I am planning on getting a few locos custompainted sometime in the near future. I am wanting to find a quality custom painter who will do a flawless job with the paint and decals (if available), and will be able to work magic with my conceptual plan (of a road that no longer exists, and using a current N-scale Diesel locomotive.
Thanks
Roger
Based on another thread on custom painters, I’d be looking for someone who is fairly quick to get the originals back to you.
FT
Check the ads in MR and the other mags. There are generally several small ads in each mag.
Talk with the painter by phone if possible. Ask him to email/snail mail you some photos of some of his work, and what his practice is on payment, method, (check, money order), etc. Find out his completion time, and delivery methods. Also find out what his practice is if you are dissatisfied with the painting.
I was a custom painter for 30 years, (retired now), and in that time I had only 5 customers I couldn’t satisfy plus I only got “stiffed” once on payment.
Later
Ask around at the local hobby shops, shows and with local modelers.
Based on some experiences you probably want to get someone close who has a good local reputation.
Try www.bcenterpriseinc.com I had them do a brass NYC Mohawk last year and I was completely satisfied with their work. They installed a DCC decoder with headlight and painted it beautifully. It took a long time, nearly six months. Expect to be patient while waiting, because they seem to have a backlog of business. I guess that comes with being good. Give them a call and discuss what you want . Oh, and their prices are fair, too - not cheap, but I got my money’s worth so I’m glad to recommend them.
If I had to get something custom painted then I wouldn’t send it to anyone buy Larry. He owns Papa’s Trains. He does outstanding work, and other members here will also say the same. If you click on the link the BRASS OMI 3 UNIT “BIG BLOW” GAS TURBINE on the left is mine. He painted it (now that’s 3 units) , including all sliding doors, completly disassembled all the sprung trucks, installed constant lighting (front & back), added full crew, and installed all the OMI little add-ons for $250.00, including shipping. He even sent me pictures of the progress of the paint job. He did a fantastic job on that very expensive engine.
Visit your local friendly RR club. There are often members who have had their locos painted or who do it themselves. The key is to look at a completed job - beautiful to one person is junk to another!! Staying local is always a better bet - look at the “problems” listed in the forum - they almost always involve mail order or internet suppliers. I don’t recall anyone complaining about someone local to them.