I have the MTH Metra bilevel silver passenger cars. The one thing i dont like is that it is smooth sided; when it should be fluted. So I was looking at my 3D laser printer and I said to it ( I talk to it all the time) why cant I print the flutes, paint them and apply them to the cars.
I would need to remove the Metra Signs or remake one. This is just an idea at this point.
A member from the Chicago transit forum provided me with some Metra paint scheme drawings of the 21 soon-to-be acquired Amtrak F59PHI units (October-November). 
So I got to work on my Amtrak Cascades unit.
That looks great.
Is Metra using these to replace some unrebuilt F40s?
Lou1985 posted:That looks great.
Is Metra using these to replace some unrebuilt F40s?
I think to supplement fleet....
I wonder why the special paint on only the first five units?
They seem to be following the Amtrak scheme, just changing the shade of the blue and changing the name. The others will be a much more elaborate repaint.
I have a lonely Metra E8 awaiting a set of cars. Hope MTH rolls out a few more of the passenger car sets
VistaDomeScott posted:I have a lonely Metra E8 awaiting a set of cars. Hope MTH rolls out a few more of the passenger car sets
My first Metra was the E8 with no bilevels in site. Then took matters into my own hands and repainted some Amtrak bilevels into RTA pullmans. Next thing you know, local train show here, the occasional Bay find there... the Metra bilevels start appearing for the taking.
Relevant to this thread - I learned on r/trains on Reddit that Metra is sending a number of their locos down here to Georgia for rebuilds at the Progress Rail shops down in Patterson: https://www.reddit.com/r/train...e_on_a_freight_line/
So for any Chicago transplants to Georgia (or along the RoW back up to Chicago), keep an eye out on CSX main for a potential glimpse of some F40PHM-2 on their way down or back up as F40PHM-3s:
(not my photo - original imgur link: https://imgur.com/2HOXdfN)
I don't have any Metra equipment yet, but after seeing @franktrains in action, it's on my short list!
MTH SW1500, former Burlington Northern, now METX #6
Those Metra units look outstanding!!! Very nice work-
Just about finished my Metra Heritage-Rock Island "fantasy" paint scheme on my other F59PHI. I call it a fantasy scheme as Metra actually has a similar paint scheme on a MP36 unit but not on an actual F59PHI unit. Have one more Amtrak F59PHI unit to mess around with. I might just try doing a simple Metra "patch" on a former Amtrak Surfliner unit as this is what Metra is doing on the initial Amtrak units in order to expedite these into service. OR... might try another fantasy heritage paint scheme: CNW or BN... not sure yet.
Hopefully not departing too much from the Metra theme, but I'd love to have a three-car set of the original Milwaukee Road bi-level cars from the 1960's. Con-Cor makes these in N scale but unless I've missed a catalog at some point I don't think anybody has yet put them out in O.
So here is my version of Metra's express paint job in "Metra Oceanside Blue".
I could not get the Amtrak lettering off with light sanding so I masked off everything except the old Amtrak blue swatch. Then hit with a rattle can of Testors deep dark blue.
Again using an already designed HO circuscitydecal set resized to O scale, was able to come up with Unit #77.
The unit is an old Amtrak Pacific Surfliner F59PHI MTH Railking 5V PS2 unit.
I basically went off what I saw on Metra's facebook page and a video on YouTube. Real life units have black painted trucks but I'm leaning towards keeping it silver for now.
Here is a screenshot of the video already on YouTube of the real life units #73 & #77. Not sure how I feel about those black trucks.
jerrymouse25 posted:So here is my version of Metra's express paint job in "Metra Oceanside Blue".
Real life units have black painted trucks but I'm leaning towards keeping it silver for now.
Here is a screenshot of the video already on YouTube of the real life units #73 & #77. Not sure how I feel about those black trucks.
Great work. Agree, with the matching silver trucks the units flow.
Tried another fantasy "heritage" paint scheme. Former Railking Rtr F59PHI Amtrak #3010...
Now "Metra Heritage CNW" #94.
Interesting Metra chose to do this "Surfliner heritage" express paint scheme instead of the Metra Fade scheme as it appears they sprayed the entire cascades unit anyway.
Jerry,
Any interest in doing work outside of your own? Would like the CNW colored version myself. I'm in the Lake Zurich area. Joe
Rigatoni Express Railroad posted:Jerry,
Any interest in doing work outside of your own? Would like the CNW colored version myself. I'm in the Lake Zurich area. Joe
Joe, message sent. -Jerry
Jerry, your work is really impressive!! Thanks for showing it to us.
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