Show us your custom paint jobs.

Started out as an Atlas O scale Jersey Central 0-6-0 yard switcher (not a 3-rail conversion) then repainted it as an SP 0-6-0 yard switcher. Frankly not very accurate as an SP switcher but I still enjoy looking and operating it after all these years. Also appreciate visitors comments on the colorful paint scheme.  And yes, it didn't run very well when I originally purchased it but now runs much better after spending time fiddling with the motor drive shaft, side rods, pick-ups, etc.  In all fairness Atlas made a very nice looking generic USRA switcher but it didn't operate very well at all and the connection they came up with between the engine and tender is a real nightmare!

Great details on the boiler top, spokes; a very elegant look for a switcher.

Several years ago I came across a website with a photo of an interesting reefer car withthe doors on the end rather than the middle. I did not know if the car was photo shopped or not but I decided to tackle a scratch build project. With an MTH reefer as a donor car I removed the body and shortened the frame for a 34 foot reefer. I relocated the arch bar trucks, scratch built a new body and had custom decals made. I used atlas ice bunker doors on the roof and atlas grab irons. The car ended up costing a little over $100 but I have a unique car. My research to find out if this car was imaginary or a real life car led me to real train ogr forum. A reply confirmed there was such a car. It was my only rr car project to date. It was a satisfying project for me.

BANDOB posted:

Back in the mid-1980's, I wanted to have an O-Gauge model of the C&NW Peninsula "400," which ran between Chicago and Ishpeming, MI. While it was a long train between Chicago and Green Bay, north of Green Bay it was often, especially in its later years before becoming bi-level, one, two, or three coaches.

I took a Preamble Express F3, and two 0-27 Amtrak coaches, and the photos show the result. Not the high quality of many airbrush schemes, to be sure, but it has served me well and has stood the test of time. Now has a horn added, and still runs on occasion.

The last photo shows it in service on the PA layout, shortly after completion.

Champ Decals were used.

 

Born and raised in Milwaukee many years ago, I always had a warm feeling for the CNW F unit diesels and passenger cars. Nice work.

Ive seen a photo of the "end hatch" reefer. I say hatch because it didn't reach the floor/bed level and was too small to walk through. I pretty sure it was just another way to load ice into the ends of a full car without unloading. Made sense to me anyhow. Might have been P. Shopped?

P51 might have one. I know I was looking at his stuff about the same time anyhow. In the last few weeks on "what did you....layout today". If he does, its 99% it is a to scale version of a protypical reefer. He researches for the area he models.

Before: a Lionel Baby Boat:

After (been posed before): these actually make very plausible approximations of the real GE U18B - a small, 1800 hp U-boat owned by several roads - including the SCL.

The Lionel "model" came with EMD Blomberg trucks - but the SCL's U18's actually rode on EMD trucks from traded-in F-units - so Lionel's 027 Baby Boat turned out to be a scale-y model in many ways. Runs well for a Pullmor.

Oh, that gap - can fix, if I ever get to it... 

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

YOU asked and you shall receive!

 

OH MAN ALIVE. Love those! Especially that Conrail switcher!

Okay, I'll keep it rolling. Here's some custom painted and decaled rolling stock. Starting with a work car.

I'm not quite finished with the caboose yet.

This truck paint job was pretty easy because it was quick and simple to disassemble. the door decals were the hard part. But I love the result.

This caboose was one of my first pieces I customized. Not perfect but it gets the job done. I added a lighted drumhead to the back. Not prototypical but I love the look of it.

Right now I am working on painting my second GE Shovelnose,

possibly starting a paint job on an atlas copper belt caboose, and sending my rotary caboose to the 3d printer.

This has been posted before,but here it is again.The Three Stooges beer cars I made.This project gave me a real appreciation for the hobbyists that make custom items.

An old 2333 custom paint (before):

To this custom paint:

and how about this one, these were repainted to match a pair of williams Pennsy units I already had:

The repainted ones are above (numbers 437 & 438). Also added Evans Designs LED Marker and Head lights:

Fantasy NH van.

Pennsy GP7B

early Williams GG1

fantasy open platform streamline observation

old brass 2 rail heavy USRA 2-8-2

Williams scale GG1

Lipstick on the General

Bruce

Finished O&W FT set that was shown in an earlier post.  Not sure we would tackle this again, this was a tough one (decals took a LOT of time to apply).  Highball graphics supplied a great product, but the detail on the car bodies made for a tough install.  We are happy with the results and will enjoy this set on our railroad.

brwebster posted:

Fantasy NH van.

