# My first repaint (don't judge me too harshly)



## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

OK... I haven't been posting at my usual rate recently.. I've been deep in a project. Breaking new ground for me anyway. I have completed (mostly) my first repaint of a locomotive. It was a tad more challenging than I had anticipated. I still need to do some fine touchups, a dab here adn there to smooth out a few lines. ANd I'll probably be replacing the decals at some point, but I'm mostly satisfied. 

I started off with your garden variety Amtrak GP38-2...










Then I got a little inspiration from a photo of a mid 80's ICG GP38-2










And a few weeks later, the Amtrak was transformed....
























































Not the best photos I know, but I'll try and get a few more outside in the sunshine tomorrow. 

The project was not without incident.. Somehow I managed to loose and entire bag of parts.. I managed to cobble it back together.. I think it'll work... Just hope no one looks too closely..


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Great job Dave. Did you strip the unit or just paint over? later RJD


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## Guest (Oct 19, 2008)

Hey Dave, like RJ said great job looks nice...








Nick


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

I just painted over it. I think for the next one I'll try and strip it. Or just buy and unpainted version and start from scratch.


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

Nothing to be harsh about. It's a really nice job with lots of very crisp lines. Good-on-ya....


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Very nice paint job dave


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah !!!! It works !!!! 

And looks pretty good out in the sunshine as well...


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

can yopu match together Gp30 and GP38 dave?


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes I can, but the GP30 runs just a bit faster.. I usually have to put it out front.


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## leonpete (Jan 4, 2008)

GREAT Job there Dave!! I like it and it looks good on the layout also.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice job Dave, no reason to be apologetic!


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks good in the operation mode. Later RJD


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks guys.. I know where all my mistakes are, but I gotta say... It looks awesome going by at a scale 40 MPH..


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Very fine job Dave! Did you do the lettering yourself? It sure looks great.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah Richard... The big ICG on the sides I did by priming and painting the sides of the long hood orange, then overlaying a mask of the letters that I made on my computer, printed on Avery sticker paper. I just peeled the backing off and stuck them in place. Then oversprayed the long hood in Gray. 

I sprayed the nose Gray, taped off the chevron stripes, then did the cab in Orange. After everything dried for a day or so I peeled all the masking off and got what you see now.. 

The nose emblem and the numbers on the sides of the cab are stickers I made and printed off fthe computer on the Avery paper as well.


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## Chucks_Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

That looks great...


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

I can see black fans.... you need to paint a D-brake fan and the cooling fans


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Very sharp, even if it doesn't have siderods.  

Later, 

K


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Kevin. Coming from you, that means a lot.


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## Greg Stevens (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice job Dave. It looks like you need very little touch up. I like the large side letters. Good Job.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

The Paint job looks great. Even stands up to the light of day. I like it.

What RR is I C G?


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

The ICG is the Illinois Central Gulf. To quote a line or two from the history books..


"On August 10, 1972 the Illinois Central Railroad merged with the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad to form the *Illinois Central Gulf Railroad*. On February 29, 1988, the ICG dropped the "Gulf" from its name and again became known as the Illinois Central Railroad."


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## chaingun (Jan 4, 2008)

Dave, 
Very nice! Lot better than my first stab. I really like the colors. 
Living in Arizona most of my life I had to look ICG up on Wikipedia. 
Best, Ted 

Ted Johnson 
GYT&S RR 
(Grit Your Teeth & Spit RR) 
Bouse, AZ


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## Mark Thomas (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks fantastic to me....excellent job.


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## Dr G (Jan 16, 2008)

Dave, 

That is just great!!!! Despite my irrational love of the FEC, I do have a soft spot for the IC and ICG--grew up in Chicago. Can you explain how you did the lettering in more detail--it looks great, I think I'd like to try it. 

Matt


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice job, Dave. Looks like a fun project..... 

Sure looks nice running..


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dr G on 10/23/2008 6:59 PM
Dave, 

That is just great!!!! Despite my irrational love of the FEC, I do have a soft spot for the IC and ICG--grew up in Chicago. Can you explain how you did the lettering in more detail--it looks great, I think I'd like to try it. 

Matt




Whoa.. sorry I took so long to answer.. The big letters on the side were fairly easy.. 
1) I painted the sides of the long hood orange.
2) On my computer I laid out the lettering with the MS paint software.
3) I printed the letters (appropriately sized) on Avery sticker paper.
4) Carefully cut out the letters. 
5) Once Orange paint has dried a couple of days, Peel off backing from letters and carefully place them on the long hood. 
6) Overspray with grey paint. 
7) Once you have good coverage and everything is dry.. peel off masked letters to expose the orange paint.. 

That all folks.


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## RonTeten (Feb 15, 2008)

Nice job Dave, Looks great


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## Dr G (Jan 16, 2008)

Dave, 

Don't worry 'bout it. I've been mostly lurking on the site once every 2 weeks or so at this point, and all my projects are on hold--been really busy. 

You have a steady hand, not sure I could cut out the mask that straight and even, maybe I'll give it a try, the results are good!! 

Thanks, 

Matt


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## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

Great looking paint job! Creative use of labels, need to take some pointers! 

Ted.


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

Fantastic job ! 

I was also wondering what ICG stood for but took time to read thru . . . 

IC ICG IC and now "working" with CN ! 


Excellent lookin' power unit ! 


I MIGHT do a SD-45 as a IC 6008 or 6018 in the future we'll see . . . . 


doug c


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## sschaer (Jan 2, 2008)

nice done, dave. 

for a next paint job i'd suggest to give it a coat of primer or silver. under the cab the orange just doesn't seem opaque enough to cover the former blue stripe. using silver as primer really helps. 

striping is a kind of pita. tried an amtrak gp38-2 myself. i even tried sandblasting. it will either take gallons of paint stripper or tons of sand. 
i then simply airbrushed a silver coat before i painted my loco cp rail red.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice work! Weather it up and it will look like the real deal


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