What is the best color for GN steam?

[SteamSewnEmpire]

Seriously... I'm struggling here. I've been working on a few new GN projects and... I just don't know. In LDD, dark green looks a lot lighter (at least to me) than it does IRL. So, too, does regular green... in LDD, it's almost neon, but in person it's, well, green. 

I feel like GN's color of choice sat somewhere between these two lego greens. But which one is closer?

[Pdaitabird]

I would be interested to see what regular green would look like. Perhaps you could post a side-by-side of your GN atlantic for comparison? You're right that both colors are darker in real life. I've seen an older GN model by @zephyr1934, linked here, that used sand green. It's a surprisingly good match for the faded paint of an engine that has been exposed to the elements. It might be worth a shot.

[SteamSewnEmpire]

53 minutes ago, Pdaitabird said:

I would be interested to see what regular green would look like. Perhaps you could post a side-by-side of your GN atlantic for comparison? You're right that both colors are darker in real life. I've seen an older GN model by @zephyr1934, linked here, that used sand green. It's a surprisingly good match for the faded paint of an engine that has been exposed to the elements. It might be worth a shot.

Unfortunately, as I said, I think this is misleading because both colors are much lighter than they are IRL.

I dunno. :P

[Phil B]

2 hours ago, SteamSewnEmpire said:

Seriously... I'm struggling here. I've been working on a few new GN projects and... I just don't know. In LDD, dark green looks a lot lighter (at least to me) than it does IRL. So, too, does regular green... in LDD, it's almost neon, but in person it's, well, green. 

I feel like GN's color of choice sat somewhere between these two lego greens. But which one is closer?

Based on the picture I would suggest Olive Green ... but not sure the necessary bricks exist in that color.

[SteamSewnEmpire]

42 minutes ago, Phil B said:

Based on the picture I would suggest Olive Green ... but not sure the necessary bricks exist in that color.

Nah - like you said: too many part conflicts.

Edited August 3, 2020 by SteamSewnEmpire

[Matt Dawson]

I think the closest colour match would probably be sand green, but I would say you'll likely have difficulty getting all the parts the loco needs.

[SteamSewnEmpire]

52 minutes ago, Matt Dawson said:

I think the closest colour match would probably be sand green, but I would say you'll likely have difficulty getting all the parts the loco needs.

There's a fair amount of sand green running around there after this:

You don't think it's too light?

[zephyr1934]

15 hours ago, Pdaitabird said:

I would be interested to see what regular green would look like. Perhaps you could post a side-by-side of your GN atlantic for comparison? You're right that both colors are darker in real life. I've seen an older GN model by @zephyr1934, linked here, that used sand green. It's a surprisingly good match for the faded paint of an engine that has been exposed to the elements. It might be worth a shot.

Sand green is definitely wrong for GN green, but ignoring the fact that it is not prototypical it looks great to my eye and I wanted it to look different enough from the EN. In the case of my Northern, I was working off of the Havre locomotive, which in its preserved state is close to sand green (I asked one of my real steam buddies and he says the rumor was that the park board had a lot of surplus park bench paint in that green and so it went).

I don't know for sure what GN green was since all the photos are black and white. From looking at models I think it was somewhere between lego dark green and olive green, but closer to dark green.

[SteamSewnEmpire]

1 hour ago, zephyr1934 said:

Sand green is definitely wrong for GN green, but ignoring the fact that it is not prototypical it looks great to my eye and I wanted it to look different enough from the EN. In the case of my Northern, I was working off of the Havre locomotive, which in its preserved state is close to sand green (I asked one of my real steam buddies and he says the rumor was that the park board had a lot of surplus park bench paint in that green and so it went).

I don't know for sure what GN green was since all the photos are black and white. From looking at models I think it was somewhere between lego dark green and olive green, but closer to dark green.

That's the 4-8-4, right?

Sigh. Heh. You know, they say that the average person, upon making an irrevocable choice, feels better afterwards regardless of what they pick. Basically, it's apparently human nature to experience confidence in one's own judgement. Unfortunately, I am apparently not normal, as I almost always second guess and regret decisions... like this one. 

[Selander]

Dark green looks so much better than std green. That's what I'd choose.

[ALCO]

Based on your prototype I'd say Sand Green. You will get a lot more compliments on the color. 

