# MTH GS-4 American Freedom Train - no more white tires...



## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

Never being a big fan of white painted tires I finally got around to removing the white paint on all the wheels. (I think they're too much of a visual distraction from the overall appearance of the engine.) Thought I share what the engine looks like afterwards in case someone else is considering doing the same.






































Raymond


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray to me it makes a heck of an improvement. I have never liked white painted drivers. Nice job. Later RJD


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks nice now!


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## Chucks_Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

That is one fine looking locomotive...


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## fildowns (May 17, 2008)

HAHAHAA!! I was just contemplating posting Q on the best way of painting white tyres as I want to add it to a couple of my engines! For that 'freshly shopped excursion' look!

I guess put it on rollers...slow speed....several thin layers rather than one smudgy thick one eh?


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Well then finish the job...paint the rims black (never would have had bare metal outside rims).


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks, ok so I'm alone then... 

Phil, I thought of you when I was posting this as I know you like the white tires on the drivers. As far as painting a white strip, for the outside of the tire I would say the only way to get a nice clean line would be to use modelers masking tape as I did with my mallet... and to protect the inside driver and get a precise clean line.... boy I don't know. 

I actually considered painting the tires on the MTH Big Boys but I couldn't see a real precise way to, match the paint, paint them without brush marks, getting paint on the tires, etc. There is a slim change I will ever attempt it. So Charles how are you painting your tires black?


Raymond


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Raymond
Though I do "paint" in somewhat an artist way (as Jerry can attest too...) Ryan does the wheels on our locomotives. He painted our GS4 wheels black as well as GS4 with white walls tires. Having the entire wheel black is a realistic look relative to the "toy look" of having the stainless show. I'll post a before and after photo later today(in fact given that we just finish a white wall job- post all 3 versions). The high quality enamel paint works well. With the white wall, not tape or masking is necessary just a quality paint and good brush- the surface will guide you along. So, do not be timid, do it. You can always remove any mistake....


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah I agree with the look of having the stainless show. I wouldn't dare touch my USA T Big Boy but I know I'd sure like the look of the tires painted black on my MTH ones. Overall though the GS-4 in this case look pretty good already cause they really blacked the metal on these. Would be nice to have them completely black though.

What would be important to me is to match the tone of black and the sheen. To date I haven't had the time to mess with it, maybe sometime I'll give it a shot. Look forward to the photos.

Raymond


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray 
I think some time I need to head down your way and help you drywall those areas behind the locos.


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

LOL I know the trash bags look... well... kinda trashy. " src="http://www.mylargescale.com/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/wink.gif" align="absMiddle" border="0" /> Only reason I put them up was for smoke unit videos. 

I've thought about adding some insulation sheets but the tracks are so close to the wall I don't have much room at all to spare. I may consider puttin some really thin sheets and painting them black. 


Raymond


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray
A photo to indicate that painting tires can be achieved (white, no paint, all black BTW- note the rods on the top retrofit/rehab ongoing):










Please note that the bottom is the Aster model that does not have the gloss application on any portions of paint.


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

Appreciate the photos. 

Phil, I think as far as how to apply I think your right, either on it's side running or on rollers. I'd probably opt for the on the side.

My GS-4s already look good but I might just try a driver on one of the MTH Big Boys and see how it comes out. I have some semi-gloss tamiya acrylic that might work well. 

Just got done reassembling the GS-4 after airbrushing the smokebox and fireboxes black. (same as I did with the Daylight GS-4 except I didn't do the firebox on it yet. It reached 64 degrees here today which allowed me to get it done.


Raymond


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Usually I put the loco in my cradle and apply power to the loco and then touch the paint brush to the areas I want to paint. Later RJD


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

If I do my MTH Big Boys, I think that's how I'll do mine. Should be able to steady my hand better with it on it's side as opposed to straight up on and down.

Raymond


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Not to rain on your parade, but when I was out in the Northwest and saw the real American Freedom Train GS-4, it had white painted driver tires. The Daylight version had black tires on the drivers, but had a white star on the center of each axel.


