Steam & Excursion > SP Cab-Ahead lettered in Black !

OK here's one for the experts ! - a customer handed my a sheet of decals for the SP AC-4 to AC 12 Cab Forward in Black.
He insisted there is a photo in a new book with a photo of a SP AC "didn't know the class"  painted light gray with black lettering.
He got this info from a friend - painted 3 units for him (he's a "custom painter).
He could not give me numbers nor did not know the name of the book, but, had the decals made.

Is it April first ?

Original

Maybe a builder's photo with the engine painted gray to show off the detail? That was commonly done with freight cars. If so, one engine in the order would be painted like that for the photo and repainted into standard livery for delivery.

There's a Southern Pacific Cab Forward page on FB. Maybe somebody there would know. They have a builder photo of 4272 and appears to be standard black with white lettering.

Here's a good discussion on Cab Forward paint with links to resources: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/13/p/270415/3069648.aspx



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/19 21:23 by CPR_4000.

This was very common for builder photos.
Steve

CPR_4000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe a builder's photo with the engine painted
> gray to show off the detail? That was commonly
> done with freight cars. If so, one engine in the
> order would be painted like that for the photo and
> repainted into standard livery for delivery.
>
> There's a Southern Pacific Cab Forward page on FB.
> Maybe somebody there would know. They have a
> builder photo of 4272 and appears to be standard
> black with white lettering.

Where did he get SP steam locomotive decals in black?

CPR_4000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe a builder's photo with the engine painted
> gray to show off the detail? 

I think it wasn't really gray, but a coat of whitewash that could easily be removed.

Never seen black lettering on any SP steam engine...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Pete - he had them printed - just the tender lettering - no cab lettering

I had some black tender decals printed from San Juan decals about a year ago, I gave some away, this may be from that run.
On pages 80-83 in Richard E. Lohse's "Memories of the Cab Forwards" it shows pictures of the "black lettered Cab Forwards". There are 5 photos taken of engines with this lettering, all taken in 1947.

Regards,
Ed

Ed  Thanks ! - mystery solved