"NKP 190" Alco PA now running

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Tue Oct 08, 2013 6:07 pm

Knowing what I know of Grand Poo-Bah McCormack, he is being humorous and ever-so-slightly facetious, knowing he has an audience for those remarks.

The other wry comment:

Quote:

While the PA looks spectacular in its NKP blue and cream, many railfans say it should be painted into its original ATSF red and silver or D&H blue and silver. But McCormack has a simple message to them.
“Everyone has an opinion on what paint scheme it should be in and I tell everyone that they can buy it and paint it whatever they want,” McCormack says. “It'll just cost them $1 million.”

And, you know, he won't live forever, and I doubt he can buy a cemetery plot big enough to be buried in it, so like certain other locos out there, if you REALLY are dead set on repainting/repatriating/relocating that loco, show him and/or his lawyers/heirs that you're a worthwhile and worthy future home for said loco. But don't count on it.
Remember, one's being fixed up in Texas as a Santa Fe loco, "as Gawd intended". Mexico deserves to keep at least one, and as for the fourth, start playing the lottery and then negotiate with the Mexicans if/when you win.

Becky Morgan · **Joined:** Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:22 pm **Posts:** 495

Or you could buy a wrap for it in whatever scheme you like and take all the pictures you want.

Pepsi and a lawn chair sounds like a darned good idea after all of that work.

davew833 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 08, 2013 9:03 pm

Keep in mind Doyle's made several minor appearance modifications to make his PA look like a Nickel Plate unit-- the large number board boxes on the nose, removal of the above-cab number board holder, etc. Throwing a wrap or a paint job on it won't make it look exactly right if ATSF is what you're after.

(I wouldn't presume to tell Doyle what's right or wrong to do with his locomotive, but I'm really grateful he didn't cut a big notch in the nose to hang a bell in like NKP did!)

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 08, 2013 10:52 pm

Quote:

McCormack says it will be at least one or two years before the engine is completed and able to move under its own power. After that, he says he will roll it out into the sunshine, grab a cooler of Pepsi and a lawn chair, and just look at it.

Who could blame him? I wouldn't. . .

davew833 wrote:

Keep in mind Doyle's made several minor appearance modifications to make his PA look like a Nickel Plate unit-- the large number board boxes on the nose, removal of the above-cab number board holder, etc. Throwing a wrap or a paint job on it won't make it look exactly right if ATSF is what you're after.

Actually, those minor modifications could make a "wrap" job interesting in that the ATSF wasn't the only road to run PAs, and that without some of those details, the locomotive is actually a bit closer to what a "typical" PA would look like, except for the diagonal number boards.

I wonder if Doyle could make a bit of money loaning the unit out for "wraps" every so often?

I'm afraid it wouldn't pass for my favorite PAs, though--the orange and black ones the Virginian Railway had. What's that, you say, the Virginian never had Alco PAs? Ah, but it did, it's just that they were built back in 1920 and burned coal:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 62&nseq=20

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/pacific/vgn212an.jpg

http://www.railarchive.net/randomsteam/vgn213.htm

davew833 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 08, 2013 11:17 pm

Actually I'd love to see it "wrapped" in SP scarlet and gray, but selling that look would require all kinds of interesting icicle breakers and antennae added to the roof, not to mention removing or covering over those beautiful curved drip rails.

Mark Z. Yerkes · **Joined:** Mon Jan 02, 2012 8:47 pm **Posts:** 486

Erie or EL if I had my choice. Just build a fake MU plug out of plywood or something for the nose.

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Wed Oct 09, 2013 9:49 am

No, no, no. Cat whisker stripes and radio antenna!

daylight4449 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 09, 2013 10:36 am

No, completely wrong. If anything, if the money is there and Doyle is willing, wrap 190 like a New Haven PA in Alco City orange! Howard, back me up here...

David H. Hamley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 3:07 pm **Posts:** 705

If you're going to "wrap" it, how about PRR 5750A in tuscan 5-stripe?

sbhunterca · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:58 am **Posts:** 728

Will the vinyl wrap stick over all this foam, LOL?

Whatever colour it's wearing, this PA's rebirth is completely amazing. Congratulations to Doyle and all the folks helping him. It's gorgeous.

Steve Hunter

Becky Morgan · **Joined:** Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:22 pm **Posts:** 495

I was only half kidding about the wraps. Amtrak has done it a good bit, and it's a favorite way for NASCAR teams to accept one-race sponsorship without repainting a car.

Anybody who works on a project that difficult has the right to enjoy the result in any way he sees fit. Somebody had a hissy fit over the return of the Freedom Train paint on 4449 in '01/02, and I stand by what I said then...if Himself wants to paint her pink with purple polka dots, it's his business (and the foam over THAT would be hilarious.)

davew833 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:14 pm

It seems every time an owner's preference for a paint scheme comes up, someone mentions the "pink with purple polka dots" option. I'm actually kind of surprised no equipment owner has ever done it just to prove a point. Kudos to Doyle, Ross, et. al., for having more restraint than to make us eat our words like that.

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Wed Oct 09, 2013 3:28 pm

Amen, Dave833!

Ed Kapuscinski · **Posted:** Wed Oct 09, 2013 3:37 pm

Photoshop, gentlemen, photoshop.

It's a lot cheaper and easier than vinyl.

wm303 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 09, 2013 4:39 pm

". . .pink with purple polka dots" option. I'm actually kind of surprised no equipment owner has ever done it ".

Probably the closest we'll ever get to a pink locomotive is the pastel colored Lionel trains of the 1950s. Can anyone even imagine how awful a real steam engine would look in pink?!?