The discussion of engine/road-specific details made me thing of what happens to locomotives over their service lives -- they get modified/wrecked/repaired/upgraded. The reason I mention this is because if you look at an as-delivered photo of a locomotive and compare it to the last [known] photo before retirement/scrapping, they can appear completely different. Examples of things that happen include:
- Relocation of bells
- Relocation of horns
- Rebuilds/upgrades that impact the exterior. Don't get me started on CF7's and SD45B's.
- Addition/removal/relocation of lights (you find a lot of ATSF diesels with the headlights relocated from the top of the cab to the end of the short hood with a cover plate where the lights used to be)
- Cab changes (there are a lot of GP7's/GP9s in service with chopped noses or outright replaced cabs). Look up the original "Beep" on a Santa Fe site.
- Truck change-outs. Santa Fe had a C-30 that had a mixed pair of trucks.
- Addition of roof-top AC units.
The changes aren't necessarily to a specific model, but may apply to a single locomotive during its lifetime.
As to color, lighting when the photo was taking, exposure, paint fading, dirt/weathering, etc. can influence what you see. Don't get me started on CNW Zito Yellow.
I think 3rd rail did a great job on the units and the fact they've even gone for road-specific details is a big plus. Even MTH has done that one some models like the GP38-2's, but nobody's perfect.
