Central of Georgia!

[bob turner]

I was going to tack this on the doorstop thread, but almost all of my photos have somehow "timed out." Not sure why; they still remain on OGR, even though their management doesn't much care for me.

I have been studying the C of Ga E and F unit paint schemes - and decided it is time to repaint my doorstop to more closely match the real thing. Time to load up on orange, and maybe a slightly less dark blue.

Photo in a minute.

[bob turner]

So here I am on the big computer, where I can actually do photos. First, even though I am a big SP nut, I have always thought the B&O paint scheme was elegant! Even though the B&O never had a PA, I have one done up in those elegant colors:



I also have a set of FTs in B&O, but I plan to either repaint them WP Pumpkin, or Grande Gold with a single black stripe.

But there is this E7 doorstop - Pete was kind enough to send C of Ga decals last year, but I was not satisfied with the paint, so I have not applied them. And Maroon sent some neat 1/16" striping tape, which really worked well on my GM&O doorstops, so here goes - this gets stripped, so I can lower the black stripe in between two blue stripes, and so the upper orange stripes continue straight across the nose.



More like this, but with orange stripes and the upper two going straight across the nose:

[R.K. Maroon]

Pete would be better suited to comment on Central of Georgia. As I recall, somebody in his local club has a very nice set of E-units in that scheme.

But since you mentioned the B&O, I will use the opening to post this photo:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/yedbztv7s1s73u5wvacjq/148-CLW-B-O-E7-AB-Set-02.jpg?rlkey=ciq81j78l2pptz6tq2zl5lef1

This is a CLW set that showed up in the Steve Neill auction. I helped pack up that estate and remember seeing these. All wheels powered, very nicely painted. I wasn't planning to bid, as I expected them to go high, but the bidding stalled way low (opinion) and I picked them up. I don't have a passenger train to go with these but managed to gin up a suitable express consist. I have a date with Michael Ross and his Virginian layout later this month, so with luck I will post a video of these in action soon.

Jim

[bob turner]

I think what triggered my first attempt at C of Ga above was Maroon's earlier, more doorstoppy E7. It has a charm that mine failed to capture - hence the repaint to make mine more accurate with skinnier stripes. Here is Maroon's:

[R.K. Maroon]

The B&O E7A that Bob posted above is part of an AB set:


https://www.dropbox.com/s/hxf2edycy15mpdj/Adams%20and%20Son%20E7A%20B%26O%2001.JPG


https://www.dropbox.com/s/blkthcdzliiphh3/Adams%20and%20Son%20E7B%20B%26O%2001.JPG

The units are cast bronze and date to the late 1940s. They were made by Central Lines and marketed under the brand name Exacta, a company that Central Lines purchased. The cast E7s were a follow-up to Exacta's earlier E7 made with embossed copper sides. The B&O AB set came with drives in both units. They run but make a lot of (surprisingly realistic) noise, prompting me to joke about them having an onboard sound system in the following video:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/tudbso1upsjeoa3g08oox/Adams-and-Son-B-O-E7-AB-Pair.mp4?rlkey=b9n6xn7ux95pw0g9tuwc2t3lr&dl=0

I have not found a photo of a B&O E7 with the simplified scheme found on these cast units. No matter, as the paint is quite distressed anyway, so these will eventually get dipped and repainted. The angled side of front vent opening will be corrected at that time.

Jim

[bob turner]

Jim is a true history buff. I have three As and an aluminum B, all with the same earmarks. Two of the As came from Milt Sorenson, who was a very early contributor to OSN when it was a four page mailer out of Philadelphia. Milt told me they were the only two Exactas made with cast sides, but obviously that is not true, since both Jim and I have found additional units. One of my As has rectangular vents on that forward opening - probably cut open.

I think Jim's paint scheme has a certain charm. Mine doesn't, so I need to get started on this C of Ga project. Going to the rattle can store tomorrow.

Here is my collection of Exacta E7s, not necessarily all at once:

[Carey Williams]

Nice collection of Exacta engines ....and cast CLW's ..
I'll tag on my Adams & Son A&B in B&O colors pulling Walther's smooth sided cars ...
Adams E's at 17/64ths tower over the 1/4" passenger cars ...

https://youtu.be/J_q8Jc3OZ0A?feature=shared

Cheers Carey

[R.K. Maroon]

Nice looking B&O E6 AB set, Carey. They look like they have the Siebers Bros. sides. Does it have the Siebers drive well?


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cj0q56ohtlhoed29xmgxl/Figure-2-E6A-chassis.JPG?rlkey=qiy6knpmafeo3h0pd959l6zot

I think this drive originated with Pomona Valley before the war. but I don't recall if I have any hard evidence of that. This drive would have been serviceable but it has a weak link, in that the axle worm gear is too small and the worm shaft not adequately supported. Most (but not all) that are found today are ground up:


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/im6d4iojdnk74aciac2d3/Figure-6-E-Unit-Truck-Gearbox.JPG?rlkey=1r5286eft0hpj88ppk537534q

Just finished fabricating new drive shafts for the CLW B&O E7s posted earlier. They passed a test run and are scheduled for a revenue service a week from now. Will post photos and video when ready.