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Bob,

Yeah I know. It wasn't an attempt to be protypical, just to get the engine the way I wanted it. 


Raymond


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob
As with all productions and shop paint jobs there are many variations. As the photos in the book, SP Daylights by Church show there are many GS4's in service without the star on the driver. In fact on page 121 there is an indication that SP stopped wheel painting due to road grime. In the book less that 50% of the GS4 pictures confirm the star on the wheels pages 118-126. Again, most engines had different paint accents: small letter of SP Lines, black trim on the headlight/markerlight, different Daylight insignia on the skirts, and so on.....


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

At least at one point the stars were painted on the center of the axle on those engines that used friction bearings. Those that had roller bearings weren't supposed to have them. However the GS-6 in St. Louis is supposed to have roller bearings and does have stars painted on the drivers so I'm not sure what the story is there... It may not be roller bearing but my info was that all GS-6s were. 


Raymond


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I thought it was the other way round... stars on the roller bearing axles.


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

No, it's stars for standard Journal bearings and just confirmed again in my Richard K. Wright Daylight bible. The GS-5s were actually GS-4s with roller bearings and the GS-5 builder photos I'm seeing had what looks like a gear with rounded ends painted in the center. So they had something painted, just not the star as is painted the GS-4s.


Raymond


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## rbednarik (Jan 2, 2008)

On the SP, Stars on the axles indicated spring pad journal lubrication. It was entirely up to shop discretion to put them on the drivers, as with the exception of GS-5's #4458 and 4459, all of the GS classes had friction bearings using the spring pad lubrication system. The GS-5's (all two of them) had their roller bearings indicated by a series of dots in a circle around the axle, rather than a star. GS-6's did not have roller bearings as they were built to meet wartime regulations, with smaller 73 inch drivers and heavier rods. 

The roller bearings on the GS-5's were successful, but not adopted as standard due to two reasons: The spring pad lubrication system worked so well that bearing failures were down to a cost-effective level, and secondly, the roller bearings at the time were not cost prohibitive to install in the GS fleet.


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

Ok, I can see the round dots now looking really close at the picture. There's another diagram here that shows them more clearly. And that explains the stars on the GS-6s. I kinda figured this other North American guide to steam engines was wrong on the GS-6 roller bearing thing after seeing the stars on the 4460. 

Yeah and my book says the same thing, stars meant standard journal bearings with spring pad journal lubrication. 

Good info, thanks Ryan. 


Raymond


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## rbednarik (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, 

Didn't see that we posted at the same time....oh well. 

No problem on the info, have both the Wright and Church books on the locomotive/trains....my one shot at being a rivet counter with the 1941 passenger set, still working on those interiors.


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

It got to 62 degrees here yesterday and allowed me to get the GS-4 airbrushed. 







































It's finally the way I've been wanting to look. 

I just need to decide now if I want to do the mineral oil trick to completely blacken the color. The Daylight's done that way is still pitch black and looks great. Not sure though, it looks pretty good like this... a little more realistic. Heck I might just *gulp* do this to my Accucraft...


Raymond


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Great job Ray, nice work on the paint.This was the very 1st steam loco i ever saw when my father took me down the street to the rail yard in kingston in 1977 to see the freedom train, truely a awsome sight to behold. i remmeber it with white walls thou? i think it looks good bolth ways but when USA trains make them i will buy one and hopefully it will retain the white walls....HE HE HE








Nick...


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Nick. Actually that's really interesting. I was 5 years old when it came through my hometown in Beaumont Texas.

Me on an SP engine:











It arrived in the pouring rain... I stayed in the car. LOL











Man don't even say that about USA T making them... they've already shown me no mercy by making the Big Boy, I can't afford two more GS-4s with full USA T passenger car consists!!!!!










Raymond


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

I was 11, and the whole thing was awsome but my dad took no pictures like yours did your lucky to have them...
Nick..
Start savin your $$$$$$$$$$ i think were in for a buying spree...he he he


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