If you haven't seen my resent post I went to the grand canyon (and also Arches Nat. Park) and it's a 16 hour drive out to Arches and a 18 hour drive back from the canyon. So I had a lot of time to think about what to do fro my layout and getting more frisco into the roster. What I have decided to do is I have a ATSF F7 ab set that I don't use as much as my frisco GP40-2. I have decided to paint it and a SD40-2 I have. The SD I know how to paint it's the F7 I can't figure out. Can you show me some pics of a F7 you have custom painted into Frisco O/W please. What I was thinking to use for paint is get some model paint from walmart and just spay it on there in the correct spot, then get decals a little later when I get the chance.
I remember when I first started modeling the FRISCO. I painted everything I had that wasn't FRISCO in the Mandarin Orange and White Scheme. I used to use Chevy Competition Orange from a spray can until it was brought to my attention that spraycan paints cover up alot of fine detail so I graduated to using an airbrush. I aint quite an expert on it but, I do have one FRISCO O&W Scheme deisel actually it is a GP40-2 that I painted with my airbrush. ALthough I am strictly steamI wont part with it because it was the last engine my father bought me beofre he passed. Microscale makes a nice set of FRISCO decals and you can decal several engines with one set of decals. Walthers has them at www.walthers.com. Your local hobbyshop should carry them or can order them but there is usually always a set on ebay for sale I hope I was able to help you some. Will
Some of my favorite decals I've used have come from oddball decals. He is their link www.oddballsdecals.org enjoy!!! Ship it on the Frisco!!! Murphy Millican
I'm out to hire someone to custom paint and decal my F-7 and ALco FB2 in the correct Frisco black and yellow paint schemes. I'm modeling in the early 1950's so I'm not sure on how exactly this would look. I know the Frisco had FB1s, but I can't tell the difference between the two, Plus the FB2 only cost me .50 cents!!! It is a proto 2000 model I bought at a yard sell and have never used. It is a dummy and its vent is loose, but overall a good model. The F-7 came in an old Athearn Coca-Cola set I have had for years. If any of you guys could help and give me a price this would be helpful. I would paint them myself but I don't have a spray gun or any painting materials any more. I also do not have decals I will provide $$$ for decals. I'd like to know a price range before I send my models off. I don't have much $$$ now because I have to save for the annual Band trip. Ship it on the Frisco!!! Murphy Jenkins
The stuff that the Ft. Smith Frisco roundhouse shop crews used for O&W units was Krylon's "Chevrolet Engine Orange"... in 55 gal drums, as I recall. (Also spray cans by the case for touch-ups.) I think it is still available in the spray cans. I have used it with good success. Tips: * Shoot it straight from the can into a paper cup... then pour the captured paint into your airbrush bottle and airbrush it. * To produce a bit of "fade" to represent an older paint job, mix in a small amount of Testors Flat White. Mixes fine. * Lay it on out of the airbrush THIN but WET using a SMALL spray width. If you shoot the Krylon on too dry, it will "sandpaper" on you. Hope this helps. Andre
The walmarts I've looked at (Lamar, Pittsburg and Joplin) don't carry Chevy orange. The closest they have is banner red, which i what use and it is a really deep red, but it works for me.
I have been unable to find Krylon Chevy Engine Red around here for quite some time. I changed to Dupli-color that I found at NAPA. I looked the Krylon Spray paint on their website and couldn't find it there either. Bob Wintle MMR Parsons, Ks.
I was looking for someone to paint my engines BLACK & YELLOW. Not Orange and white. Thanks for the info though. Too bad I'm modeling the 1950's my dad actually has some of that orange in his garage. I would paint and decal these engines myself, but I know I would majorly screw up. I have painted my own cars before, yet am not entirely ready to try on one of my locomotives. I'd like to pay to have them painted by someone with more experience. I'm gonna get brave in the summer and begin my first large HO scale project. I'm gonna rework and paint a 0-6-0 to match a Frisco prototype. Ship it on the Frisco!!! Murphy Jenkins
Actually, I think oddball makes a decal to where all you have to do is paint the unit black and the striping is all decal.
