Hi, I´m Christian from Germany,
a question to the GP7´s NYC lightning stripes paint:Are on all unit´s the main color black or dark grey -are there difference and what for a reason?
Thanks!
I think all of NYC’s GP7s were black, with white and light gray lighning stripes. An NYC expert can correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that all NYC diesels that were assigned to the freight pool in the lightning stripe era were black, while most (if not all) of the engines assigned to passenger service were dark gray with white and light gray stripes.
The gray scheme was used for some passenger/dual-service geeps (those with steam generators). Look for the torpedo tube air resevors on the roof.
The black scheme was primary, NYC’s predominent freight scheme before the cigar band scheme came in the late '50s.
Jim Six Did an online clinic on these loco. He used a Yahoo Group.
mailto:jamessix@bnin.net Is his work Email address I believe
J6-layout@yahoogroups.com J6-layout@yahoogroups.com
This is the layout group that he is conducting now. You could join and ask him about them
Mike Dickinson
This is a GP9 but it serves to prove the point.
November 12, 1960
NYC 5938 GP9 EMD 1750HP
NYC Class DRSP-9C steam generator, Built 12/55, renum 1966 7510, PC 7338, CR 7564
The glory days of New York Central passenger service was behind when this photo of NYC 5938 was taken at the Big Four station in Anderson.
Bob Bruns Collection.
A good source for info on NYC GP7s I found by accident, the online sample of Model Railroading April 2006.
http://www.highlandsstationllc.com/new_page_1.htm
It is only Part 1 but says the GP7s didn’t follow the procedure of passenger gray/freight black, you could find black ones in passenger runs and gray in freight service. There appear to be three paint schemes,
Gray with lighting stripes
Black with lighting stripes
Black
Also list paint used on P&LE and P&E GP7s when NYC controlled both. Has useful info including a list by class number, road numbers in class, etc. including which P&LE GP7s came in Pacemaker Green. Never saw any other parts to this so I cannot say what is in them but might be worth it to see if you can find them.