Southern Pacific SD7 or 9 where to find decals?

Microscale Decals #48-7, Southern Pacific Diesel Hood Units (1970s-1991). Check with P&D Hobbies they usually have them, ask for Pat. 

The photos show locos painted in the "Bloody Nose" scheme.

The earlier scheme was called the "Black Widow".

Which one do you want to do?

Jay

Tks prefer the earlier scheme, not as many photos out there.

Depends on what I can find for decals ordering a couple of different sets of what Walters has in stock will see what might work.

As anyone done the Black Widow scheme in O Gauge??

 "anyone done the Black Widow scheme in O Gauge??"

   There's lots of nice Red Caboose black widow GP9's around if you could use one of those, also likely some  F-3 and F-7  models from P&D. Scale SD7 and SD9 were only made in brass as far as I know so would be harder to find. As usually the HO scale boys have it made with almost everything SP done in multiple paint schemes....DaveB

Microscale made spectacular tigerstripe decals.  Since orange is a bit translucent, it took two sets to do a really good job.  Alas, they are sold out, and apparently not inclined to do more.

MTH made both Black widow and Red / Gray SD9.

No SD7 though.

To unknown (kj356),

I found a set of Champ E-100 decals for the Black Widow paint scheme.  Maybe not up to the level of MS but not bad.

Sometimes we have to take what we can find.  Please let me know if you're interested.

Jay

Oh yeah, Protocal made a nice set for the Tiger Stripe scheme and I found a set but it looks to be missing one of the strips that goes along the bottom of the frame.

Jay

Interesting.

I am now planning a fictitious railroad in HO for this fall ..... I was going to use Microscale SP tiger stripe decals for my engines. And, I was wondering if such light colored decals were going to be a problem on solid black engines.

Not really, but they look way more realistic if you double them.

 "now planning a fictitious railroad in HO for this fall ..... I was going to use Microscale SP tiger stripe decals for my engines. And, I was wondering if such light colored decals were going to be a problem on solid black engines."

     Unless you want a oddball loco you should be able to buy factory painted HO locos in the tiger stripe as well as black widow paint scheme. Here's an Athearn baldwin decaled with the ME orange decals over a black base coat. I did it about 30 years ago before all these nice ready to run locos were available, if I wanted one now I'd go out and buy a factory painted job :> ......DaveB

Many thanks for the suggestions and help.

Perhaps I will share my project with you.

I picked up the SP 4449 with the extra tender from MTH years ago after many rides and photo trips on this stunning engine just had to have it for my fleet.

I picked it up in 2 rail scale but it does not have much pulling power.

I pull a string of colorful scale billboard ice reefers with it and found a couple of SP cabooses to use, converted to 2 rail scale wheels.

Again the engine does not pull much weight, I normally just run it in a loop all the room I  have at home in the basement or on a large loop on a floor layout at shows. I really need more pulling power so I was looking at ideas for a pusher to help.

I found at a show quite cheap a Weaver E8 SP shell, looks good similar paint scheme to the engine at the California Railway museum.

Thought perhaps I would power this and use it as a booster engine with 4449.

But recently I came across a MTH Southern SD45 High hood for $150 a steal; low miles and full DCS proto 3 nice engine pulls like a tank. I picked up some 3 to 2 scale wheels sets they just swap right in for scale wheels.

I thought perhaps this would work well with the MTH Proto 2 4449 Steam engine using it as a pretend SD7 or 9 like SP used to run.

Thus I used an old Williams frame and picked up some dummy 2 rail trucks for the SPE8

And am now trying to come up with a paint scheme for the SD45 that will be close enough to the other 2 engines for a nice looking train. Perhaps as a pusher further back in the train? Again it is just more for a fun train some color to run at shows or just to look at running a long string of colorful billboard ice reefers on a loop all the room I have on my home layout.

I think this photo is what I am hoping to paint it up to nice looking scheme, think it will work best with other engines for era etc.

http://www.railpictures.net/vi...93637&showexif=1

I should be able to mask off for the silver paint but the orange perhaps with some orange pin striping or mask and paint if I can not find the decals.

This engine is a SD9 at the Niles Canyon Railway;

http://www.ncry.org/content.as...id=137782&actr=4

Will see how the decals look that I ordered if they work the White SP lettering is the most important part.

 "now trying to come up with a paint scheme for the SD24 that will be close enough to the other 2 engines for a nice looking train"

    I've seen the 4449 run with a gray and red bloody nose diesel providing brakes and back up power and in the old days they probably ran with Black widow helpers at times( I never saw a GS with helpers but passenger train helpers were used at times and the Black widow paint scheme was in it's glory) so I'd just paint it what appeals to you the most( or easier still pretend it's on a back east swing and leave the loco in SRR paint)...DaveB

Actually, SP4449 has used diesel helpers on the point, only on the modern era of excursions, i.e. post 1981, and then pretty much any diesels the SP had available.

