I have seen a lot of nice looking engines offered by Brooklyn Loco. Works. has anyone out there recived custom painted engines from them before, and if so how would you rate them. How long did it take for them to custom paint an engine. Thanks in advance for your reply.
I have a custom painted Kato SD45 in Rio Grande livery from BLW. Altho it was pricey ($145) the quality is super, they even painted the handrail ends white! I have been lusting after a AB set of Kato F7's for a while now, it's just hard to justify the cost. 2slim
Sorry, Forgot to add that it took about 3 months from the time I ordered the loco till I recieved it. They did not bill my credit card until about a week before I recieved the engine. I would have to say that if you don't have the time or talent to custom paint, they will treat you fairly. 2slim
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by caseyboy94@aol.com: find someone else---forget about legacy[gino] ---there is cheaper and better out there<hr></blockquote> So what's the problem here caseyboy?Maybe you should tell us the reason for such terse criticism so we can decide if it is warranted.I've personally only had positive dealings with BLW. Regards Gordon
I have had positive dealings with BLW, but the prices are high and the locomotive I bought (BN 1991 SD60M Desert Storm) had paint that was tacky about 4 months after I received it. It was almost like they forgot to add hardener or something. I talked with the guy at my local hobby shop who did custom painting himself, and he said I should send it back. Needless to say, I never got to send it back. I ended up painting one myself, and am very happy with the results. I took both locomotives to the local shop and everyone picked mine (even though it didn't have all the decals on it yet). I am very glad that I will never have to buy another custom painted loco again. I also painted the UP #3593 SD40-2 Desert Storm Locomotive in N Scale, and when compared to the one offered by Legacy Loco, mine has more camouflage detail and looks more like the real one, even though the color is a little off. I plan on repainting another in the future with the correct brown when I have time. Mine (N Scale) Mine (HO Scale) Legacy Loco (N Scale) Please go to this site to see a picture. Legacy Loco SD40-2 I will continue to be a customer of BLW, but not for custom painted locomotives.
I have 2 Legacy SD40-2's in Conrail Livery that I am very pleased with. While I agree that they are a bit pricey, I think they are worth the money. N Scale Supply is now offering Emperor of the North custom painted locos, and they are even more expensive than Legacy's, on average. I sure wish I had steadier hands Bill
I have looked through their legacy selection and they appear to be very well done. Then I look at the price. For that kind of money, I think it wiser to invest in my own equipment and develop my own painting expertise.
That sounds like a wise idea Bruce. When you get as good at it as our BLMA, Paul, John and a few others here, you can better understand why the cost to achieve the professional jobs they do. I got to where I could do a bang-up job on a Kenworth back in 1946, so I tried an old box car in HO while I had the gun loaded. There wasn't any orange peel surface, but that coat of paint was nearly 1/16 inch thick! It was the only metalic Harbor Blue box car I ever saw, and the trucks are still bonded solid to the body! (The two big lumpy globs on the bottom are the trucks) The paint finally got hard a couple of weeks ago. I'll be glad to give you some more pointers if you need them.
I have seen several custom painted locomotives by BLW and was extremely happy and impressed with the quality and workmanship. I would not hesitate to buy one if that is what I wanted or "needed" Are they as cheap as the "factory" units? Of course not... should you expect them to be? Of course not. As far as N Scale Supply offering the "Emperor Line", I just have one observation: Why are the handrails unpainted and left as "factory black" on units that obviously do not have black handrail? Example: compare the photo of the "Emperor" CSX SD80 at: http://www.nscalesupply.com/images/eon/EON-CSXSD80.jpg to the comparable BLW unit at: http://www.blwnscale.com/blwphotos/LSD80-CSX.JPG Harold
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by watash: That sounds like a wise idea Bruce. When you get as good at it as our BLMA, Paul, John and a few others here, you can better understand why the cost to achieve the professional jobs they do. I got to where I could do a bang-up job on a Kenworth back in 1946, so I tried an old box car in HO while I had the gun loaded. There wasn't any orange peel surface, but that coat of paint was nearly 1/16 inch thick! It was the only metalic Harbor Blue box car I ever saw, and the trucks are still bonded solid to the body! (The two big lumpy globs on the bottom are the trucks) The paint finally got hard a couple of weeks ago. I'll be glad to give you some more pointers if you need them. <hr></blockquote> In my younger days, I had a crazy idea of creating my own road name with its own paint scheme. Since I was pretty good at detailing model airplanes, I figured N-scale shouldn't be very hard. So with paint brush in hand (didn't have an airbrush), I made the attempt on three locos. Fortunatly, two of these were cheap early generation locos - and didn't survive storage over the years anyway. But I have a decent Atlas GP-7 (or 9?) that could certainly use a new shell. I'm in the process of planning a new layout, so I'll stay away from customizing locos for a while. But I'll be sure to consult you for pointers if I ever dare enter that territory again.
