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Some new Lionel catalogs have been followed by a list of corrections and changes.

 

I do not have my catalog yet, and can only look on line.

 

The L&N NW2s and GP9s appear to be light blue and yellow.  The correct colors for this scheme are light gray and yellow.

 

The L&N Historical Society http://www.lnrr.org/ has pictures of nearly every L&N locomotive. 

 

Nearly all pictures of the gray and yellow paint scheme clearly show the color to be light gray.  A few do appear to be light blue.  This could be due to faded paint on the locomotive, or lighting when the picture was taken.

 

While there may be a statement to the effect that final product may vary from the picture, I plan to bring this to Lionel’s attention.

 

Happy RR!

chuck

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Well, I don't find this to be a "yawn" at all.

The L&N locos do indeed look a bit "blueish" in the catalogue, especially the NW2.
I remember this paint scheme quite clearly - it was gray, not blue or blue-ish.
The lettering on the NW2 hood was questionable, but my L&N expert says that they used
both vertical and slanted letters. I haven't checked this out in Prince's "Diesel Locomotives
of the Louisvile and Nashville" yet.

I suspect that what we're seeing is simply "catalogue drift" in the color, but I just don't
trust Lionel to do a really tight, bang-up MTH-level job anymore. The ICG GP30 was going to be mine - then they refused to put the correct trucks on it, and the steps don't line up...
never mind. These locos may, indeed, come out "blue".

(The "L&N" on the 0-8-0's coal bunker is still wrong, two catalogues later.) I pretty much stick with MTH on pre-orders (and few of them) of any expensive piece. I will probably wait
to see the NW2's color and execution, so no pre-order, which is not good.

P.S. - MTH is sharper than Lionel these days, but it was them that brought us a Southern green SD24 some years ago; the Southern's SD24's were black only. Just because it says
"Southern Railway" doesn't mean it was green.
Originally Posted by Southwest Hiawatha:

When customers are paying  500 bucks per unit for a diesel, it's hardly surprising that for that kind of money they want it to be painted the right color. It ain't rocket science. 

Not rocket science  . . . but I think it is indeterminate.  And who appointed anyone here the the judge and jury?  Any locomotive restored or existing today is not necessarily painted the exact color of the original - many are shinier, neater and better painted that way back when.  I was young, yeah, but I remember seeing gobs of UP, SF, and Rio Grande locos in the 50s - they were different colors and never matched perfectly as to stripes and trim - they were working locos, painted by people whose job was to get them out of the shop and into service.  My uncle was one of those guys.  He took me down to the trainyards a lot.  

 

Nor can we be certain that those rail lines that still use the same color schemes today use exactly the same colors as why back when.  I've seen BNSF locos recently back to back that differed greatly in hue and details of paint trim, etc.

 

And any color photos from way back when are not necessarily true to color.  Records of paint mixes, etc., might be right or not.  

 

My point is that anyone who claims they know for sure has, in my opinion, unwarranted confidence in their opinion.  Maybe Lionel, or MTH, or Williams got the color wrong and don't know what they are doing.  Maybe they do know and its the critics that don't.  

 

Regardless, I won't completely trust anyone on actual color, but on balance I tend to cut the manufactuer some slack for the above reasons, as long as they make an effort on quality of paint, trim and print.

 

And there is a very simple remedy: if you don't like the look, don't buy the loco.  Throwing rocks at it and labeling things as mistakes is, to me, vastly overreaching. 

 

I wish no ill towards anyone on this topic. I was so happy to see a Blue NW2 to buy. I do not know much about the L & N but this engine will have a home if it is done in blue. I would love to have a Winston-Salem Southbound engine with passenger cars. I believe the railroad club in Winston-Salem does not even have a color picture of those cars to know exactly what they look like or were painted. I wish someone would make that road but I doubt that will ever happen.  I am happy to just run things with certain Rail road names.  My wife thinks I am addicted to Southern Green.  I would love a Southern Caboose in green instead of all the red ones. I purchased a Missouri Pacific engine a few years back just to get a blue engine.  I do not even have a clue if they even had blue engines like the one I bought.  I happen to like the look of that blue engine.  I may not take my hobby of model trains as seriously as some. I wish those who are much more concerned with authenticity than I am peace and happiness.  I happen to just enjoy running my toys and hoping my wife does not count how many engines I do have.  I believe I have excided her limit a little while back of Southern engines.  How she could ever think one could have too many engines of the finest railroad I will not understand. Now I am worried if I pre order as planned, what if Lionel paints it gray.  

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