Murphy - Why not try the B-unit on your own first? All you need to do is paint it black, and then apply decals. The yellow stripes on the sides are straight, so there are no difficult curves to deal with. Before I had an airbrush, I did both a Frisco F7A & F7B set, and a FA1 & FB1 set, by hand. I lightly scribed the division lines between the yellow stripes and the black body color with a straight edge and a sharp X-Acto knife. It was then easy to paint the yellow stripes with a thin brush. I used Floquil Reefer Yellow, and these units still look good today. Ethan also correctly notes that OddBalls decals has a set, #87-806, that has the yellow stripes for both Frisco EMD F-units and Alco FA/FB units. Richard Napper and I did the art work for Tom Stolte on that one. So, it you don't want to try painting the stripes, just decal them on using this set. Give it a try yourself. It's not hard to do, you'll have fun doing it, and it will provide a good learning experience for later, tougher projects. I'd also suggest you try to find a Proto 2000 FB1 or a Walthers FB1 you can get at low cost via eBay, etc. All the Frisco Alco's were FA1's and FB1's. The FA2 and FB2, a later Alco model, had the radiator screens on the side and the radiator fan on the roof mounted more forward than on the FA/FB model. I fear the FB2 won't look right for a Frisco unit. For lettering and numbers, I like the MicroScale 87-85 decal set best. Ken
Ken--Could you describe Oddballs F, FA, FP-7 decal set with a little more detail? That's one Oddballs doesn't show on his website (Only an FA photo). Are the stripes continuous or segmented (That is, does the modeler have to cut them to manageable pieces?)? Also you mention Microscale lettering--Isn't there lettering with Oddballs set? Thanks, Tom PS: Have you ever seen an engine modeled (Painted, decaled) with Oddballs' F-FA-FP7 set?
Oddballs does have a decal sheet for black and yellow units. I have a set for N scale and the yellow striping is included. Item 180 says it will letter 4 units. HO set is listed for $8.25. http://mopac1.tripod.com/oddballs3.htm#SLSF Joe
Tom - Set 87-806 is for body stripes only, for Frisco EMD F-units and Alco FA/FB units. No lettering, numbers, heralds, nada anything else. There are four nose "cigar band" stripes for F-units, plus two for Alco units. The EMD's have the pointed top, while the Alco's have a rounded top. It was difficult to get the EMD pointed contour correct - I hope we at least came close. There are also sets of side stripes in the two widths needed. Two are 6 3/4" long for the bottom stripe, four are 6 3/4" long for the mid-body stripe, plus there are various shorter ones for the bottom stripes. The Alco bottom stripe was not as wide as the EMD bottom stripe, and is similar in width to the upper stripe. You need to match the correct bottom side stripe with the nose cigar band to make sure you have the width matching. The upper stripes have one end rounded for the nose end. Tom states each set will only do one unit. I think he meant one EMD and one Alco, though I have never tried it. There are extra nose cigar band stripes because you will probably screw one up. There are no holes in the nose band for a second headlight so you are on your own if you want that. As I said, I have yet to use this decal set. Given the excellent Genesis F3's, the IRC FP7 & F7B, and the excellent P2K FA & FB, I have not decorated any Frisco b/y cab units in years. I may soon - I have a bunch of undec Stewart F3's, F7's and F9's here, most with Kato drives, plus I just won a collection of Detail Associates detail kits for the Stewart F-body on eBay. Got 'em cheap! I'd like to do F9's SLSF 5005 & 5007. The Stewart body is very good, but not quite as good as the Genesis/Highliner. I like the Stewart a lot better than the IRC body shells. I've never used any other decal set for Frisco b/y cab units than the Microscale #87-85. That set is so good, and works so well with Microscale's setting fluids, that I have no desire to even try any others. I don't think Tom has done an Oddballs lettering/numbers/herald set for Frisco b/y cab units. I know Champ and Walthers each did one. I had a couple sets of the Champ decals, but sold them a year ago to another frisco.org'er. All this talk is getting me all worked up about those Stewart F9's! I'm ready to get back to it - I have not done any modeling in well over a year, other than some repair work, and a few decaling projects. Ken
Thanks for all the help. I'm going to try the decals on the FB2 first. I saw the differnece in the radiator, but this will be ok for now. I have two questions about the cigar band decal set. Dose it include the unit numbers? and dose it have the anti-glare green paint on the top of the unit.? I could paint the green top(I have done so on a UP unit), but the numbers would be tricky. Thank you guys for all the help. These engines will hope fully be able to join my Frisco fleet by end of summer. Ship it on the Frisco!!! Murphy Jenkins
No numbers, lettering, or green anti-glare panels in the Oddballs "cigar band" decal set. Only stripes. K
