Disappointed, but I get it.

I try to keep my posts positive and one of my pet peeves is those who consistently post about new products in a negative light. Most of the time the posts are about issues that take rivet counting to a new level and I fail to see the significance. The neon orange plows on the recent Kato D&RGW SD45 for instance. Wrong color, but an easy fix and in my opinion and certainly not a reason not to buy the loco. The wrong “font”, if you will, on some of the letters in the “Rio Grande”. Irritating, I agree, but still not a deal breaker at least not for me. Admittedly I don’t model that road.

But now it hits closer to home. I have been anxiously awaiting a new Northeast style caboose for a while now. I was thrilled when Bachmann announced theirs. I was happy with the pre-production photos and the fact that they were producing one in my Maine Central was even better. They have recently released photos of the paint schemes. Granted, they are of the HO models. I am sincerely disappointed in the MEC paint job. Not even close. It brings to mind the neon green printing on the road-cone orange boxcar that Model Power put out years ago.

So to echo those before me; why would a company go through all the effort and expense of new tooling and production, produce what appears to be a great looking model and then drop the ball when it comes to paint? I don’t see where the right orange (in this case) would have cost any more than the wrong. This isn’t even an issue of the paint job. I can live with fuzzy edges, etc. But to get it so wrong just flat out doesn’t make sense.
Here is the prototype:


Here is the Bachmann model:


And here is another commercially painted model:

I will still be purchasing some of these, but they’ll be undecs or get stripped. I certainly get why others get so frustrated with manufacturers.

 

Well my old eyes may be deceiving me but isn't the proto lettering black? And the lower one appears to have gotten the lettering the right color but really missed out on the body color. Some weathering or a wash of India ink in alcohol probabbly would bring the color down to the prototype on the Bmann model if you can ignore the lettering color.

 

I have to say that the Bachmann paint looks much closer than the "other commercially painted model", and the prototype caboose looks to have a few years of weathering under it's belt, so I think John is probably right about a couple of coats of weathering would get you close...........On the other hand It's notoriously hard to get colors to be true in photos, so maybe what you are seeing and what we are seeing are a bit different. Or what you are seeing and what you'll get to hold in your hand will be different. Pre-production sample photos can be different from production runs since they are sometimes one-offs painted to show the schemes and are not samples pulled from the production line. I have a lot of Montana Rail LInk stuff, and it seems that every run has a slightly different color, not only from manufacturer to manufacturer, but even from model to model from the same manufacturer.

 

Comparing a model photo to a protoype photo of a car that was obviously painted years earlier than the photo, is dirty and faded is not really a realistic comparison.

 

look at the window "trim" on the first model - the paint might not be bad, but the wire screen frame turned into a paint trim really looks bad. having done model paint signoffs, i know exactly how hard it is to color match. you think that Kodachrome represents reality? think again.

UP is Armour Yellow, right? well, which one is the "right" one?

 

Some very fine mesh inserted into the frame for the screen and either weathering the frame paint or dry brush a dull aluminum on the silver would probably get this up to snuff. A quick glance at the window frames shows them to be orange as seen behind the screen frame. Some real fine brush work may be able to leave the outside silver showing if one can match the orange used. Problem is that manufacturers model colors and model paint colors don't always match in the shades. I think my first suggestion is the best and then filling in a window ala protype plus weathering. Other than the lettering color I think you probably can get a good match. And the India ink wash just might darken down that lettering. I would at least get one or two and do a little of the improvements. Everything works out good then get some more.

 

Some very good points being made especially about the validity of photos. To add a little weight to my observation, I live in Maine and have seen the actual paint a million times from new to virtual rust. Here is a comparison to the Atlas paint which is closer to the prototype:

 

Out of curiousity I went surfing the web and after looking at a bunch of MC cabooses I found color photos with both shades of paint and be danged if I also didn't find some with the green lettering. So I think Bmann is awful close to some of the photos I saw the only big miss is the window trim.

 

Hey, I hear you and there are a lot of places the manufacturers could do a better job in, but I don't think it's fair to compare photos (especially the caboose vs. Atlas loco). I can make the same color look like a million different colors either on purpose or by accident through any part of the photo and photo post processing operation and these final images are done by graphics artists who likely have no idea at all what the prototype looked like. Wait for the model and compare it...

 

FWIW, most manufacturers highlight their models with bright lighting for photos (to release to resellers etc.) and especially if there's a dark color there. Helps bring out detail. Intermountain does it too, their prerelease pics always show bright but the products are more realistic. You may get your model and find it's (to eyes/in reality) notably darker than what that bachmann photo shows.

 

It's hard to make a comparison between a recently painted model in a studio lighting setting and the sun-faded prototype, possibly shot using a photographic process that has experienced some color shift. As a Milwaukee Road modeler I see all sorts of oranges, INCLUDING on the prototype where it is not unusual to see a string of orange and black diesels all sporting different shades of orange due to variations in paint batches and weathering. I don't know. This one seems pretty close, especially for Bachmann. THe biggest gripe I could see would be the lettering on the lower left, but it could be that they were trying to not make it punch too much.

 

Can you post a link to any of the pictures which show an MC caboose with green lettering? Just curious.

 

Well, if nothing else, this has been a lesson in perception. I can share that I have a new appreciation for all the others that see errors (perceived or not) in products and are passionate about it. This one struck close to home and I never would have metioned it except that in my opinion no MEC equipment ever had that tone of orange. New, faded or otherwise. BTW we never got to the green .

As I stated earlier, I am pleased to see the model produced and I will be purchasing multiple units to paint. I'll have to get one in MEC and give it a fair shake.

 

Clint,Maybe the N scale one will be the correct color.With the price of paint these days,I don't think they painted that HO model,it's molded in color.

 

Well lets see if this works. Unfortunately I can't seem to get the link to work so Google Maine Central and about midway down the page open Kenneth Houghton's Pictures then click on the caboose photo. Whole big bunch of caboose photos.

 

Clint: I can certainly sympathize. As an IC/ICG modeler there have been very VERY few commercially released models that accurately match the prototype. And even though I often cringe when I see the silly mistakes, I also feel obligated to purchase them to perhaps help dispell the perception floated by some manufacturers (looking at you boys in NJ) that 'IC stuff doesn't sell'. When these releases are properly researched and care is taken to get the paint and lettering correct, modelers tend to support the release. When it's 'half-a**ed', most of us tend to just buy undecorateds and paint them ourselves.

As for that MEC caboose, I think if you weather it and give it some dilute washes you might be pleasantly surprised. Either way, I can appreciate where you're coming from!

 

Thanks John. I think this might work for a direct link to Kenneth Houghton's album of MEC caboose pictures:
http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/pictures?userid{91CE877C-F16C-43EE-A91F-EDF166979869}&albumid={957D9D39-0081-4D22-97F5-60B1BF9843E2}&groupid={B96B6463-65EE-4CFB-BCF7-2B40694DEBA8}

The caboose pictures seem to be ordered based on the road number of each caboose, and I see two pictures of #661, one of each side.

 

It also depends on what is being painted. The real thing is metal and prob. has a base of primer ( who knows what color) that can make the top color darker or lighter. The model is plastic and almost guarenteed not to have a primer coat down first. Personally, I'm just happy when a company puts out a model that is close to what I like (DMIR) and earlier. I had to redo many a color scheme to get my ho layout to look even close. Now that I'm starting in n I'm finding a lack of steam once again.