[zephyr1934]

10 hours ago, SteamSewnEmpire said:

That's the 4-8-4, right?

Sigh. Heh. You know, they say that the average person, upon making an irrevocable choice, feels better afterwards regardless of what they pick. Basically, it's apparently human nature to experience confidence in one's own judgement. Unfortunately, I am apparently not normal, as I almost always second guess and regret decisions... like this one. 

Yes, if you follow the link to my earlier thread in Pdaitabird's post, the second photo shows the real Havre locomotive in it's sand green jacket. If you go to GreatNorthernEmpire.net and select "locomotives -> steam locomotives -> Types" you can see a spectrum of greens. My feeling is that dark green is closest, but you could probably get away with sand green since few people have first hand experience these days. It does look like GN green is lighter than Pullman green

 

 

[SteamSewnEmpire]

I think I'm going to go with sand green. The cars were definitely closer to dark green, and I wouldn't want the entire train to be dark green.

Edited August 4, 2020 by SteamSewnEmpire

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

1 hour ago, SteamSewnEmpire said:

I think I'm going to go with sand green. The cars were definitely closer to dark green, and I wouldn't want the entire train to be dark green.

Nice choice, I agree with you! 

[zephyr1934]

18 hours ago, SteamSewnEmpire said:

I'm going to go with sand green

Part of my thinking when I made the same decision was that no one would mistake this build for the Emerald Night (especially non-train AFOL's, but even train-heads who are just quickly skimming at a show)

[3D LEGO]

SteamSewnEmpire,

I remember reading on this very thing a while back and I recalled a note that referenced color variations. 

I was able to quickly refind the comment that I had read.

Taken from the Great Northern Railroad Historical Society website, on the page for paint schemes.

"Steam Engines:

Most GN Steam engines were usually black with a large GN logo on the tender."

"Some steam engines received what was unofficially known as the "Glacier Park" scheme which consisted of a green boiler, white or graphite smokebox and sometimes a mineral red cab roof. Since it was an unofficial paint scheme which differed from shop to shop, there were many variations."

Source:

GNRHS: GN Paint Schemes

So when in doubt go black, otherwise have fun using the colors outlined and produce your "own unofficial Glacier Park shop scheme."

Going off the last provided picture from the article, you have graphite grey (dark stone grey or old dark grey), somewhere between a dark sand green and a dark olive green (not much that can be done about this.), a mineral red (dark red) and everything else black except for the machined parts like the rods.

3D LEGO

PS:  that is a wonderful model that you put together.  I hope this helps some.

 

 

[SteamSewnEmpire]

2 hours ago, 3D LEGO said:

SteamSewnEmpire,

I remember reading on this very thing a while back and I recalled a note that referenced color variations. 

I was able to quickly refind the comment that I had read.

Taken from the Great Northern Railroad Historical Society website, on the page for paint schemes.

"Steam Engines:

Most GN Steam engines were usually black with a large GN logo on the tender."

"Some steam engines received what was unofficially known as the "Glacier Park" scheme which consisted of a green boiler, white or graphite smokebox and sometimes a mineral red cab roof. Since it was an unofficial paint scheme which differed from shop to shop, there were many variations."

Source:

GNRHS: GN Paint Schemes

So when in doubt go black, otherwise have fun using the colors outlined and produce your "own unofficial Glacier Park shop scheme."

Going off the last provided picture from the article, you have graphite grey (dark stone grey or old dark grey), somewhere between a dark sand green and a dark olive green (not much that can be done about this.), a mineral red (dark red) and everything else black except for the machined parts like the rods.

3D LEGO

PS:  that is a wonderful model that you put together.  I hope this helps some.

 

 

Oh, that's really interesting. I had no idea. Yes, it helps loads. I imagine it also makes @zephyr1934 also feel even more confident in his choice.

As a slightly-related aside, I decided to drop the big bucks on this tonight:

I found most of the websites with locomotive lists and classes wanting. This should allow me to build some additional locomotives that aren't widely known.

Edited August 6, 2020 by SteamSewnEmpire

[zephyr1934]

On 8/5/2020 at 10:18 PM, 3D LEGO said:

Source:

What's wrong with this picture?

Spoiler

Rocky is backwards (so that he can face forwards) on the tender herald. I've seen this picture many times but I didn't notice it until right now, and the photographer probably went out of their way to line it up with the herald on the shop behind.