I received a schematic diagram detailing the Amtrak F40 Phase III paint scheme, but as I've come to learn from Sherwin-Williams Industrial Paint, the codes are no longer in use.

The diagram stated the following Sherwin-Williams codes:
F42-B-C18 Black Gloss
F42-S-C2 Stainless Steel
F42-L-C18 Amtrak Blue
F42-W-C22 White Gloss
F42-R-C20 Amtrak Red

Since I am eager to repaint a certain former Amtrak locomotive, I am seeking Dupont color codes, if any exist, to ensure a good paint sample. Otherwise I'll have to make another trip to Chicago Union Station and try to sneak around and sample one of those NPCU F40s that was repainted Phase III I believe in 2005 or 2006... ;)

I have access to several scrap F40PHs and could lift a few paint chips off for you. Only problem with that is if the color had faded with exposure to the weather.

I will be talking with my paint guy in a few days. He is a Sherwin-Williams dealer on the automotive side, and I will see what he can come up with since I would be interested in that stainless steel color for some other projects I am currently working on.

This shop was able to pull paint formulas for some of Sherwin-Williams automotive paints for Penn Central 'Deepwater Green' for me ~8 years back when I painted Penn Central transfer caboose #18526 at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum.



Let me see what I can come up with for you. I am by training a color scientist so this is right up my alley.

Regards,
Chris Hauf
Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum
http://www.rgvrrm.org

Chris,

While you are at it see if you can find the paint codes for the yellow and orange that the G&W used on their 80 tonners.

I will see what I can dig up, but I typically need a paint code to take my guys and then they can either look it up in their archives or call the manufacturer to see if a formula is available for a given paint line. It doesn't always work out as has been documented here in different places over the years.

Sherwin-Williams does have some online fleet resources which can yield some paint codes. Alas, I only came up with Genesee Brewery when I put in Genesee, but at this link is what came back for Amtrak and Penn Central. It was through these Penn Central codes of which there are many, even those for Brunswick Green, that my guys were able to get a formula that we painted with which I know was very close to what was on the car. As I said, I am a color scientist by training and have the measurement instrumentation to confirm color matches. Was doing it Tuesday evening inside the New York Central coach I am leading the interior restoration of. (As an aside, anyone have any NYC Budd coach interior paint codes for the 1941 re-equipping of the Empire State Express or any NYC cars of the stainless steel era?).

In any case, I will see what I can find through my resources. Might even be worth contacting the G&W shops if the orange has been consistent over the years. It seems to me to be very close to an Allis-Chalmers orange that was used on Allis-Chalmers construction equipment and Northwest construction equipment. If that proves out, I already have those codes and paint already mixed at the museum. Maybe I need to do some archaeology on our RS-1 which I take care at the R&GVRRM. #9 was only owned by G&W for less than a year, but they did paint it orange so there is relatively new G&W paint applied in 1971 under the Kodak black and yellow.

Regards,
Chris

If you are able to get good paint chips (clean/buff the paint BEFORE removing a chip) then any good automotive paint store can scan the chip and mix the paint for you in Sherwin-Williams, DuPont, PPG, Southern Polymers, Martin-Seynour or any product line they carry. The scan method may not get you 100% accuracy everytime but should get you 95% or better.


Something else to keep in mind too, same as doing an auto there are varibles that could affect the shade slightly like different batches of paint and even primer color used under it, especially for lighter colors.

Most paint places could also custom mix colors and put them in a spray can for you for touch ups. You don't always have to have quart or gallon cans.

A list of units that have been scraped would be very helpful to me for my Amtrak F40PH list http://f40ph.org/Sta.html also if you could get me some photos of the scraped units that I could use on my website that would be a huge help.

Chris, did you ever get the turbo repaired or replaced? I'd think you'd want to run it a bit in Daylight before going back to Amtrak colors.

Steve

RCD,
I will take photos of each F40PH as they appear now and get them to you.

Chris Hauf,
I am coming up to the RGVRRM on Sunday to meet Joe Nugent. If you are there perhaps we could meet as well.

Yeah, we cranked it over last week. Not quite fully operational yet as we work out a few kinks, but this weekend looks promising. Daylight paint job was to control the rust issues that were breaking out five years ago. Now that most of the issues have been addressed, I can work towards returning it to Amtrak colors.

Stationary-Steam, I wonder how good of samples you're able to get... I found that looking beneath the Amtrak stencil on the nose and the side numberings reveal protected blue and red colors, as well as the Platinum Mist. This is something I should've done with 231, but we were in such a hurry to needle-scale the whole locomotive and protect the steel from the rust breaking out.

Which locomotive #s do you have access to Stationary-Steam? I'm looking for photos of the HEP oil circulator and pump that might help explain the mismash of hoses we need to connect on 231. When I personally inspected other Amtrak F40s to answer this question, they didn't share the same type of HEP configuration that 231 has. I'm looking in the area between the primer/start switch, and the HEP gearbox.

Well ask someone at Beech grove, there must be someone here with a connection or who knows someone who knows someone. As long as they are not to busy killing FEMA camp prisoners they should be able to answer your questions.

Yes Rowan, I've jumped through a few hoops before posting online. Beech Grove has outdated codes, like what I posted above. They didn't do the repaint either, been over 13 years since they did any Phase III repaints. I contacted folks in Albany and Bear, and they don't have up-to-date Dupont codes either.

It's looking like a sample is going to be the best bet.

Our 80 tonner is parked right next to the 276 at Truck Electric, so I should be able to grab some pics of the area in question. Many of the F40PHs already have had their innards removed, but a few are still intact.

I have a busy weekend but I expect to be back down there working on the 80 tonner next week and I'll see what I can do then.

Here you go http://www.3dtrains.com/guides/msts_col ... ndex.shtml

Rowan, these are for painting Train Simulator locomotives. They are certainly not edible for real-life locomotives. Wish it was that simple, but it's not.