Premier Dreyfuss Hudson color questions

I bought the engine and cars when released in 2000, it is much lighter than the engines released after that.  I have heard some argue that over its life it may have faded, but it would have lost the blue pin stripes over time.  While not right I really liked the engine, one of the first engines with synchronized smoke at its released.  I did recently loose the 5 volt board last summer.

mike

I have the same locomotive.  It has been the most reliable locomotive on my railroad.  I run it with the 20-6576 set.  The cars are much darker than the locomotive.  Hard to know whether the locomotive is too light or the cars too dark or, maybe, both.  The 20-65236 set appears to be lighter than what I have.  They may be a closer match.

Color pictures of the prototype seem to be a medium to light gray but 70 year old color photos are suspect.

Maybe someone else has a better answer for you.

Hopefully someone responds who has the same combination to know for sure. I have the 2005 MTH Dreyfuss and found none of the MTH cars made to that point matched the engine. Neither does this engine match the GGD cars. Lionel only made the engine and then some 15" cars. Lionel's and 3rd Rails engines do not match any of the MTH cars.

When the latest MTH set was released a few years ago I asked the dealer that posted a video on this forum if the new engine and cars match and he indicated they did. No guarantee it will match the early release though.

Pete

The 20-6576 cars are not for a Dreyfuss Hudson 20th Century Set. 

I have the 20-6554 set which match perfect with the 20-3045 Dreyfuss Hudson.

"The 20-6576 cars are not for a Dreyfuss Hudson 20th Century Set." 

These cars appear to be the 1948 paint scheme - essentially, the "diesel" version of the Century scheme, when the grays were reversed: original light body/dark stripe became dark body/light stripe.  The MTH catalogue art does not show the lightness of the stripe very well, but I assume that it is there.

These 20-6576 cars need some E7/E8/PA-1 locomotives. The Century Hudsons had lost/were losing their streamlining in this era. Also, the early Century diesel locos had a steam-like light body/dark stripe scheme for a while, for use with the older passenger car scheme, before they were re-painted.

Or something like that.

I also have the 20-3045-1 Dreyfuss. The color from that year was VERY light. Buy the matching cars that were released in 1998. I have the complete set and it is GORGEOUS!!!