Paint Jobs Some paint jobs are Good Enough then there are those that are Excellent. This week two different versions of EMD GP39s showed up at Sheridan for work train service. GP39M BNSF 2875 and GP39-2 BNSF 2704.

Both units were recently painted. The 2704 was painted at Talgo/LRC in July 2000 as proudly stated by a stencil near the front of the frame on each side. The 2875 was apparently painted by some other shop and I can see why they did not sign it.
The test is in the details.
First look at the handbrake area on the 2704. The yellow striping goes EVERYWHERE. Not only does the yellow stripe appear in the proper place on the handbrake handle but the tip of the handle is even painted green. The yellow striping continues back into the narrow slit between the handbrake chain shroud and the nose of the unit. The stripe is even present on the wall of the recess at the far back of that slot. In otherwords it is continuous throughout the handbrake area. Carrying out this level of detail the yellow stripe continues across the catwalk steps and the inside of the metal guard plate extending forward from those steps.

The recessed headlight area of the 2704 has the three colors carried right through it and the unit has the proper size and proper color BNSF herald on the nose.

Contrast that treatment with the handbrake areas of the 2875. No yellow stripe detail here. In fact they didn't even bother with the green in the handbrake area. The yellow stripe is also absent from the catwalk steps on each side of the nose.

Now look at the nose of the 2875. Again you can see the yellow stripes are missing from the catwalk steps on each side. The recessed headlight area is solid green. And the nose hearald is an off shade of green and much smaller than normal.

If an engineer were to turn around in his seat and look back at the 2704 as his second unit he would see a full paint job. The yellow stripe is present on all of the surfaces facing him, the rear of the cab and the rear of the blower duct.

If an engineer were to look back at the 2875 when it is his second unit he would see the yellow accent stripes are missing from the cab and duct.

I don't know what shop painted the 2875. In all fairness it is possible that the BNSF itself supplied the nose hearalds. Maybe the 2875 is painted according to the specs? If so did Talgo/LRC go a few steps further than the specs to produce a superior job? Or was the 2704 only a one of a kind meticulously detailed demo unit to show what their shop could do? Or perhaps the paint specs have changed?

Other Oddities This picture of SD40-2 BNSF 7214 shows a reflective blue-green BNSF herald on its nose.

Another SD40-2, the BNSF 7223 sports yellow decks, front and back.

Train of Visitors

Created 08-31-2000
Updated 10-21-2001