Pennsy GP7B

early Williams GG1

fantasy open platform streamline observation

old brass 2 rail heavy USRA 2-8-2

Williams scale GG1

Lipstick on the General

Bruce

 

 

 

A GG1 with a warbonnet!    Well I'll be leaving folks, now that I've seen everything! 

Started out with this...

Ended up with this...

More "transformation" photos below...

Folks,

My compliments to all of you on your excellent work. There's a lot of talent on these boards.

Joe B. 

Finished my paint job on my second Shovelnose. I'm still waiting on the decals to come in the mail from Ozark Miniatures.

I want to run these engines as an A-A set but I don't know how to work out a coupler in concert with the rear unit plow. I think I may have to cut the plow off and create a separately moving plow. Not really sure how to execute it yet.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

AMC Dave -- speaking of road names being misspelled (e.g. Norfolk Soutern) by the guys in the shop, there's a two-page spread in the new Trains magazine (Dec. 2016) of a covered hopper with its name misspelled in large black letters along the side.  It reads "FARMERS MARKETIGN ASSN." 

I have seen misspelled words on trains....so when I did it....I just made it prototypical!!! thx

Tom M posted:

I want to run these engines as an A-A set but I don't know how to work out a coupler in concert with the rear unit plow. I think I may have to cut the plow off and create a separately moving plow. Not really sure how to execute it yet.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have a number of old Walthers die cast dummy couplers.  They have a long shaft that you can drill at any length so it can pivot. You do not need much movement if coupled to a car with truck mounted coupler. These couplers are made to work with the Lionel style 'lobster claw'.  I have used them in conversions. If you want to try let me know and I'll send you one. 

I just love that missile launcher!

Here's a repainted Atlas Conrail MofW car into Chessie System MofW. I liked the pipe load so I kept it,but added the scale chains.  The decals are a combination of dry transfers and HO and N scale Microscale decals. 

Had these 2353s repainted many years ago by Steve Latta in CA. AT the time I wanted the same colors that were on the American Flyer Mo Pac set. Not prototypical but I liked them!

The lower 2343 Freight Santa Fe's were also done by him and became a favorite. I recently sold them both due to my interest in more 3R Scale items...

I am modeling the Erie Lackawanna just at the time when the merger occurred. So I have some free range with paint schemes.  The E8's are painted in the short lived transition era scheme, the RS-3 and SW9 are simple freight scheme but like most of us who model sometimes there are few examples of our favorite line. All are MTH models. I also have a series of custom freight. Lastly is just some fun , the lionel fire car detailed and lettered for the DL&W.  This model sits on display on a shelf. 

I have been staying busy on my powered White Pass GE shovelnose. I added grab irons, windows, front coupler, painted the trucks black, and I'm waiting on LED's to put in the head lights. I finally decided to cut the plow off the non-powered A unit and mount it to piece of metal attached to the truck. Im still in the planning stages for that.

After I finished painting the trucks on my diesel, my almost 4 year old asked if he could paint a train too. I grabbed an old, broken, postwar caboose, and together we worked on painting the roof black. There was a bit of a learning curve, but he is very proud of it.

3 of my repaints. An ex K-line Pennsy S-2 and an ex Lionel Lionchief Santa Fe RS-3 both re-painted for the New York Central. Also an ex K-Line Pennsy Alco AA pair repainted for the Erie Railroad....

All very impressive. I hope there will be more. C,Sam, your E6 is spectacular, great lines.

These 2 were painted by my good friend here in Missouri, Harvey Owens.

Tom, your White Pass GE looks amazing. 

love weathering!

harmonyards posted:

love weathering!

Great weathering!

thank you sir, many moons ago, my dad had a huge hobby shop and I did a lot of custom weathering for his customers....im just now getting back into o gaugin' after a 20 year absence!......having the time of my life!

Here are some custom autoracks:

Last completion: a FP-7A and a F-7B.

#1329..............

Here is an MTH GE 44Tonner.  Great little engine!

David that turned out fantastic!

Started out as this...

But I stripped it and repainted it into this!

Crossing the huge cable bridge I built... that is now unused and on the floor along with the rest of the layout.  If anyone in the Memphis area wants this big cable bridge let me know!