Current PAR High Hood Paint Scheme

I am going to paint a GP-9 in PAR Blue , and I would like to get it as close to what it might have been had they painted 71, 72 or 77 (which, from what I can tell, are all still running but in the 'Guilford' paint scheme). It seems that there have been several variants on graphics as the locomotives have been repainted. Using the photos in the PAR 2011 Calendar, I am inclined to use the February 2011 picture of the 370 ( and the photo posted on NERAIL on 9 May 2011) as the example to follow. Specifically, I am planning on:
Pan Am front globe about halfway up the front hood (nose)
Large number under cab window, "ST" letters below
Winged globe slightly behind the cab
Pan Am leaning back ( leaning back towards the back end on both sides)
American flag at the back end. aligned in the correct direction.

I would appreciate it very much, if the above is incorrect, as to what the correct should be, extrapolated to a GP-9

Peter McArdle
York, Maine

Sounds about right.

PAR switched the engineers side font to lean forward. So the same font is now used on both sides of the locomotive. From what I understand, this is because when the saw the OCS with the font always leaning to the back of the locomotive they realized it was kinda silly. In theory its nice to have it wind swept, but really, it doesn't work on the rails.

So if the unit is going to be weathered, run the font leaning back, so denote an 'older' par repaint. a lightly weahtered model should have font always leaning as if italicized, forward on the engineers side, back on the conductors side-to denote a more recent repaint.

On GP40's the PAR globe and wings on the fireman's side are on the turbo housing and are directly of equal distance from the cab on the other side of the unit. Of course GP9's have no turbo housing so use best judgement. I think (if its HO) I would put them about 1/2 of an inch behind the cab . From pictures of the 370 the flag front is under the rearmost set of latches fr the hood doors, if you're worried about placement...I still wish they would put the flag up on the cab in front of the window as on Guilford units.

Their are plenty of PAR decal sheets (I'm sure your aware of this) that have the proper fonts.

Hope I actually helped! Sounds like quite the project, and something we would all like to see on a real GP9. Please, post some pictures when you have the model done!

Thanks KSmitty for the information.

OK, what I understand from your info is, a recent repaint will have the letters such that with back-to-back engines, the fonts all lean the same way -towards the rear of the train -but with the older paint scheme, the back-to-back engines will have the "Pan Am Railroads" lean toward each other (engine on the point has Pan Am leaning to the rear, engine back to back has Pan Am leaning towards the point engine).
As I am painting three of these O-Scale engines, I will have to decide how I want them to look, because one is a dummy and will always be lashed to one of the other, powered units.

I have seen photos of the lashups with both combinations; All leaning the same way would seem to work better with three locos tied together, rather than righty..lefty...righty (or lefty..righty..lefty)

Decisions, Decisions...

Peter McArdle
York, Maine

Yes, and on the other side of the train all the letters lean toward the front of the train.

It creates a more uniform look, even though opposite side of unit have opposite facing text. The railroad went with this because it does look better.

Here are some additional examples of high-nose units in PAR paint that you might find helpful in your modeling project:

378:
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=2337936

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=2378310


382:
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=2030292

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=2106261

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=2318674

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=1974820

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=2318677


The biggest challenge will be all those vents/louvers found on the sides of GP9s. Even in real life, they can have a negative impact on how the lettering/logos look, as seen with these shots of ST 77:

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=1948540

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=2157212

Thanks for the pictures, esp side views of ST 77. I don't have the models yet (later this week), but I anticipate that the vent louvers will be a problem, something to deal with. I notice the twin horns on 77 are short hood end, this leads me to believe that they were run short hood forward ( I could not make out any "F" on the deck). The NERAIL photos of the three Geeps on 10/23/2010 also show short hood forward. (The New Haven ran long hoods forward.)

Out of curiosity, is there any thought that these units will ever be painted in the new blue scheme?

Peter McArdle
York, Maine

Yes, they are operated short hood forward. There is an F, it's just not particularly easy to see, but it's there!

I would be surprised if any of the GP9s are repainted, but stranger things have happened. You never know with this company. They're full of surprises.

I now have the models to repaint; I have a question on the horns. Based on the pictures that I have seen, both above, elsewhere on NERAIL and on another locomotive photo website, it appears the Guilford/PAR GP-9s had two horns - one a large bell, the other a smaller bell-, and on some photos it looks like they both face forward; or am I seeing one forward, one back, being fooled by the round back end of the horn? Anything definitive would be helpful' I am inclined to have a horn face in each direction because that is the practice I have seen elewhere, and it seems to make sense.

Peter McArdle
York, Maine

Horns are a tricky issue because they can (and do) change at any time. If a horn stops working, usually they'll just swap it out with a different horn, rather than repair it in-place. There is no guarantee that the replacement horn will be the same make and model; it'll be whatever they have on hand at the shop. Locomotive horns are also a big target for theft, which is another reason why a locomotive might have one type of horn today and a different type of horn tomorrow.

For example, here is ST 77 in 2006 with a Leslie S5T horn: http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=645029

And here is ST 77 in 2010 with a Nathan K3L ("borrowed" from one of the 500s): http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=2295680


Some of the GP9s actually have two sets of horns. This setup dates back to the B&M days. The original configuration was to have a Leslie S25 single-chime horn on the long hood, and either a Leslie S3L or Nathan M3 three-chime horn at the front of the locomotive. That configuration can be seen in this photo of ST 52 -- the rear-facing Leslie S25 is visible just forward of the first exhaust stack: http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=706788

This vintage photo of BM 1702 is another example of that configuration: http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=342810

More info about PAR's many different types of horns can be found at: PAR air horns

How are the models coming along, Mr. Mick? I can't wait to see pictures!

""I would be surprised if any of the GP9s are repainted, but stranger things have happened. You never know with this company. They're full of surprises.""

Actually, keep your eyes out for a big surprisefrom them.....concerning the geeps.

I have seen the (Pan Am Ry) posts on both the GP thread and the OCS thread...it looks like ST 52 - if you can believe rumors- is going to come out of the shops looking a little different. I have already painted the shells with Tru Color Pan Am blue, and I am ready to add the High Ball Graphics decals, but I have changed the engine numbers to 77, 72 and 51. I been draggin' my feet, but not slow enough. I will probably complete these as planned...and maybe the next one will be like ST 52, depending on the final outcome.

Peter McArdle
York, Maine