"Patching" Locomotive Models

[eje]

I'm competent weathering a locomotive model. I want to do two or three locomotives for an ISL. I also want to keep intact he majority of the basic (factory) paint scheme for each model, including the road number.

Please, I'd like to know the best way to "patch" a locomotive. Are there decals that can be used? In the past I have totally repainted locomotive models, but this time I'm interested in replicating some of the patch jobs I've seen the past twenty years or so. After detailing a model, I understand there will be touch-up required. The idea is to represent locomotives that the original (or last) road's scheme are easily identifiable, yet instantly recognizable as belonging to a new owner.

What do y'all do along these lines? Thanks! Ric

[faraway]

I suggest to use plain pieces of decal without fixing them dull coat. That gives you the option to remove them anytime later if you want to get the original paint scheme back.
I did that with blank green decals on BN GP9 to get "blank green" units for phantasy ISL switching. I intend to do the same thing with blank blue decals on CR GP9. The CR can opener needs to be covered.
As you suggest is the road number unchanged not to mess up with the number boards. Any phantasy letters at the cab side represent your switching RR.
Microscale provides all you need.

[eje]

Thank you, Reinhard! So I can order from Microscale sheets of color? That would be great, even if a hint of previous lettering was detectable. Great!

[faraway]

Thank you, Reinhard! So I can order from Microscale sheets of color? That would be great, even if a hint of previous lettering was detectable. Great!

Yes, there are two kind of products
a. large sheets of trim film e.g. TF-23 is Conrail blue
b. patch sets when the prototype did patch too e.g. MC 4254 has green and yellow patches for BNSF, MC 4328 has yellow patches (and lettering) for UP

[Brakie]

Food for thought..
Some shortlines don't bother matching the paint..They used black paint instead.Its odd to see a exCR engine with ugly black squares on the hood..Some leasing companies do the same.

[faraway]

Food for thought..
Some shortlines don't bother matching the paint..They used black paint instead.Its odd to see a exCR engine with ugly black squares on the hood..Some leasing companies do the same.

Absolute, but instead painting black paint over the expensive model are black decal patches easy to remove (Microscale TF-2).

[Mike Kieran]

You could also take a piece of masking tape, cut out a square to cover the lettering, and put on the lettering you want. On my Kato Southern NW2, I used a lettering remover and just put my lettering on the engine (I couldn't bring myself to remove the southern stripe on the bottom). This way, if you want to sell the engine, you could replace the original lettering with a decal set.

[eje]

Excellent suggestions! Thank y'all mucho! Ric

[eje]

I'm liking the Atlas Trainman RS-36's which are available some places for cheap. They run well, and have decent handrails. Also, they (the prototype) have no turbocharger, and can be run without belching soot more realistically. I'm gonna try Mike's suggestion and remove lettering and replace with new lettering. I don't care on a pair of locomotives to be backward restorable. "x" at the end of reporting marks means private (non-railroad) ownership, no? Let's say I want to patch a locomotive for New Chicago Commercial Park; NCP. So If I wanted to letter a lease unit, it should be NCPX, no? Pardon my dirt ignorance.

[shortliner]

EJE - unless your shortline owns its locos and leases them to other roads - no! A leased loco, running on your road woud be lettered for the leaser company it is hired from - for example Larrys Truck and Electric = LTEX, Helm leasing = HLCX . Your home road "bought-in" would have its own abreviation - NCPR for example, or NCCP - At least that is how I understand it from the RH side of the pond

[Mike Kieran]

The only other reason you would have leasing company locomotive is if your short line leased its locomotive or if your short line is owned by a company that also leases locomotives, such as Progressive Rail who leases an SW8 to it's Kendallville Terminal Railway (PREX 16 - ex Ludington & Northern 16).

[faraway]

The engines (Athearn GP9 DC version, Zimo MX630R added some minutes ago) to be patched arrived an hour ago at my doorstep. I love CR but they did give up to early for my layout. The can opener and the CR lettering will be patched with plain blue decals and a freelance switching RR will become the new owner.

I may come back later asking for advise how to weather an old patched CR GP9 still in switching service after the year 2005.

[long island jack]

   

Here's a couple of photo's of some of my leased loco's,some are patched the others are lease liveries.

Ray

[Brakie]

Here's my 2 lease engines.

[eje]

OK, I think I understand. Thanks all round for the help. So, if New Chicago Industrial Park is a leasing company, NCPX would make sense. However, since NCP in this case would be the lessee, it would lease locomotives from a leasing company, say, Mid South Locomotive which would be MSLX for example.

The purpose of all this is I'd like to justify owning a small fleet of locomotives, which would make no sense for the tiny layout I am working on. I'm thinking that with a leased locomotive, it would be logical for a different unit to be operated from time to time due to various maintenance requirements, scheduled and otherwise.

I like the look of patched units because it sort of preserves the ambience of early Conrail, except in my case on a rather smaller scale.