4-8-4 - Lettering, Paint Colors, Livery Or Scheme - Meteor - Inquiry

Frisco 4-8-4 SLSF 4501 was repainted in the Meteor scheme last fall, with zephyr blue and a white stripe on the tender, gray cab roof, etc.

Since that time, the Museum of the American Railroad, formerly Age of Steam, has come into possession of a diagram showing the tender lettering.

Of course, this was after the white stripe on the tender had been painted!

This diagram appears to be original Frisco, dating from the time it was built in September of 1942. The diagram indicates that the large stripe on the tender is silver, as is the outline around METEOR. All photos indicate white or off white for the large stripe. There are no manufacturers mentioned or serial numbers for paint colors.

Could this be an imitation aluminum paint such as the Southern used on its black and white passenger diesels?

We still need to know the proper shade of red for the METEOR lettering as well, and are leaning towards matching the red used on the dieselized Meteor. The METEOR lettering will likely be applied in the next month or two.

Frisco folks, this is the chance to get it right!

Ben Kroger
Museum of the American Railroad

 

Fortunately, everything that is supposed to be white already is that color.

This diagram just throws a wrench into things because it appears to be a genuine Frisco document and contradicts what photographs show and what has been discussed before here and elsewhere.

Perhaps it was a preliminary drawing and the intention was for the tender band to be silver but it ultimately became white.

The diagram also shows the tender numbers as blue.

It is hard to argue with photographs, however.

Ben

 

I have a document related to the paint scheme for the blue and white passenger cars.

In this document, the window band is described as being painted silver.

I suspect this might be the color name given by the paint manufacturer (DuPont?).

In reality, it is just a variation of white.

I imagine the same applies to the 4500s.

 

Question for you that know St. Louis.

What is the large distinctive building in the St. Louis skyline at the extreme right of the 4-8-4 SLSF 4501 photograph posted in this thread?

Looks like a Parthenon with a pyramid on top.

It is in nearly every St. Louis Union Station photograph.

Thanks,

Tom

 

Thanks Ken.

I have seen that building on the horizon while driving, riding the train and in photographs for years and never knew.

Thanks!

 

I just read this post and am at a dilemma.

I received my order of Oddballs Decals today and the numbers are white.

Is there a number set out there in black that I can get?

I do not believe I have the courage to tell GRUMPY that he needs to change the color to black.

 

Willie

I think that you must have ordered the wrong set.

I just went to his website and his Meteor lettering set does have black numbers it is set 87-811.

Bob

 

That is the set I ordered.

If you read it, it says black is printed in white. Artwork by Richard Napper.

I ordered 2 sets of the Meteor decals from Oddball and both sets came with the red "Meteor" lettering but all the other numbers and letters are white.

 

I emailed Tom and he said he would be happy to fix the problem for me.

I am sure that since this was brought to his attention he will make 2 sets available, one for the later years and another for the early Meteor.

It would be pretty neat to see a model done in the later scheme as well as the one I am doing in the earlier scheme.