Great modeling and cool ideas! I had an idea like yours when I got back into modeling n scale. But then I made the choice to stay within the the 70's era. I made this about a year and half ago but here's my paint scheme if the Milw still operated on lines west during the 80's as intermodal traffic grew.
Wow, you sure did dream up some handsome units. What a terrific job. I love this kind of "what if" modeling, and you've done it very, very well. :thumbs_up:
Heh... looks like I haven't been very good at keeping up with posting. There are a few additions to report. 1st, we have SD40-2 number 3107. This unit pretty much sets the paint for road-switcher-type units. 2nd, we have a pair of SD70M's. I love these two. 3rd, we have a radio control switcher for my yard, built using a short tank, as if it was one of the original MILW short tank SD40-2's re-purposed for yard duty near the end of life. The only thing that will change from these units in future additions will be a change to add some life to how the orange crosses the nose on the wide-nose units, making it more of a "V" instead of going straight across. There may be one other change in store, as I look forward toward SD90 and SD70ACe type units, the lightning stripe may go away because of how it would apply on the units. We'll have to see. Layout planning is currently on hold until we get in the new house in January. After we move, everything will swing into 100% go mode as we get trains rolling.
Wow, that's a nice scheme, Greg. I may use the oragnge-cab idea and/or how you took the orange onto the long-hood for the newer EMD and GE engines. My lightining stripe is working on the older units, but the big cabinets behind the cabs on the current production units make it look funny. This idea might just solve my issues! Thanks!
Nice work!! Where do you guys get your drawings/paint shemes done? Is it a program you have to buy or a site you can visit/use on-line?
I just found some images/drawings online and re-colored them using photoshop. Ken, I did use a charcoal gray than black. Originally I used it bacuse the black washed out all the detail on the drawing. But after it was done I kind of liked the charcoal gray. I'm sure black would look good too, if this scheme were applied to a model.
WOW! Greg I just visited your photos...very nice! How did you model yous cottonwoods? they look great.
Wow... seems I've been somewhat behind in updating! Yes. I'm slowly making progress working through my locomotive roster. Currently, in paint are: SD70M x 2 SD70MAC x 2 C44-9W x 1 SD40-2 x 1 SD40-2RC x 1 P42DC x 1 SDL39 x 1 I've attached some shots of the locos. Yet to be painted (but in-house) are: SD90/43AC x 1 C44-9W x 2 AC4400CW x 1 SD70MAC x 3 SD40-2 x 1 GP40 x 1 GP38 x 1 GP60 x 2 GP40-2 x 2* *The GP40-2's are destined to become GP49's. Don't ask me why... I've just always loved the Alaska RR units, and I wanted some on my layout in my own colors. I'm also going to be adding some FP45's and MP15's this year. The layout has gone through several different space designs, but is closing in on a final design. At the moment, I'm working on a point to point layout along three walls of a 10x12 room. The main focus is going to be a yard with interchange tracks (to CN/IC, Wisconsin Northern, and Indiana Railroad) and some local industries. The layout is to be based on the area around the old MILW yards in Milwaukee, WI. I know my materials say "Dakota Division"... that may change. I'm also heavily involved in getting a model of the SDL39 produced to add a few more of those to my roster. I'll try to do better at updates! Oh... yes, the paint did change some. We have several "phases" of paint. Classic - Black over Orange (as the real thing was) Phase 1 - Orange over gray with billboard lettering Phase 2 - Orange over gray without the billboard lettering and revamped nose "Utility" - All gray with markings. Used for radio control and other switch locomotives restricted to yard or MOW service.
At some point, a thriving MILW could have built lines into the PRB coal. Imagine a fleet of coal hoppers in a black/orange scheme. For some cars, the red herald would be painted on a plate & applied to the cars over the ribs. Perhaps a new route could be developed with some coal moving via the Mississippi river line to Midwest power plants.
Not to mention the DAPX and WEPX hoppers that would have rolled through South Dakora, along the MIL line toward Milwaukee, and been dispersed. That was my idea... and I still intend to haul lots and lots of coal... I even have the hoppers... though they are not painted (yet).
Jeremy,I love your idea of the 21st century Milwaukee,what if the Milwaukee had the money to rebuild the entire Iowa Division and was running coal trains,grain trains and merchandise trains.Are the MP15's going to be MP15DC's or MP15AC's? The Milwaukee would have been the king in the coal train business,the layout looks great.
Thank you. We felt that adding the curve across the nose gave greater visibility and also looked better than the straight line that the first SD70M's got on the wide-nose locomotives. ' I'm enjoying this project. The MP15's will probably be a mix of MP15DC's and MP15AC's if they get made. I could see one or two of each kind. Right now, the plan is to go with a pair of the DC versions (probably painted in lease colors) working the yard with the radio control SD40-2RC. I think the next thing to add is going to be one or two of the Fox Valley Models transfer cabooses. I intend to turn at least one into the platform for the crew working the SD40-2RC, and I might add another one for short trains that wouldn't have EOT devices on runs over to the industrial district.
Update: July 2008 It's been a while since I updated the progress on my layout project. There have been some SERIOUS struggles getting to a final layout space plan. I think, in retrospect, I should have stopped and relaxed while we moved in and lived in the house for a few months (and we've now been in 6 months). Now, with the living space squared away, the 3rd bay of the garage has been designated as the layout space, and within the next month, a wall will be going up to close that space off and make the layout room which will be 18'x12' with a usable 18'x'9' space for the layout enclosed on 3 sides with an aisle down one side for access between the laundry room and the garage. This space also will have AC and heat, so my temperature control issues are solved, and I'm madly into planning what I consider my dream empire. The locomotive fleet has made some progress as well. I've attached pictures of the latest addition, a SD90MAC-H. This 6000hp unit, and at least one other like it, will be the kings of the layout until the new Kato SD70ACe's arrive in the future.
Love the concept and paint schemes,any thought to doing the maroon over orange scheme I have seen on some Milwaukee Road equipment?
