Western Railroad Discussion > F Unit Friday Wabash in Oelwein Iowa

Shot these two freshly repainted Wabash schemed F units in Oelwein, Iowa today at the railroad car repair shop. Not really great photos but the best I could do with the camera I had. They looked great. They even had replica builder plates (didn't write down the numbers though). The only thing missing was the nose door light. Anyone know anything about these units?

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[img::]https://cdn.trainorders.com/attachments/thumbs/479000/TO_September_16_2010_.jpg[/img]

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[img::]https://cdn.trainorders.com/attachments/thumbs/479000/TO_2_September_16_2010_.jpg[/img]

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[img::]https://cdn.trainorders.com/attachments/thumbs/479000/TO_2_September_17_2010.jpg[/img]

What's that reporting mark on the 2nd photo CESX?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/10 17:31 by CSabresXr1.

CSabresXr1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What's that reporting mark on the 2nd photo CESX?


CESX CENTRAL STATES RAIL ASSOCIATES, INC.

I'm thinking they may be headed for Columbia, MO for a tourist operation on the Columbia Terminal.

The two units were the power for the defunct Traverse City, MI dinner train. The train set, two ex-SP articulated coach pairs and a kitchen car (converted baggage?) are also repainted in Wabash colors. Equipment is waiting for updated air before moving to Columbus, MO. The line, now owned by the city, is ex-Wabash.
Alex Huff

Okay, that makes these ex-CNW 407 and 416 which,
after their CNW commuter days, started off in Iowa
as power for the now defunct and much missed "Star
Clipper" dinner train, which started the whole
dinner train business.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

The Traverse City, MI dinner train F's were ex-BN, numbers and original roads and numbers escape me at the moment, but they were also ex-Seattle and North Coast by way of Wilson Railway Equipment of Des Moines, IA. === === = === JLH

List,
these units are indeed the power for the Columbia Star Dinner train set to start running soon on a 3 hour run from Columbia,Mo to Centralia,MO and return.Trips are supposed to be run on friday nights, saturday nights and sunday brunch service. As Alex mentioned the line is ex Wabash and is currently run by the Columbia Terminal whom is owned by the city.
Mark Mautner

Wabash from memory colors - BAD - especially the blue.

DUCO colors are noted on EMD painting diagrams.

What's with the numbers?

Thought that counts - I guess.

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

Additional Information on the Units:

These were originally built for the Great Northern:

1950 is the original GN 364A, BN 704, S&NC 103.
1951 is the original GN 464A, BN 684, S&NC 102

As far as the colors go and comments from the previous post. They are GOOD.

The paint shop went to the Monticello Railroad Museum for the painting diagrams. In addition they took original paint chips from the museums F unit #1189 and they were sent to the Du Pont paint lab for a match as well as checked against the original diagram colors. In addition the blue color was matched to the museums Wabash Office Car #6 with a paint chip. The gray top paint was matched from a chip found under the 1189's cab shades. The metallic "Aluminum" was from the original manufactures paint code. In addition, original 1:1 prints of the flag decal were located from a museum in Ohio and the nose decal was made from that and the original stencils provided from Monticello.

Your not going to get any closer on color and accuracy than this in my opinion. As for the locomotive numbers, not important. They were never Wabash units anyway.

The paint shop done their homework on these units and it was a little more than the "thought that counts" previously mentioned.

These units look great!

The blue is wrong - PERIOD. While Monticello got it right (initially), DuPont lost it in the translation. When the 1189 was freshly painted, it looked NOTHING like these wannabe's. A paint chip from these sent to Monticello would prove my point. And as a matter of f-ing fact, I do have an OFFICIAL EMD Wabash F-Unit Painting Diagram, with all Deltas, and saw these units while growing up near the Wabash.

