I have pre-ordered a Legacy N&W J out of the '12 Vol II catalog. It is scheduled to ship in February and I expect to have it in early March ( generally Lionel has few shipping schedule problems on items scheduled t ship soon after catalog release).
I intend to repaint this loco in Union Pacific Greyhound. I know it is an iconic loco, and very pretty, too. But except for very rare exceptions (Vision Hudson, the Blue Comet which I bought just because it is painted so prettily, my lovely MTH French 241.A) everything on my layout not bought in UP or ATSF livery is repainted that way. I repainted my Southern Crescent in ATSF black, etc., and a GS-2 on order will become ATSF, too. This J will be no exception. Besides, the J will be stunning in Greyhound - I think it belongs in that scheme.
And yes, it is three months before I get the loco and do the repaint, but I like to think things through and let them sit on the mental shelf for a while, so to speak. Plus, I may by a shell or a used HO to practice variations on, sooner, etc.
I have come up with four Greyhound schemes for the J, below. Scheme 1 is most like those on the Challenger and other UP Greyhounds I looked at on line, but UP itself was flexible as to how it interpreted its paint scheme depending on loco (and apparently, sometimes just based on the whims of the painters, it seems). I like the scheme 1 less than the other three, but can't decide among them. Just interested in what others think is the prettiest: a beautiful look is all that matters here, obviously, since historical accuracy is rather moot.
