How many older units are you going to have repainted and how many are just going to be wearing the same Scheme MLW had in the 70s? In other words, when's the paint scheme switch?
In my fantasy world, MILW entered the 1980's with lots of old equipment (fact) and the need to update the fleet. Since I'm setting the time of my project to be "the present day", I figure that the first new locos would have been ordered in the mid-1980's with the old scheme. About 1989 the "M" and "W" cabs became the rage in North American railroading. The first units there, SD60M's would also have been in the old scheme. I figure the change came about with an "update" and the departure of the last 1st generation power from MILW in the early 1990's. The old scheme didn't look "right" on the wide nose fleet, and the rest of the roster needed repainting. With the merger-rage of 1996 on the horizon, my MILW needed a real update, so the new scheme arrived about 1992. Judging by the speed (or lack-there-of) of BNSF and UP repaints from their 1996 mergers, I figure that about 1/4 of my fleet will wear the old "classic" scheme while the rest will be in the new. Anything in the "classic" scheme will be HEAVILY weathered to show it's age.
JKD, Nice looking schemes. I like your world. The wide cabs would lend very nicely to the winged heritage nose decor of the streamlined Atlantics, Hudsons and later E units or even Erie Builts. Hmmm...Have you given any thought to modern passenger service? Perhaps an AC4400 in updated Hiawatha livery added to the roster to handle the ever increasing demand of travelers from Chicago going west on the Milwaukee's recent aquisition of former UP trackage. Jim
Thanks, Jim. Actually, I'm working on a drawing of an F59PHI painted to resemble the original steam streamliner Hiawatha locos for passenger service. Silver on top, the colored banding down low, sweeping up at the back to match up to some superliner cars in MILW colors. I figure at the very least it will be an "executive" train but may wind up running as if it was passenger service on the layout. As soon as I get that done, I'll post it up here.
They bear a very STRONG resemblance to the simplified orange and green the GN used before going to Big Sky Blue, so, of course, I like the work you have done!!
Update on this project: Well, it's been a week of working with the other parties involved in this project (i.e. wife and son) to settle a track-plan. I had wanted to do a point-to-point layout (see here http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=90037&highlight=south+plains). My wife took one look and went "Yuck". Her demand was that the trains be able to "just run". After some wrangling and discussion, and after I let her look through the library of track planning books and articles that I've ammassed over the years, we drew one up. The track plan is done with the Atlas planning software, and I'll be using flex track instead of the snap-style track, so it will fit in the 2.5x8' space I've got. I also have re-written the history of the Milwaukee to justify some of the things I'm doing, along with putting the finishing touches on a "master roster" of locomotives to fill out from. As a brief highlight.... the MILW made better choices at the end of the 60's (using hindsight we can see what those would have been) and by the end of the 1970's, the line was not only improoved but compeditive and growing. Into the 1990's and 21st century, my version of the MILW competes with BNSF, UP, CN, CP in the west. In addition, my version of the MILW has gone back to offering (on a limited basis) some passenger service. I hope to have some pics and other notes to share soon.
It's quite a world you're creating. I especially like your level of enthusiasm! :thumbs_up: Boxcab E50
Trains Magazine did a map this month of the Milwaukee 2 track. It's surprising how much of that is still in operation. Now suppose all the regionals merged back into a New Milwaukee RR.
Some Work In Progress shots! Being of poor vision, and little skill (I can build track, structures, scenery, but not rolling-stock) I've engaged Jeff King of The Milwaukee Road Train Shop (http://www.milwaukeeroadtrainshop.com/) to paint locmotives for me. Here is a work in progress pair of pics Jeff sent over the weekend. It's a P42DC. The logo on the side of is a tribute to the Milwaukee Art Museum (http://mam.org/thebuilding/index.htm). As this loco will pull my "City Of Milwaukee", it's apprpriate. Only the passenger locos (P42DC's) will have the silver trucks. Freight equipment will have gray trucks.
Well, here's the update! The 4 Superliners were added to the P42DC, along with business car #1, a former Skytop. I just got this photo from Jeff King today who's painting the locos and equipment for me.
Sure, no problem! Here are a few closer-up pics of the Superliners, the P42DC, and Skytop Business Car #1. The Coaches are named: Lake Michigan Sitting Bull Crazy Horse The Observation car is: Mt. Rainier The Skytop is named: Rapid City (a knod to both my wife who is from Rapid City, SD and the MILW "Rapid" names on the originals)
