretty close.  I tend to weather everything, so that makes it easier to blend everything together.

Jim’s comments above regarding CNJ “Austerity Green” are spot on.  It was used on the later all-green (no toothpaste stripes) locomotive paint scheme.

@CNJ #1601 posted:

Hi Tom…I’m a CNJ fan and modeler and have faced this issue before.  As CNJ Jim mentioned above, Tru-Color’s “CNJ Deep Sea Green” is the closest color match I’ve found to the prototypical CNJ green for its early road diesel fleet.

It may not be a perfect match for MTH’s interpretation of CNJ diesel green, but it should get you pretty close.  I tend to weather everything, so that makes it easier to blend everything together.

Jim’s comments above regarding CNJ “Austerity Green” are spot on.  It was used on the later all-green (no toothpaste stripes) locomotive paint scheme.

Thanks, Joe.

I appreciate the input. I have some Tru-Color Deep Sea Green on the way.

The weathering is a good way to blend “not quite matching” paint tones. I usually don’t weather locomotives, but being this one is a “Frankenstein” project, it will likely get some road dirt applied.

Tom

@Krieglok posted:

Thanks Jim. I looked at Hobbylinc and saw they had two CNJ Greens in Trucolor. I bought both to see which one matches…fingers crossed!

Tom ... thank you providing me all the info on Hayden Chemical in Garfield (over in the "Show Me Your Oil Tankers" topic thread). I've collected the NJ company freight cars that Atlas has produced through the years ... now I can add a Hayden Chemical tanker.

I'm going to order that decal set from Tichy. I'm a semi-novice with decals, and have only used those from Microscale. Should I use the same application technique with the Tichy decals as I do with the Microscale?

Thanks, Jim

@CNJ #1601 posted:

Jim’s comments above regarding CNJ “Austerity Green” are spot on.  It was used on the later all-green (no toothpaste stripes) locomotive paint scheme.

Joe ... have you painted/decaled a CNJ SW9? If so, could please tell me what you did?

Is Austerity Green correct for the SW9?

Decals? Many years ago, Tom's Trains in Scotch Plains, NJ sold a custom Microscale Decal set specific for them. They're all gone.

Also, I enjoyed reading your email explaining the photos in your profile. I love that stuff. My Mother-in-law is from Wilkes-Barre, with the men in the family mining coal. I guess your Grandpa helped make sure the anthracite got to the Ashley breaker?

Thanks, Jim

Jim, the Hayden Chemical decals from Tichy were fairly easy to use. I know Tichy has special technique instructions for their multi color decals, but since the Hayden decals are simply white, they apply pretty much the same as Microscale. They are a bit thicker so be generous with coats of Microscale decal setting solution #2…

Cant wait to see your results!

Tom

I am pleased with the accuracy of Tru-Color's Deep Sea Green for CNJ diesels prior to the "Austerity Green" dip paint job.  We matched that color for Sunset GP7Ps.  I like these so much I have them in 4 road numbers.

However, as a contrast, I also have the Williams GP9 (Actually a GP7) in CNJ and I can't complain too much about the color on it.  It would be interesting to see the various CNJ "Deep Sea Greens" side by side in the same lighting.  The HO locomotive in this photo is a Tenshodo that I painted myself around 1995 using Floquil Brunswick Green not knowing any better prior to the wonders of internet research.

There's a lot to like about those Sunset GP7s, but you have to wonder why they didn't go with the correct classification lights, bell and number boards on the cab...

As a follow up, the Tru-Color Deep Sea Green ended being a great match to the MTH paint on my CNJ GP9 shell. As you may recall, I was looking to match steps to the body. I airbrushed them with Deep Sea Green and touched up the steps with Scalecoat II Reefer Yellow and the MU hoses with Scalecoat II Grimy Black. The complete engine will be a non powered unit…

Thanks to everyone who helped out with my questions!

Speaking of GG1 4877’s Sunset CNJ GP7s, I am currently kitbashing a MTH GP9 into a CNJ GP7 with the passenger generator hood on the long hood end. It will be painted in the NJDOT blue, silver and red scheme…5681…

Tom

That came out really nice as far as a match. I’m not sure what’s going on with Scalecoat. They were my go to paint. I have used True Color in the past on some projects. I prefer solvent based paints. I really would like to commit to one brand of paint for more consistent results. I know you do a lot of airbrushing. What are your thoughts on True Color and how it goes on ?  They certainly have it covered as far as variety of colors.