Back in the "days of steam", about the only territory the various Coast Daylight trains required helpers was westbound out of San Louis Obisbo, ascending Questa Grade, and those were rarely diesels (primarily 2-8-0s, 2-8-2s, or 2-10-2s).

There was a pseudo-Daylight painted hood Diesel on the SP for a while.  Maybe a photo of that will be just what you need.

Here you go:

http://rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=7598

There you go. However it is NOT an SD7/SD9, and was painted up that way specifically to be a helper on the 1984 New Orleans Worlds Fair Daylight.

Now that's just flat out ugly.

I think it was St. Louis Southwestern (SSW) that had the SP's sole GP7.  I also think it was the only hood painted in anything close to "Daylight".

Jay

True.  It is still a "Pseudo-Daylight-painted hood unit". Just a suggestion for adding color.

Here is one of my earliest attempts at painting - the stripes are Testor's "Pla" from the 1960s, the decals are Champ.  You can see how the black sort of shows through decal orange.

To stop that, you need either double decals, or decals that are first printed in white, then overlayed in orange.  Yellow is the worst; you cannot decal dark paint with yellow unless there is a white undercoat.

Using a couple of colors and calling it "DayLight" doesn't make it so.  This is what SSW called Dalight for their GP7.

http://www.southernpacificmode...51608b&mode=view

Jay

Hot Water,

I corrected my original message after I confirmed it wasn't T&NO but SSW that had SP's GP7.  As far as I know it was the only hood unit ever painted in anything close to Daylight.

Jay

Like the project idea. Just a couple of things. SP never owned SD 24s. The next thing is the Southern engine in your photo looks more like a High nose SD 35 or SD 45. The give away is the roof details. More importantly the SD24 had a bank of air tanks on the roof behind the cab, If you paint the engine in the scheme that's on the SD44R( rebuilt SD45 ) you won't be wrong other than the high hood.

Tks for the feed back.

I looked at the box again yes sorry this is an SD45 more modern engine.

SD24 was another engine on the layout, I picked up a bunch of engines for $150 each MTH premier from an estate sale all with low miles trying to find jobs for them on the layout.

Anyways think the Black Widow scheme will be close enough, with black paint and my fantasy railway for the price $150 this will do as my fantasy pretend SD7/9 pusher, it will look pretty running in circles on a loop of track at shows. Most people will not know and most will be looking at the steam engine and colorful box cars.

Perhaps I can pretend it is modern day excursion or photo train with the current SP 4449, SP  E8/9 from the California Railway museum and a pretend SD 7 from the Niles Canyon Railway!

It was black and looks like an easy repaint project! Just want the 4449 running with a long train that is the goal!

Have a vast collection of scale stuff with correct paint in other road names.

Here are some photos of the SD9 at Niles canyon that I came across.

Guess this will be my target engine.

http://www.railpictures.net/sh...oad_number=SP%205472

I like the way you think. After all is this why were we do what we do? It's all about having fun and a temporary escape from reality and stress relief. My email is in my profile. Have a question.

Guy is looking for a set of decals, I find a set, offer them to him and then nothing.  I must be in my invisible, stealth, mode and I don't even know it. 

This is why posting here sometimes feels like a waste of time.

Jay

Jay C sorry for not saying specifically thanks for the offer.

But as I said I am going to see what I get when it comes next week had ordered a couple of sets from Walters through my local hobby shop if they work fine, if not will be perhaps contact you about your decal set.

Thanks again for the offer.

kj356,

That's fine, it would be nice to be advised.  You don't know me, nor I you.  It also so follows that the largest majority of folks on this forum don't know me.....Why should they?

I have a huge collection of pieces & parts collected over the years.  Typically when someone is looking for something I'll go out of my way to assist, if possible.  When I can help I rarely charge for the item(s) or the shipping.  It just seems like the right thing to do.  Having said that, sometimes it takes quite a while to find the item(s).  To be frank, I do it for the pleasure of helping.

I guess the raw nerve for me is to spend the time looking for whatever, offering it and hearing nothing.  Guess I'm just getting cranky in my old age.

Anyway, the offer still stands.

Jay

ps nothing pointed towards you but I do wish folks would sign their name so I know who I'm talking to.  I fully realize it's not required on this forum.  See old cranky guy is still here.

Thanks, Bob. Have you ever used white decals? Are they more opaque? Maybe over a red body, vs a black body?

Microscale sells barricade stripes, along with the stripes for the side sills, in various colors. I want to choose a color combination that is not too complicated. Lol.

(And, that's a great job on that EMD switcher, especially for one of your "earliest attempts!")

Jim