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When I was born, my family lived a literal "stones throw" from a busy B&O line in Cincinnati and a short walk to the B&O main in Winton Place. As a very small boy, my dad would frequently take me trackside to the busy Winton Place station to watch the passing B&O, NYC, PRR and N&W action. Though I have no specific memories of equipment or road names, I do recall steam locomotives and the passage of passenger trains. Oh, that photographs could have been taken, but alas, as is often the case, it was probably assumed and taken for granted that the railroad landscape would remain virtually unchanged for the foreseeable future.

As a young boy in the '50s, it was a tradition for my dad and I to go to the B&O model train exhibit at Christmas which was then located for years in downtown Cincinnati at the CG&E headquarters at 4th & Main Sts.

In hindsight, these and many other instances are no doubt responsible for my affinity for things B&O.

Paul

Attachments

Images (8)
  • B&O caboose 9
  • B&O F-3  a
  • B&O S-1a
  • Main Line-East 1
  • Main Line-West 3
  • Palmer Supply 2
  • station platform 6
  • Big Six [1]

This from my YouTube Channel / Published May 11, 2017 • Playtime 6 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b11FINkEzwE

I saw this locomotive at "The B&O Railroad Museum". This is a museum exhibiting historic railroad equipment in Baltimore, Maryland, originally named the Baltimore & Ohio Transportation.

This video is a product review, MTH / RailKing Streamlined Hudson, also called C&O Yellowbelly, on a Lionel train layout. I also talk about the MTH Handheld Controller upgrade to 6.0 & the B&O Railroad Museum.

Gary

c.sam posted:

There are K-Line's 15" cars, 4 of them. They didn't produce any additional for this set.

IMG_2075

 

I'm in the same boat, so to speak.  I have this 15" set.  I regret that K-Line dropped its fire before they made additional coaches, sleepers, ...even a strata-dome in Beano colors.  I'm entrenched in the 15" passenger paradigm for a variety of reasons I'll not bore everyone with, so 18"...or bigger...are not an optional alternative for me.

OTOH, this situation has tempted me to find a smooth-side K-Line set of 15-inchers in another road having an appropriate mix of car styles which I could (GULP and GASP!) strip and repaint in Beano Blue & Gray.  Yeah, the matching lettering would be another hand-wringer, but my cardiologist sez I'd survive the ordeal.....('But don't push it much longer!')

So many temptations.....so little time.

Have noticed in some of the photos posted here that the different companies use different shades of gray on their B&O equipment. Having 'grown up' with the handsome Lionel 2368 F3, I've always preferred a light shade without having knowledge of the prototype colors which I gather are considerably darker - both the gray AND the blue.

Look how light they look here. Obviously, photos can be non-conclusive.

200722735512_BO F3 ABBA 84

Who produces the closest to true B&O colors?

Attachments

Images (1)
  • 200722735512_BO F3 ABBA 84
c.sam posted:

Have noticed in some of the photos posted here that the different companies use different shades of gray on their B&O equipment. Having 'grown up' with the handsome Lionel 2368 F3, I've always preferred a light shade without having knowledge of the prototype colors which I gather are considerably darker - both the gray AND the blue.

Look how light they look here. Obviously, photos can be non-conclusive.

200722735512_BO F3 ABBA 84

Who produces the closest to true B&O colors?

...in comparison to what?  Beano color chips?  Fresh paint?  Oxidized/aged paint?  Factory delivery?  Regional paint shop/crew?  In sunlight?  In shadow?  Freshly washed equipment?  Dirty/grimy equipment?  Sunglasses?  Through tears at departures?  Combinations and permutations of aforementioned?  And, last but not least in color-fidelity discussions, "et cetera, et cetera, et cetera!", "Yada, yada, yada!", and "Blah, blah, blah!"

I grew up in D.C..  Dad rode the Beano on business.  The family rode the Beano to Chicago and back every year on our way to Mom's family in Wisconsin.  I've got Beano in de blood, so to speak.  Most of the blue&gray products of recent (20 years past) production...HO, N, and O...look good to this aging memory.  Of course, there's always the Baltimore museum of Beano treasures to reference in such enigmatic conundrums.

No disrespect, C.Sam, but I've always considered the 2368 and Williams version of the same as too light on the gray, and they 'blew the blue'.  OTOH, since they are on the toy end of the O3R spectrum, who cares?

But I'm not a picker of nitz, so I love 'em all!!  It's the celebration of a great railroad and it's history that I enjoy as part of the hobby.  

MHO, of course.

KD

KD.  I am finding myself drifting more and more to wanting to be more accurate in my railroading. I had the MTH B&O E6 passenger set some years ago and it seemed way to dark to me at the time. At present I have the Lionel B&O RS16s and the K-Line 15" cars posted above which I like better now.

Don't want to end up a 'picker of nits' either!  :-)

c.sam posted:

Have noticed in some of the photos posted here that the different companies use different shades of gray on their B&O equipment. Having 'grown up' with the handsome Lionel 2368 F3, I've always preferred a light shade without having knowledge of the prototype colors which I gather are considerably darker - both the gray AND the blue.

Look how light they look here. Obviously, photos can be non-conclusive.

200722735512_BO F3 ABBA 84

Who produces the closest to true B&O colors?

Sam, it appears as these Lionel units would be spot on in the same sun light situation.

IMG_4853

Attachments

Images (1)
  • IMG_4853

I think you may be correct Ron.  My Legacy Sharks have a nice rich blue and the gray is not overly dark.  The gray on most models appears too dark to me which is a just a personal preference, I'll admit. I have some photos of them somewhere and will try to post them soon

Last edited by c.sam
B&O/best&only posted:

When I was born, my family lived a literal "stones throw" from a busy B&O line in Cincinnati and a short walk to the B&O main in Winton Place. As a very small boy, my dad would frequently take me trackside to the busy Winton Place station to watch the passing B&O, NYC, PRR and N&W action. Though I have no specific memories of equipment or road names, I do recall steam locomotives and the passage of passenger trains. Oh, that photographs could have been taken, but alas, as is often the case, it was probably assumed and taken for granted that the railroad landscape would remain virtually unchanged for the foreseeable future.

As a young boy in the '50s, it was a tradition for my dad and I to go to the B&O model train exhibit at Christmas which was then located for years in downtown Cincinnati at the CG&E headquarters at 4th & Main Sts.

In hindsight, these and many other instances are no doubt responsible for my affinity for things B&O.

Paul

Paul,

What a great story.  I am from Ohio and have been to Cincinatti many times. I know it has a great railroad history.

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