# Another Repaint for the Rio Gracie



## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is my 17 year old daughter Grace's newly repainted Bachmann 4-6-0, #1997.










A little history on her engine.
Back in 2005 while attending an open house at BridgeMasters, she was given a Bachmann Tweetsie Railroad set.










and now










Well back to 2005. She wanted it to be painted pink and purple. She was so proud of her engine we displayed it at the MLS table at the Queen Mary show.










In 2006 she was sent to Barry in Phoenix for a BBT drive install. I picked it up there and visited a few MLS members in the area.

Here is her inaugural run at Duncan's in Gilbert, AZ.



















She ran on the Door Hollow Shortline at a show in Anaheim.










Well after 8 years of running and a kiss with the concrete she needed some work.

So back to the bench where an Airwire, Phoenix sound, 14.4 battery and Train Li ProLine smoke unit were added in 2013.










Summer 2014 I got around to repainting her. So I ran off some copies of a 4-6-0, handed Grace some markers and let her color up some paint schemes. 










Here she is primered and mocked-up.










Grace with her #1997.










Here is #1997 with her 2 sister engines; a 4-6-0 BBT drive and a 2-8-0 BBT drive, both with Phoenix and DC track power. They are repaints from Sam's Club Bachmann Christmas sets.










Tommy
Rio Gracie


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Looks great! (Though I can't believe Grace is 17!) Are matching passenger cars to follow?

Later,

K


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Nicely done Tommy.

Hey Kevin, and I can't believe you are now...........
Seems it was just yesterday I saw you on the Train at Silverton. Not even a spotty teenager then. ;-)


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

She shore has done growed up, Tommy... 

And sure glad she looks like her Mom... 

And she's such a neat "kid"....









You guys are very blessed..


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## Amber (Jul 29, 2011)

Really nice paint job!
Kids grow up so fast, don't they?


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Hi Tommy, 

There's really good precedent for that:










But I like your daughter's creations better!

===>Cliffy


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Will it get a special '"school colors" paint job once she chooses a college?


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

That would look real Purdie, running thru My Orange rocks....

;-)


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## riderdan (Jan 2, 2014)

I haven't given my kids a locomotive to paint, but the seven- and five-year-old painted these HLW gondolas


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## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the comments
No passenger cars though. Grace likes colors, animation and sound in her consist. (and bubbles)










I think Grace will have graduated from college before I get around to another repaint on 1997.

And I do think 1997 would look Purdie running through Orange rocks. I'm working on a trip to AZ before summer.

riderdan - Which one is me?

Tommy
Rio Gracie


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## Amber (Jul 29, 2011)

Nice train consist!


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## riderdan (Jan 2, 2014)

tmejia said:


> riderdan - Which one is me?


That's my five-year-old, Madeline Elise, who we call M.E. (emmy) for short.  She would have kept painting small decorations on hers for a week if I let her.


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## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Grace thinks M.E. (emmy) is adorable.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Neat story. Nice you have someone in your family interested in trains. None in mine.


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry,

> None in mine.

Same here. Sure all my stuff will wind up on Craig's List someday.

Best,
TJ


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