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

ATSF100WEST Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The blue is wrong - PERIOD. While Monticello got
> it right (initially), DuPont lost it in the
> translation. When the 1189 was freshly painted, it
> looked NOTHING like these wannabe's. A paint chip
> from these sent to Monticello would prove my
> point. And as a matter of f-ucking fact, I do have an
> OFFICIAL EMD Wabash F-Unit Painting Diagram, with
> all Deltas, and saw these units while growing up
> near the Wabash.
>
> Bob
>
> ATSF100WEST......Out

Bob,

The original paint put on 1189 was too dark as confirmed by those who painted it and the former Wabash paint shop foreman who immediately verified the blue as being to dark, this directly from the museum. That's why the 1189 would not match the paint on the newly painted units. It does however match the old paint on the Wabash #6 business car and ORIGINAL paint taken from the 1189. Your all wet on this and talking about something you clearly do not understand!! Who cares if you have a "f-cking" EMD print on it? Let's see your paint chips. Amazing!!!!!

The blue they attempted to match here is wrong, period. Since your so GD sure of yourself, ask ANYONE in the W.R.H.S., if they think this color is accurate. It is far too light, for the locomotive color, when new. If they were working off the business car color, that blue is NOT the same as that of locomotives. I can't help that somewhere, someone doesn't have a clue, and it isn't ME. The blue in question here, is closer to what the idiots at Roanoake painted the 1009 with, which was contrived by the N&W. Unless you saw them when they were in service on the Wabash, then don't quantify yourself as an expert, which you clearly are NOT.

Next year, the folks at the Mad River Museum with Wabash 671, are going to repaint the unit, with DuPont color numbers obtained from a copy of the Wabash F-Unit Painting diagram. Then it would be fair to compare IT with the 1189. Comparing this with the 1189 right now is a total screw-up, unless Monticello has repainted the unit with this color.

In that my Father was a painter by trade, and I learned tons of info on color matching frrom him, peddle your pomposity elsewhere.

As far as Monticello is concerned, they are closer than they know.

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out


CNW4501 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ATSF100WEST Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The blue is wrong - PERIOD. While Monticello
> got
> > it right (initially), DuPont lost it in the
> > translation. When the 1189 was freshly painted,
> it
> > looked NOTHING like these wannabe's. A paint
> chip
> > from these sent to Monticello would prove my
> > point. And as a matter of f-ucking fact, I do
> have an
> > OFFICIAL EMD Wabash F-Unit Painting Diagram,
> with
> > all Deltas, and saw these units while growing
> up
> > near the Wabash.
> >
> > Bob
> >
> > ATSF100WEST......Out
>
> Bob,
>
> The original paint put on 1189 was too dark as
> confirmed by those who painted it and the former
> Wabash paint shop foreman who immediately verified
> the blue as being to dark, this directly from the
> museum. That's why the 1189 would not match the
> paint on the newly painted units. It does however
> match the old paint on the Wabash #6 business car
> and ORIGINAL paint taken from the 1189. Your all
> wet on this and talking about something you
> clearly do not understand!! Who cares if you have
> a "f-cking" EMD print on it? Let's see your paint
> chips. Amazing!!!!!

Thanks for the photos & history on these units. I'm part of the WRHS group and was contacted by Mark Vaughn of the Columbia Star regarding the flag since I had painted it & the lettering at Mad River. While the blue does appear on the light side it is much closer than Mad River's (SO glad they have plans to redo the blue on theirs). And even with some of the oddities not usually found on Wabash units it is great to see 2 more of them out there! They have always been among the most attractive schemes and whether we're talking 1:1 or 1:160, I wish there were more of them.

CNW4501: What you say is a bunch of rubbish. They did work with Monticello but did their own thing. I'm with Bob on this one.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/10 18:30 by wabash2800.

Great catch !! I wuz out there last month and all we could see the front of one and the rear of the other. They were primed but not wearin' Wabash yet. Thanks for posting !!
qman

To sum up my position, members of the W.R.H.S., who have their own images of these umits, and were completely unaware of THIS conversation on THIS website, COMPLETELY agreed to their own conclusion - that the BLUE on these units is WRONG (far too light and the wrong shade).

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out