Jim

[bob turner]

Thanks to both of you for good doorstop photos - I am admiring those paint jobs. Jim and I have lusted for more axle gears, but finding such things in quantities of under a thousand is no longer easy. And after viewing Carey's video again, I got all jazzed and watched a few more - man, some of those old steamers are rough! But the Challenger video is worth watching again. Especially that tender!

So: The unit I am working on is in orange, awaiting striping for the blue and black coats.

I have a couple questions for the C of Ga buffs among us:

Is the upper body an eggshell white, or a light grey?

Is the lowest stripe - on the very bottom of the carbody - white/grey, or orange? Or did it depend on the shop foreman during repaint? I prefer the orange, but am ready to be semi-accurate.

And a question for Jim - are those three windows on the upper carbody done the way Bob Smith planned, or are they just something the original builder decided would look better than the larger stock windows?

[bob turner]

Of course not quite an E7 or a C of Ga, but here for the tenth time are my Henry Pearce FTs - I was going to bring them home and make them WP Pumpkin, but I couldn't quite bring myself to overspray the B & O.



I hope Dave is watching - that wheel off the track is just for him. I did fix the track gauge since, and am being slightly more careful. Slightly.

[R.K. Maroon]

And a question for Jim - are those three windows on the upper carbody done the way Bob Smith planned, or are they just something the original builder decided would look better than the larger stock windows?

I have not seen a virgin CLW E-unit kit that I can think of, so I don't know what "stock" looked like. I do have another CLW E7, but this is the only photo of it I can find:


https://www.dropbox.com/s/6rdij22hwpt06lx/GM%26O%20E7%20%26%20HWs.jpg

I'll have to get a better side view, but the upper vents looks similar to the B&O units shown here several posts back.

Here my Henry Pearce FTs - I was going to bring them home and make them WP Pumpkin, but I couldn't quite bring myself to overspray the B & O

If the temptation to paint these ever strikes you again, please let me know and I'll send you a pair of unpainted shells, complete with rivets.
Jim

[bob turner]

I will paint the spare F3s either Pumpkin II or DRGW single stripe. I have some FAs to paint, and B & O is a candidate.

Pumpkin II is almost too easy.

I picked up rattle can of “chrome!” After trying it on a scrap, it might go on a set of metal MTH PAs. That will happen when it warms up a bit -the can says “above 70 degrees.”

[De Bruin]

....I have a couple questions for the C of Ga buffs among us:
Is the upper body an eggshell white, or a light grey?

Per Howard Robbin's color photos, it's a light grey that can appear light blue due to color shift in the film and perhaps the "minds eye" phenomena that processes/interprets a neutral tone to shift in tint towards that of a darker adjoining color, in this case exaggerated by the orange pin stripe separating the adjoining dark blue body panel.
Quite attractive scheme and yeah very similar to the B&O's blue & grey.

Is the lowest stripe - on the very bottom of the carbody - white/grey, or orange? Or did it depend on the shop foreman during repaint? I prefer the orange, but am ready to be semi-accurate.

Outside of some bill board/advertisement "artistic license" examples, I've never seen that schemes frame rail stripe in anything other than the same light grey. While there were a lot of early changes made to original factory schemes after delivery or subsequent orders, in the CG's case I have no specifics on any variations like that.

As an aside CG's E7's had a total of four different schemes over their service life; your "civil war" blue & grey, then the mostly solid dark olive green version with yellow stripes referred to by railfans as the "collared" green followed next by a single example solid black with white lettering and nose wings (referred as the "Hitler" scheme that was proposed after the Southern takeover,) which Brosnan nixed in favor of the final Southern tuxedo scheme.


The E8's had the civil war scheme, then the IC's orange and brown for the Florida train pool and finally the tuxedo scheme..

[bob turner]

Thanks.

I note that the photo on p. 90 of Don Ball’s America’s Colorful Railroads agrees with you. I will spray grey tomorrow, and blue Friday. Had no idea I was using a Confederate - inspired color scheme.

[De Bruin]

Thanks ....... Had no idea I was using a Confederate - inspired color scheme.

My pleasure Bob.
To clarify my comment, I believe both the CG and B&O's blue and grey schemes were selected to honor both armies uniform colors.

Interestingly though both the L&N and the SLSW had schemes that purportedly honored the CSA's officers uniform colors which I've read was adopted by that army to emulate the US Army Academy at West Point's cadet uniforms. Anyone with a different take on that please chime in here.
The SLSW's earliest diesel scheme (applied mid to late forties) was a very busy pale yellow and gray with red pin stripes, factory applied on their first FT sets and their Baldwin VO's and lone DT-6-6-2000 center-cab. L&N's final Yellow and Grey scheme (applied in the mid sixties) was purportedly based on those CSA uniform colors as well, though again anybody here with a different take on that please post.