I use Tru-Color for most of my airbrushing. The only issue I've ever had was with some purchased from a LHS, which didn't flow correctly. Added some of their thinner and it was fine. If it sat around too long without being purchased, the solvent separated and evaporated from the jar. Supposedly they've changed the caps to hopefully prevent this from happening, but now I mail order from folks who get it directly from them. They're even responsive to adding additional colors if there's enough demand for them.

I finally found a dummy donor chassis for my CNJ GP9 shell.

I had previously painted the pilots and steps using Tru-color CNJ Deep Sea Green (thanks Jim and Joe) and the I painted the top of the fuel tank on the chassis with the same paint. It worked nicely with the airbrush.

All put together now. It will be a trailing unit with an Atlas GP7 with the same paint scheme…

Tom

Looks good to me, how did you do the paint detailing on the steps and pilot?  Is that masked or hand painted?

It turned out well!

Thanks John and Jonathan.

John, I just used a small brush to line out the yellows on the pilot. I have to go back and touch up a couple small spots…I just noticed one in the photo above! 🙄

Tom

Looks pretty good new Tom, I was curious how steady your hand was.

My hand isn’t too bad, despite numerous injuries occurring over the years. I worked as a commercial artist many, many years ago. That long past experience also helps a bit still…😊

Tom

Really nice job, Tom!  Thanks for sharing this project with us.

@Magicland posted:

There's a lot to like about those Sunset GP7s, but you have to wonder why they didn't go with the correct classification lights, bell and number boards on the cab...

The challenges of producing a mass-produced product at a price that modelers are willing to pay.  There were already 52 distinct variations of models on this project, and it was a bit overwhelming for the factory and everyone else involved in the project.  The results have been well documented on the pages of this forum.  After this project, we decided we will no longer try to achieve so much in one project.  A valuable lesson learned in expectations vs. reality of manufacturing.

Still happy with mine.  I have a Kemtron GP7 that was on the block for the CNJ mod for many, many years that now can just be nice vintage model.

Not to take anything away from the work of the OP for this project.  It is a great looking locomotive and ready for duty on any number of CNJ passenger or freight trains! 

@Krieglok posted:

I am currently kitbashing a MTH GP9 into a CNJ GP7 with the passenger generator hood on the long hood end. It will be painted in the NJDOT blue, silver and red scheme…5681…

Tom

Tom,

Please share the results of this project when you get it done.  I am interested in doing a similar mod and painting it in NJT colors, but on the Coast Line where I spent most of my formative years, the GP40Ps ruled.  GP7Ps tended to stay on the Raritan Valley Line while what little freight service there was near my house was former PC GP38s.  On the flip side I saw LOTS of E8s and passenger cars in this paint scheme.  It was a big step forward from the PC black or more accurately described as PC rust painted locomotives.

Definitely I will Jonathan.

I am still working on the generator hood on the long hood end. The marker lights are in place.

The ex-CNJ GP7s were still in service when I hired out on NJT, 37 years ago. Two were still in the NJDOT colors( 5681 and 5904) and one was in the NJT silver scheme…the 5902. I ran the three of them at various times at South Amboy, Raritan and Hoboken. They were reliable and good runners.

We also had the ex-PRR GP7…the 7000. An awful engine to run back in those days. It ran its days out as the shop switcher at E-Port and the MMC before going to a museum.

By that time, the GP40Ps were still in passenger and sometimes work train service. The GP7s were strictly work train engines. The 5902 did retain the steam boiler in working order as it was modified to blow steam down on the rails to remove leaves in the Autumn season.

Tom

@GG1 4877 posted:

The challenges of producing a mass-produced product at a price that modelers are willing to pay.  There were already 52 distinct variations of models on this project, and it was a bit overwhelming for the factory and everyone else involved in the project.  The results have been well documented on the pages of this forum.  After this project, we decided we will no longer try to achieve so much in one project.  A valuable lesson learned in expectations vs. reality of manufacturing.

Not to take anything away from the work of the OP for this project.  It is a great looking locomotive and ready for duty on any number of CNJ passenger or freight trains!

You've got to give them an "A" for effort, especially when contrasted with the general "we'll make 1 model, and then paint it for everything we think we can sell, whether or not it ever existed or not" mantra many of the manufacturers seem to follow. Heck, had they fit my budget, I'd have picked up a couple myself. Would have made a nice starting point, and saved me a ton of work. Having just gone through the work researching and designing the parts for a similar upgrade, they seemed somewhat glaring omissions, however I totally understand the realities the market forces on manufacturers.