Hi everyone,

A friend of mine is interested in painting a model of the EMD Demo SD50 and is looking for decent photographs. Are there any sources for photos of EMD #1983? So far, all we've found is this image, https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/locomotive/images/0/0b/EMD_SD50_Demo.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120624020243 The image looks to be from Northeast Railfan originally.

We're looking for side on and end shots of the SD50 for the purposes of painting a model. But thus far, we've not really found anymore photos of this specific SD50?

Thanks in advance for any help or hints.

Robert

The photo you've linked to looks like a retouched artists' conception rather than a photo of an actual locomotive.

Dave,

I never really gave that a thought. Now that you mention it, the photo does seem to look like some sort of respray.

Robert

I've double checked what records I have, and I can say with some reassurance that EMD never actually fielded a demonstrator wearing that paint scheme. The first full SD50's (as opposed to six SD50S models cranked out for N&W in Dec. 1980) were ten produced for KCS in May and June of 1981. So they wouldn't have needed a demonstrator numbered "1983." That photo is most assuredly "ad copy" back before computer "Photoshopping" was the routine.

Now, if you want to paint a model as such, be our guest; model railroads are often fantasy operations to begin with. But there's your license to fudge the dimensions for convenience's sake.

They retouched a builders photo of a unit wearing the solid white KCS paint scheme-- note the 3 lens headlight, the strobe atop the cab, the yellow side sill, the yellow tape wrapped around the railings, etc.

There's this photo online too. But it easily could be a KCS SD50 before the logos were applied, or a photo that someone's photoshopped to remove the KCS logos.

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/31255613/

Yeah, that image has been altered from a KCS unit and not very well, either. Note The white color differences in the areas around the logos. It would be very difficult to tell if done properly. I recolored a photo of our locomotive to make it pink as a Valentine’s Day spoof. Nobody could tell how I did it.