Up/sp

Bob Collins

Active Member
This is all very interesting to me. I have a couple of CNW units I plan to use with my UPRR power and another gentleman here in town had a display of his HO set up for an event the other day and remarked how ugly the DRGW unit was he has, so I immediately opened negotiations with him to buy it. I am awaiting his price.

Again, is anyone aware wether or not the patches are available for modelers?

trainworm; where in southwest Mo do you hang your hat?

Bob
 
The blasted patches are everywhere in the southwest... I have seen them on SP, DRGW and CNW units all over the place. I even saw a DRGW SD50 at Colton with the patch about a month ago. Now that hurt...:D
Greg, your pic is actually the first GP38-2 I have seen with a patch. UP seemed to run them through the paint booth whenever they got out to the Los Angeles area and all the ones I have seen had full armor yellow paint. Most of the GP38-2s I have gotten photos of are from the past couple years (post merger) and are posted on my site with the date of the photograph. Here are the GP38-2s:
http://www.trainweb.org/tomfassett/pics/sp_4000-5999.html

When I get some time, I will put up a page of just patched units. I have been really bad about scanning negatives and cataloguing digital photos so I currently have about 3,000 to go through. Maybe I can just get the patched units together...

Tom F;)
 
Originally posted by Bob Collins
By the way, those are two of the ugliest engines I have ever seen...:D :D

Bob

Bob, how can you even utter such a thing...:eek:
Oh well, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder... (sniff, sniff) :D

Tom F
 

Bob Collins

Active Member
Maybe I was too harsh and used the wrong word. Instead of ugly, would you buy into "abused?"

Someone said it earlier that the UPRR yellow doesn't seem to be as dirty as other colors. Black always seems to me to look dirty, whether it is SP or NW or whatever.

Bob
 

60103

Pooh Bah
Is it possible that patch priority was given to units whose numbers conflicted with UP units? That will have to be checked by someone more familiar with UP/SP, maybe someone who's actually seen one!
 

babydot94513

Member in training
Armour yellow paint and decals.

Originally posted by Bob Collins
Again, is anyone aware wether or not the patches are available for modelers?

trainworm; where in southwest Mo do you hang your hat?

Bob
 

Rusted

New Member
I snapped a photo (I think it is my picture, I collect from the internet, so sorry if I'm hogging someone else's credit) of an SP patched to UP AC4400 at the yard in Boone Iowa back in October (Day out with Thomas - my wife had to keep tugging me away from watching the double track mainline near by).

It is now UP 9599. I have the picture but I don't know how to attach it here. I'd be glad to share.

BTW, I do most of my railfanning in Mankato, Minnesota - we see a few SP painted locos go through - no camera of course on a day when an SD40-T went through. Some are patched, some are not.

I plan to patch an AC4400 SP dummy I have on my HO layout to UP 9599. No pics of that yet.
 

Rusted

New Member
The basement railroad is on a very tight budget also, mask over the old numbers leaving a rectangle, spray armour yellow, let dry, then microscale UP diesel engine number over that.

I've got two Kato SD45 SPs I hope to do the same with once I find a photo or two of prototype patched units.
 

Bob Collins

Active Member
Sounds like a great way to do it to me. We have talked on this thread about SP and CNWs being patched. Would you see a DRG done too if you were in the right place at the right time??

Bob
 

babydot94513

Member in training
I learned last night that Micro-Scale makes a patch inclusive of the numbers that you affix to the cab. No painting required. Just a little dullcoat to protect it.

Originally posted by Rusted
The basement railroad is on a very tight budget also, mask over the old numbers leaving a rectangle, spray armour yellow, let dry, then microscale UP diesel engine number over that.

I've got two Kato SD45 SPs I hope to do the same with once I find a photo or two of prototype patched units.
 

chapmon

New Member
Fellows:

Here in Longview, TX, we still see quite a few painted in SP livery. Most of the ones I've seen have the UP yellow patch on the cab with the number on top, but we still get quite a few thru trains with original SP/SSW paint and markings. Observation and memory wise, I think I've seen more GP60's than any other type, but have seen some Dash 9's and other GE modern 6 axle units.

We have several that are designated strictly for yard and local service, among them B23-7's and other 4 axle units (can't remember which).

Most of them are quite dirty, but I've seen a few that looked like they had been recently washed.

Mike
 

Bob Collins

Active Member
Greg;

What is the "Y" on the patch? Does that designate it as a yard engine? Looks to me like maybe it ought to have a "J" for junk!!

Bob
 
UP has two reporting marks for their engines. The UPY is for the engines designated as switchers or yard units. The SD38-2's used in hump service are UPY as are some of the GP15's. UP did this instead of using a five digit number for their engines.

Greg
 

60103

Pooh Bah
Weathered lettering

Note the way the Southern Pacific lettering has weathered. The extra layer of paint has given a bit of protection to the black underneath.
This would be hard to model. (Watch the next dozen posts as everyone proves me wrong.)
I've seen pictures of wooden cars where all the paint has disappeared except for the lettered areas and you can make out road names and such on otherwise bare wood.
 
David, it is well weathered, that is for sure. What you see is actually the primer showing through where the reflective letters wore off. A few years ago, I saw a set of HO decals that were red, to simulate this bit of weathering. I also saw a model where the end letters were white and central letters were the primer red. Then the guy painted some rust and soot to make it look like the engine had caught on fire. Did a real good job too. I think it was written up in RMC also.

Greg
 

Rusted

New Member
I saw some patched CNWs down in Boone Iowa, an SD60 I think. And have seen one or two CNWs up in the Twin Cities (AC4400) but none have rolled through Mankato yet - I hope one does, then I feel more free to model them on my layout (self imposed rules help curb spending).

I've yet to see any DRG in any of my midwestern travels.

I love that UPRR does this - helps me add variety to my somewhat prototypical layout.

(I recently saw 10 ex-BN SD40 type engines with FURN lettering roll through on the local Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern line. I was hoping to see them roll back through pulling freight cars, but haven't yet. Again, hoping they would become regulars for modeling purposes.)
 
Greg and Bob, you should be ashamed of yourselves... Crud? Junk? I think it's beautiful (except for that blasted patch)... :p :D
Greg, was that photo taken at the yard in Sparks? I looked all over when I was up there a couple of weeks ago and never found a single switcher. There has to be some lurking about... I also couldn't find many decent public places to get pictures of the yard area. Any pointers (since it's in your back yard)?

Tom F
 
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