Thanks Gregg, I am going to paint mine. If anyone inquires about the silver couplers I will just say Frisco ingenuity.
I like the idea of painting the couplers, especially in an earlier passenger scheme, when cleanliness of the motive power and overall appearances still mattered. Go for it. Best Regards,
In the very early diesel diesel years, the nose couplers were covered by the "clamshell" doors. Tom G.
Even during the latter years, it would seem that the Frisco folks took the time and effort to keep the F-end coupler "touched-up" with silver paint. Here's one from the ARCHIVE of 2022 in the lead of No 102 at Nichols. The units are dingy and a mere shadow of their former selves, but the coupler is bright silver. A look through the ARCHIVE and Dr. Condren's site is surprising. http://frisco.org/mainline/wp-conte...A-2022-Champion-date-and-location-unknown.jpg
The silver trucks certainly didn't receive the same treatment! I heavily crapped up the silver trucks on my E8A SLSF 2006, which is in the yellow cigar band austerity scheme. I must admit that the trucks look very realistic. I am going to have to add a bit more grime to the other three: Texas Special E7A (EA7) 2003, trucks are pretty clean, and racehorse E8As 2016 and 2020, trucks are somewhat grimy. All four are P2K's. K
At some point in time it was mandated that couplers (even new ones) were NOT to be painted. (Same with wheels.) Paint can hide defects. Thus, to this day you'll see brand new equipment smelling of paint with natural steel (w/surface rust) couplers and wheels. I do not know when the change took place.
Some have opined that the reason many European steam locomotives had red-painted drivers and frames was because fractures were easier to see .
