Well as far as I can see, there are no less than three problems with the paint.

#1: When General Electric built SN 652 and SN 654 (now at the Western Railway Museum), the paint spalled off in a not unsimilar way. The conclusion of at least one WRM volunteer is that GE never pickled off the mill scale. When exposed to weather, this mill scale was prone to turning into rust, getting bigger as it did so, and wedging the paint away from the body. It seems likely the same is happening here.

#2. Note to WM: Wash the unit before you paint it! OK, I don't know that was the problem but when WM gave the unit its first repaint, something went wrong. I don't know how well it performed then, but contemporarily, the first repaint is all too happy to part from the original paint. At least in places. Many places!


#3. The adhesion between the 4 year old primer and the previous coat is superb. However, there are places - typically oily places - where the topcoat shriveled and separated from this primer. Still sorting this mystery out.

Too bad none of these failures can be provoked into failing consistently...

So I believe Dave Johnston's point is proven: there are many ways to screw up a paint job.

Wow- that looks like a really artsy flame job!