Find your prototype!

[AndyWS]

Fun thing to do...

Funny yet kind of frustrating how many RTR locomotives are not exact matches of a particular prototype; problem is worse for steam engines but it's there for diesels as well. Guess it's a boon for those who like to do a lot of extra painting and detailing, but I don't.

Looks like #6935 wasn't an OL engine, at least not when this picture was taken. Either it was repainted at another time or Athearn needs to put more time into prototype research.

Oops what happened to the C&NW logo on the nose?

Couldn't find #1212, found #1210 and #1214. Even more significant error by Walters, unless C&NW stuck a different model of switcher into the numbering sequence. The model is an SW1, #1210 and #1214 were SW1200s.

Once again the closest I could find.

Was pleasantly surprised to find an exact match for this one.

As close as I could get for this one.

 

[MilesWestern]

Nice! I do that all the time with my SP stuff, to make sure the locomotive was ordered before my era cut-off point. Researching the exact match can be difficult, espically when trying to find a picture of a 50 year old locomotive! sign1

 

[UP SD40-2]

Andy, this is EXACTLY what i love to do:thumb:. i find GREAT enjoyment in doing the model up just as the prototype is . -Deano

 

[Herc Driver]

I've just started doing that too. It's easier finding examples of more "current" diesels...but for those other slightly older pictures, I'm glad many rail enthusiasts decided to snap a kodak or poloriod years ago and post them online. Here's a good source for pictures... www.rrpicturearchives.com

 

[MasonJar]

So hard to do for steamers... While CNR and CPR rostered over 3,000 (three THOUSAND) steam locomotives each, only a handful survive - and most of those are display only...

Another very good source is www.rr-fallenflags.org

Andrew