I have units from BLMA, BLW and The Freightyard. To add my input, BLW does have some excellent custom painted units. Yes they are pricey, but not like The Freightyard and the quality is better.
platium line----the problem is not blw---its their overprice primma donna of a painter that the problem
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by caseyboy94@aol.com: platium line----the problem is not blw---its their overprice primma donna of a painter that the problem<hr></blockquote> Thanks for clarification on that caseyboy.I had a feeling this was a personal thing.I just didn't think it was proper to leave it hanging the way it was(intimating BLW was the problem).Before my retirement this year,I painted for BLW,and if there's one thing I can say and be certain of,it's that Peter Postel at BLW is one of the nicest,and most honest guys I've ever met.Thank you again for your reply.Regards. Gordon
Allied, in Culver City CA, also has custom painted units. But they are pricey also. It MUST be the painters who are asking for premium prices. BLMA's prices aren't at all bad!!! [ 30 November 2001: Message edited by: Harold R. (aka SD75MAC) ]</p>
i too buy from pete at blw----as far as the painter that im refering to, he is on the west coast---he is very talented but is a prima donna 1st class---myself and a number of my club members have been shafted numerous times
I purchased a custom painted SD-40 for the Southern from BLW. The paint job was very nicely done, however, the number boards were not installed. The number board decal was placed over the space where the boards would go, with nothing behind them. Needless to say, these did not even survive the removal from the case. Other than that, I thought the work was very well done. I received mine within a week of ordering, I suspect that I got the unit that was used for the picture on the website since I received it so quickly.
Hi Guys, This topic got my interest because I have painted many models for friends and they have paid me to do it. If I had it my way I would do it full time because I enjoy painting and even more seeing the reaction from my customers upon delivering the model. My new job keeps me on the road year round and I have had to put the workshop in storage. I still get requests to painting but have to turn them down. What has me qurious is what you all feel is a resonable price to pay for custom painting. The prices that you pay the previously mentioned shops are for the model and the custom paint job. First there is the price of the model which the shop has paid a price for and is entitled to a resonable profit. Then there is the painter who has invested in the equipment and time to do the painting. And the shop will want to make some sort of profit on providing the service to you. Eqiupment needed to paint includes an airbrush, compresor, spraybooth, resperator, airbrush holder, masking tape, knives to cut tape, glass on which to cut tape on, T square, tiangles and french curves to aid in cutting clean lines in the tape, burnishing tools, paint, paint stripper, decals, decal applying solutions, paint brushes and last but not least referance material to use as a guide to be able to provide the most accurate paint job possible. There are probably items that I have forgotten but my point is that there are numerous items required to do a quality paint job. Several of these items need to be replentished on a regular basis as they wear out or run out. The amount of time required to do the job which includes research, time to go to the hobby shop to obtain decals and correct colors of paint, stripping paint from customers model, cleaning model, painting which includes a primer coat to show flaws that may appear and to allow the final colors to appear accurate, cutting masks and applying them, clear coats, applying decals, applying details, painting handrails, drying times between coats, cleaning airbrush after applying each color and installing couplers can take many many days. Again I am sure that I have left out some items and each model will vary as to what the customer wants done to it. Please understand that I am in no way trying to belittle anyone of you. Like all of you I don't want to pay any more money for something than I have to. People ask me to paint for them because they don't have the experiance to do the job to their own satisfaction, don't have the time, don't have the materials which can cost well over $600.00 for the basics, don't have the space to set up all of the material required or just plain don't want to do it. I have charged only $50.00 to do a paint job on a loco regardless of the number of color seperations. That price of course does not include the loco, the customer provides that. I have had many repeat customers which tells me that the price is not out of line. I have also encouraged several friends to try painting themselves and have given them instructions and tips on how to do it. I encourage you all to do the same. I too am human and it took me a long time to pick up the brush and spray some paint on my precious Kato and Micro Trains models just as I am sure a lot of you feel intimidated about doing it also. The feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment are quite gratifying when you finally do it though. Yes I made mistakes and still do. Heck I even make mistakes in just about everything else I do in life. What is satisfying is having the courage to admit them and then fix them. So give painting a try. It's fun! If you don't want to then find a painter that you like and support them. And back to my first question. What do you feel is a resonable price to pay? Have fun! Dave Fowler
Dave, I paid $75.00 to a guy several years ago to paint an HO Hobby Town (Brand), Diesel Passenger loco that was just the new brass casting. I had cleaned up all flash, and polished the sand mold surface down slick. Then I plugged all threaded holes with nylon screws, and drove nylon plugs into the two drilled holes. I drilled, but did not fill all the grabiron holes. Our agreement was that he would not fill any holes, but he could fill any dents, or imperfections (air bubbles etc.) he found in the surface at his discretion. The major color was red, with a yellow stripe down the side. He could remove the screws just before the paint got hard to prevent tearing the paint, but preserve the threads from fouling with paint. He used a lacquer, and it was thin yet a solid color, not fades or orange peal, and never did crack. It was to be left glossy surface, packed in cotton, and sent back. I paid $40.00 deposit and $35.00 upon his sending me a photo of the finished engine, plus postage, and insurance. We were both happy. I used my dad's trick of laying black sewing thread along the edge of the yellow stripe as an edging, then sent the engine back to him for a clear coat that would seal the thread after he put the decals on for another $10.00. I paid the postage back to me. I mounted two Lindsey powered 6 axle trucks on it because they were flexible, and it performed great until I sold it. It seemed a fair price to me at the time. I don't think the prices have gone up much since 1995. How does that sound to you for a two color job, Dave?
