LV black stripe width.

[scottychaos]

Ray,
yes, I have seen the 1/29 scale Alco PAs!
I own two of them!

http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/LVRR_PA.html

USA trains is supposed to come out with matching LV passeneger cars too!
they arent out yet though..
the cars wont be prototypical for the LV however.

the aristocraft Alco FAs in the LV scheme is ok...not great, but not bad.
I have an ABB set of those, still looking for one more A-unit to complete a ABBA set..(the LV scheme has been discontinued for a long time..can only find them on ebay)

the third Large scale LV diesel availble is the USA trains GP38-2..
and its paintscheme is an absolute disaster..its so bad I wont even consider buying one.
(I might however paint my own LV GP38-2's from scratch!)
first, they used the GP38AC scheme, no nose stripes,
the nose diamond is far too large.
the red they picked is almost a dull brown,
and the Lehigh Valley lettering down the side is far too fat and large...
its like they did no research at all!
I complained SO much about that paintscheme over the years, that I think USA trains went all-out to make sure they did a much better job with the PAs!! (well..it probably had nothing to do with me in reality..but I sure did let everyone know how terrible it is!
and im sure the train makers watch the forums for talk about their products..)
here is the USA trains GP38-2...terrible.
http://www.usatrains.com/r22202.html
but the Alco PAs are gorgeous!!

I have never been into O-scale, so I dont even know what is available in that scale..
but im considering jumping into some On2 Maine 2-foot modeling..
if I do, I will also need some O-scale standard gauge!! hmmm!!

I use photoshop 6 to create the decals, and also to "paint" the drawing and transfer the decals to the drawing.
I dont know how to do it with any other program.
I suppose "MS paint" could be used to fill in some color with the drop bucket..
not terribly versitile, but it could work.
I dont think you could do any lettering with it though..

the drawings come from here:
http://paintshop.railfan.net/

Scot

[scottychaos]

Scot.

What a mess. I just hope someone in addition to MTH picks up the 1/32 line. It would make great sense in the future when the "Garden Railroaders" get serious and want to approximate the real thing. Right now it seems hopeless.

I was once against 1/29, when I first found out what was wrong with it..
but now I accept it fully!
when new diesels come out, I hope they remain in 1/29 and not 1/32.
for example, no Alco Centuries yet exist in Large Scale.
when one does come out, I REALLY hope its 1/29 and not 1/32!
because im fully entrentched in 1/29 now, (as are most Large Scale diesel modelers) and 1/32 will be too small to go with anything else I have.

I think MTH would be smart to abandon 1/32 and switch over to 1/29.
1/29 is growing, 1/32 is dying.
(except for 1/32 live steam)

LGB just came out with an Amtrak Genesis locomotive..
LGB has traditionally been known for not having a well defined scale..
but this new Genesis locomotive is...1/29!
they know where the future lies.

and..all the 1/29 models are MUCH more accurate and detailed models than the 1/32 MTH diesels...MTH makes "toy trains"..
the Aristocraft, USA trains, and now LGB 1/29 scale diesels are highly detailed scale models.
they are all correct 1/29 scale in every dimension except one,
the wheels are slightly too close together.
thats it..everything else is 1/29 except the gauge.
I dont think its noticable myself.

it took me a few years, but I have swung a full 180 around and now fully accept and support 1/29 scale...
when at first I was very against it.
the incorrect gauge is a small price to pay for such great models.
I would rather have an "incorrect" highly detailed 1/29 scale model than a "toy train" with a swinging pilot in the "correct" 1/32 scale..

This is how I picture 1/29 scale diesel models and modeling:
http://gold.mylargescale.com/mhutson/Ma ... 2_GP30.jpg
(yes, those are 1/29 models!)


this is how I think about 1/32 scale diesel models and modeling:
http://www.tcamembers.org/articles/layo ... /lay75.jpg

no contest!

Scot

[GRSJr]

Scot,

Thanks. The PA is beauiful, but man is that BIG. I guess I'll wait for an O-sca;e 2-rail model.

I'll look into Paint Shop. Is the learning curve steep?

[scottychaos]

anyone know what the cab interior color should be?
(SW1 in the 3-stripe scheme..1950's)

im assuming the standard 1950's institutional green..
but anyone know for certain?

thanks,
Scot

[GRSJr]

Don't know for sure Scott, but your assumption is probably correct. When I joined IBM in 1951, the entire interior of both plant and laboratory was painted this shade of green. We called it "Watson Green" after the founder of IBM.

There must have been a sale on the paint somewhere between Endicott and Sayre.

Thank goodness they introduced some color variation about 1958-60. It was getting rather puky looking at the sickly green every day.

