Model Railroading > Family Lines SD40-2

What was the color of the underframe of the Family Line's SD40-2. I have seen models of them in black and gray but I can't find no pictures of some real units.

Donald

In Doug Nuckles Book"Seaboard Coast Line" there are many photos of Family Lines locos. It seems to be mixed with some having all gray undreframes, some having all black, and some with gray fuel tanks and black trucks. Although the majority of them have all black underframes. One EMD photo shows SD40-2 #8089 with an all black underframe. Hope this helps.

Gee - - someone actually uses that book? I've just looked at about 20 slides of FL SD40-2s. It seems as if they came with black trucks and frames, based on slides of "new" units 8090, 8092. It appears to me that accumulated road grime made (at least some) of them appear a similar gray color.

But on the other hand some of the lower numbered units, eg. 8053, 8056, DO look like they have gray painted underframe and trucks.

Personally, the black paint underneath tones down all that gray paint - enuf is enuf. Why paint over the black? Just weather it with a light spray of Floquil Dust.

dnuck (Doug Nuckles)