Modeling articles

[NW Modeling List]

Dean:

One problem faced by most modelers of steam era settings is lack of authoritative color information.  N&W modelers might have less of a problem with this than modelers of other railroads, since N&W ran steam much later nearly any other railroads, and certainly after stable color films (albeit low ISO-rating) were available to the average photographer.  So there is an excellent color record of Y-6, J, A, and S-1 exteriors.  But I’d appreciate a single source of definitive information about cab interior colors, standards for painting cab controls, lettering guides (especially the capacity lettering for all classes of tenders, and for small safety notices)—for both N&W and VGN locos.

Now that I’ve written this, I realize that there would be interest in definitive data of this sort for all the NS legacy railroads as well—and many of the legacy roads didn’t run steam when stable color films were available to the average photographer, so the relative need is even higher for modelers of those roads.

I would also appreciate color guides (and paint mixing guides?) for passenger car and MOW equipment interiors.  There is probably even a modeler or two who would appreciate definitive diesel cab interior color information; I know I’d like that info for N&W and VGN electric locos.

For layout accuracy, a color guide for standard and exception structures would be broadly beneficial.  Same for ballast colors on the various N&W and VGN branches.  For extra credit, the guide could address how the paint colors aged over time.

As a wild idea, somebody living close to each branch could take current photographs of foliage in different seasons around that branch—which would give all modelers a completely authentic photographic standard for any modeling era.

The NHRTIA published a very high accuracy (but dissapointingly incomplete) set of color chips for the NYNH&H railroad.  These were pretty expensive, but a great resource.  The intent was to add additional NH colors to the chips available for purchase until all the NH colors were represented (and oh, my there was a bunch of them!), but I don’t think any were produced.

I suspect that NHRTIA didn’t find the color chip project economically viable, and can’t recommend that the Society try this approach despite that I would be ecstatic to have such a resource for N&W and VGN.  But maybe the Society could achieve a consensus on how to represent the authentic colors with reasonable accuracy, using today’s modeling paints.

-Eric Bott

From: NW-Modeling-List [mailto:nw-modeling-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Modeling List
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2016 7:56
To: NW Modeling List
Subject: Modeling articles

Hey guys the talk among friends and the Arrow staff are looking for modeling ideas and articles. I am going to do some articles on the building of my layout based on the Bluestone branch and hope to touch on some topics for other branches as well. Also check out Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine. It is a free E-mag and has some great stuff in it. Thanks Dean Taylor email me at
taylor at nwhs.org<mailto:taylor at nwhs.org>
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