Does anybody here do affordable custom painting? I need an old Atlas F unit painted into the Monon Passenger colors. I have pics of the unit I am trying to match. The unit is Indiana Transportation Museum's Ex Milw Rd number 83A. Thier version of the Monon colors has a few devations on the lettering, combines a few features from the two different variations of the Cream and Crimson paint scheme. I would do a bit of detailing prior to painting, mainly the single blat horn with a 3 chime over the engineer's head, and a winterization hatch. The decals would have to be made as I do not think anybody does the passenger decals in O scale, HO yes, but the only O scale set I can find is the black/gold freight units. Also looking for NKP GP9 decals for the full striped units. Thanks Mike

HudsonMike,
Check GREAT DECALS, they list decals for NKP diesel units. Monon decals for the freight F units (Purdue colors) are available from Microscale, the passenger F units(IU colors)are not available even from the Monon Historical Society. I might have the paint colors for the passenger locomotive and a source for some of the passenger locomotive decals. I plan to model the Monon freight and passenger locomtives by repainting Williams F-3 engines.

John

Kewl. I would only need one set right now. Thier other F unit is a FP7 so thats a bit more difficult to model. Right now I plan to model the 83A and the GP9 #1751 of the Central Railroad of Indianapolis as they looked in the early 90's when they took over the operation of the IMC/Cloverleaf district of the NKP from the NS. Mike

Mike,

From AMS,"Prototype Railroad Color Guide",1982,Monon passenger locomotive has Scalecoat(Weaver)red paint SC26, gray was Floquil RR131/Scalecoat 1 part 68 and 1 part 65(1 to 1 mixture),white was Floquil RR11 and black was Floquil RR10.
Decals are a problem, used Microscale 48-109 Monon F-3 Units,freight, and Walthers Monon O scale decals. For passenger cars use HO decals by Microscale,decal set 8705,Monon herald and logo close to size in this assorted set. Had identical problems locating decals for the C&EI and EJ&E. I remember the Monon passing thru St.John,Dyer,Munster and Hammond.I grew up in Chicago Heights,IL., in the 1950's and I also remember the C&EI and EJ&E.

John

The first diesel up for painting will be this one. CERA GP9, ex MKT unit. I plan to bash a Red Caboose GP kit, add a P&D drive train upgrade with brass trucks, working single pulse white roof strobe. I will need decals made for it, mainly the road name and road numbers. I know when I did a model in HO for this loco, I used a Penn Central decal set, wasnt for a locomotive though, but you could use the word "Central" and make the tails for the C and the L from the word "Penn". The road numbers came from another set that I cant remember, its a standard RR font, just slanted "speed lettering" style. The red strip is easly done. Now if that darn Scale Hudson would sell. The second pic is mainly to show the road name styling, but I do plan to model that engine as well in time. Mike

Mike,
Going back to the MONON decals, I conducted detailed searchs on the web for passenger locomotive "O" scale decals to no avail. The MONON lettering, being slanted, is neither Railroad Roman or Gothic. Custom decals would have to be made which are cost prohibitive for myself.

John

I know, thats the problem, making the decals custom gets pricy, I am hoping with the newer F units from Atas coming out, that we might just see a Monon unit in there one day, or atleast decals. Mike

Mike,

I agree, like to see AtlasO offer the "F" units in the MONON Indiana University colors and the C&EI in the University of Illinois color,blue and orange,as initially delivered. The major problem with producing the "F" units in these colors is that although both railroads were Class I they were basically regional railroads in Indiana and Illinois that interchanged with other national railroads such as NKP,Wabash,Erie,Erie-Lackwanna,NYC,etc.

John

I still see someone, if not atlas itself doing those road names. If Athearn can do a Monon cream and crimison factory paint job, it was a short run and the models command a huge price on ebay when they so up. The local hobby shop has an AA set of them that if I wasnt going O scale and larger, I would buy in an instant. Mike

If you have access to a scanner and color printer set-up perhaps making your own decals would be the best way to go, alternately cutting a stencil, mounting and spraying a stock sheet can work too.
On a different note; have any plans to do up some of those converted hospital cars for some matching passenger equipment? Walthers made some kits in the sixties.