[GOLDEN-ARM]

That same "apple green" that the units were delivered in, was the interior color of choice, well into even the Conrail years, when a mediun grey became the replacement color. Pictures in the various LV books sometimes include a color interior shot, and the color is always the same. Look at Tony Jules, working carfloat operations in NJ, for a great shot of that color, in a early SW unit. My color shots of a C-628 interior, from 1972 show that same color, whether it was applied by Schenectady, or Sayre, I can't say, but it's nearly identical, if not identical. Regards

[GRSJr]

Scot. wrote:

I was once against 1/29, when I first found out what was wrong with it..
but now I accept it fully!
when new diesels come out, I hope they remain in 1/29 and not 1/32.
for example, no Alco Centuries yet exist in Large Scale.
when one does come out, I REALLY hope its 1/29 and not 1/32!
because im fully entrentched in 1/29 now, (as are most Large Scale diesel modelers) and 1/32 will be too small to go with anything else I have.

I think MTH would be smart to abandon 1/32 and switch over to 1/29.
1/29 is growing, 1/32 is dying.
(except for 1/32 live steam)

LGB just came out with an Amtrak Genesis locomotive..
LGB has traditionally been known for not having a well defined scale..
but this new Genesis locomotive is...1/29!
they know where the future lies.

and..all the 1/29 models are MUCH more accurate and detailed models than the 1/32 MTH diesels...MTH makes "toy trains"..
the Aristocraft, USA trains, and now LGB 1/29 scale diesels are highly detailed scale models.
they are all correct 1/29 scale in every dimension except one,
the wheels are slightly too close together.
thats it..everything else is 1/29 except the gauge.
I dont think its noticable myself.

it took me a few years, but I have swung a full 180 around and now fully accept and support 1/29 scale...
when at first I was very against it.
the incorrect gauge is a small price to pay for such great models.
I would rather have an "incorrect" highly detailed 1/29 scale model than a "toy train" with a swinging pilot in the "correct" 1/32 scale..

This is how I picture 1/29 scale diesel models and modeling:
http://gold.mylargescale.com/mhutson/Ma ... 2_GP30.jpg
(yes, those are 1/29 models!)

this is how I think about 1/32 scale diesel models and modeling:
http://www.tcamembers.org/articles/layo ... /lay75.jpg
no contest!

I'm not high on 3-rail stuff either, but that's hardly a fair comparison.

OK. We have to live with what the manufacturers make, but we don't have to like it. I like the bodies too, but why not proper track.

Why worry about a stripe width if the track gauge is way off? At least it's to nsrrow rather than too wide. One could start a new thing and lay correctly gauged track in 1/29 scale, move the wheels out a tad, and have a proper 1/29 railroad. 0.067, about 1/64" should do it.

We could call it fine-scale 29.
If this caught on, maybe the manufacturers would make 1/29 scale track with the proper rail profile.

I know, I'm a dreamer.

[scottychaos]

I'm not high on 3-rail stuff either, but that's hardly a fair comparison.

OK. We have to live with what the manufacturers make, but we don't have to like it. I like the bodies too, but why not proper track.

Why worry about a stripe width if the track gauge is way off? At least it's to nsrrow rather than too wide. One could start a new thing and lay correctly gauged track in 1/29 scale, move the wheels out a tad, and have a proper 1/29 railroad. 0.067, about 1/64" should do it.

We could call it fine-scale 29.
If this caught on, maybe the manufacturers would make 1/29 scale track with the proper rail profile.

I know, I'm a dreamer.

well...the gauge isnt "way" off..
its off 4mm total.
2mm on each side.
the gauge is 45mm, and it "should" be 49mm.
you cant see it!
Someone looking at a 1/29 scale locomotive will NEVER notice the gauge is too narrow if they didnt know it was..
and even if they do know, they still wont be able to "see" it..

the correct stripe width is FAR more noticable than the gauge..

correct rail for 1/29 scale is a cool idea..but no one will ever try it.
because nothing else in large scale will able to run on those tracks.
its just not worth the effort for so little gain..

On30 trying to pass for 3-foot gauge is FAR more "off" and noticable than the 1/29 gauge issue.

Scot

[GRSJr]

Scott,

Your arguments on 1/29 vs 1/32 are convincing. I still fret because 1/32 is so nice for English measurements, but I have to agree that accomodating 1/29 is no different than O scale vs Q scale.

So. Viva 1/29. Thanks for your insight into this mess.

[GRSJr]

I believe LV had some NW2 locos. How does the USA model stack up? Would it make a nice model? I have the painting drawings for them.

[GOLDEN-ARM]

LV 180-186 were the NW-2's, on the roster. Ample opportunity to model all seven, if you are so inclined. (I was ) Regards