Amtrak blues

[zephyr1934]

My thoughts are turning to designs for a contemporary Amtrak train and I'm stuck on the blue. The closest Amtrak train that passes my house is 2 hrs away and it does so in the middle of the night, so first hand inspection isn't going to happen any time soon. To my eye the on-line photos vary in tone, falling between lego blue and lego dark blue... but not a perfect match to either. The kind folks at Wikipedia note that the current Phase V blue is, "darker than Phases I–III, but lighter than IV." If my designs ever go anywhere, ultimately I suspect I will be constrained by part availability, but I'm still curious what folks think is the best lego color for the current Amtrak paint scheme.

[Driver Brandon Grumman]

I've always loved Lego trains. So expensive though so I could never afford them. Must invest. 

[dr_spock]

For comparison, the blue on my Phase V sticker is darker than the LEGO® blue.  But I like regular blue since it's brighter and cheerier and plentiful.  We do model train shows.  We are the bright cheery display there and draw in the families with kids crowd. 

Day 140 of 365: Train Coupling Danger by dr_spock_888, on Flickr

 

 

[SteamSewnEmpire]

I think the regular blue is the closer color.

[DGoSec]

Riding Amtrak almost daily....on one right now....  I’d go w/ regular blue. As dr_spock said, more cheery and probably actually is closer in color, and much more available for what you’d need. 

[Roadmonkeytj]

From my experience grey with dk blue lettering/stripe or the regular blue white red striping. (At least running from LA to IL and IN in my experience) sorry no pictures though ...

There still are a few Metra all blue and red units running up near chicago on the commuter lines though if you wanted to go that route

[zephyr1934]

Thank you all for the feedback so far, please keep the thoughts coming if you have any insights or opinions.

Meanwhile, surprisingly, I might be forced to use dark blue based on part availability, but we'll see how it all pans out. For being a slightly irregular box, I'm finding that the P42dc is amazingly difficult to make look right in lego. Small angles in different directions is crazy.

[Roadmonkeytj]

If you are going for this livery dk blue on grey with red safety stripe.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Amtrak_181_with_the_Capitol_Limited_at_Martinsburg,_July_2007.jpg

The cars will have the red white blue stripe though. Video shows a "typical" amtrak ... There are several other trains shown

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DbDPR8eFZzDc&ved=2ahUKEwijp7jmmtblAhXlqFkKHdudCr4QwqsBMAt6BAgDEA4&usg=AOvVaw3v2Qm_MYIrNJktBOxz1tEa

(None of these links are mine)

[legoboy3998]

I think for phases I-III, regular blue, for phases IV-V, dark blue.  The following site will likely be of use, it has pics broken down by locomotive or car number.  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/Railroad.aspx?id=AMTK

Sal

WFB, WI