I have a Westside GS-4 made by Katumi around 1980. The unit is factory painted in Daylight colors with a silver pilot. I have seen photos of GS units with silver pilots after the Daylight colors and skirting was removed. I have also seen photos of the units where the pilots had the decorative metal bands removed, displaying a solid orange pilot.
Is the silver pilot on units with Daylight colors accurate? Any photos known of this configuration? Any info or help would be appreciated. [:)]
The pilot needs to be Orange when the engine is in full Daylight colors. I have many books of the Daylight and SP engines and if any existed, it was not the normal scheme. I have several of the Westside and have painted the pilots solid orange. You can decal them with Microscale decals or run them as they ran in the early fifties without the stripes. The GS4’s had the stripes on them for about 10 years or so until the early fifites. I have pictures showing the solid orange without stripes in 1954, but not all of the engines were exactly the same and not all engines went to the shop for major work or repainting in the same period. Some with the pilots stripes lasted a little longer but I believe most had lost them by the end of 1954. Pictures do show the 4449 in Daylight colors without the stripes also in the mid fifties. The last twelve engines were in Daylight service until early 1955 and retained the Daylight color and skirts, but lost the pilot stripes on the pilot in the early fifties.
GS4’s 4430 to 4447 GS4’ already had the skirts removed by this time and were painted black about three years before the last group. They received the silver pilots when they went back to black paint.
If you are running in the late forties, use the stripes on the pilot for sure.
After all, this is model railroading and you should enjoy seeing the engine at its best.
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bangert1,
Thank you very much for the detailed information. You confirmed my suspicions. I will paint the pilot orange and stripe it as well. My unit is setup with the pre-1946 lettering. I plan on obtaining the PCM cars when they become available. I’m looking forward to running the Daylight in splendor.
If you have the early lettering, you need the stripes for sure. I am using the post war large tender lettering.
Glad to help.
Bangert1,
I should have asked this earlier, what size stripes did you use? Were they the 2" stripes?
Thanks in advance,