Large Scale Central

Painting a USA GP30

Modeling
#1

I’ve got two GP30s to paint. I’ve done some car painting (both freight and passenger) but never a loco. This will be a fairly complicated project, as both engines are to be painted in the color scheme we’ve determined for the Sacramento Valley Garden Railway Society. Our club caboose is painted this way:

We’d like something similar for the GPs. I haven’t looked closely at the engines, I’m still playing with the layout of paint. I’d like the horizontal surfaces to be black, like the roof in the caboose, as well as the trucks. Then I’d like the two colors to divide the body into two parts, with the words “Sacramento Valley” to appear in each color segment.

Ignore the colors, I’ll get them to match the caboose when complete. What I need some help with is the actual mechanics of taking the loco apart, and masking the parts to keep the paint out of the motor, gears, etc. Any clues for this clueless (but willing to learn) one? TIA.

#2

Taking apart the GP30 to paint is fairly easy… Just took mine apart. Start buy unscrewing all 8 (or 10) screws on the bottom to remove the fuel tank, hood and cab section. Once that is removed, you can tear apart the cab, battery boxes, grills, fans, etc. The truck sideframes come off with 3 screws on each side.
Are you going to strip the paint? If so use 91% rubbing alcohol. It works great.
Let me know if you need pictures of the different parts as I have mine in pieces right now.

Craig

#3

Remove the four screws that hold the fuel tank to the frame. Remove the tank. Fasten the four screws back in the frame so they do not get lost or mixed up with others.

(http://ovgrs.editme.com/files/Geep30/FuelTank.jpg)

Remove the four screws outlined with yellow that hold the battery boxes to the frame. Place them in a small container for now.

(http://ovgrs.editme.com/files/Geep30/ScrewsBB.jpg)

There are ten screws indicated with yellow arrows that hold the shell to the frame. These are hidden in deep burrows and will require a long, number 1 Phillips screwdriver to remove them. Four are in the front motor block area.

(http://ovgrs.editme.com/files/Geep30/ScrewsF.jpg)

Two are in the fuel tank area.

(http://ovgrs.editme.com/files/Geep30/ScrewsM.jpg)

Four are in the rear motor block area.

(http://ovgrs.editme.com/files/Geep30/ScrewsR.jpg)

Remove these 10 screws and place them in the small container with the others. Turn the locomotive over and set it beside the engine cradle. Holding the ends of the shell, carefully lift it straight up. The whole shell (long hood, cab, battery boxes and short hood) will lift off as one piece. Set the shell on the engine cradle beside the frame. Fasten the screws in the small container back in the shell so they do not get lost or mixed up with others.

#4

I like the green masking tape you get at the autoparts store. Expensive but worth it. I use the 1/16" along the edges, burnishinng it down good. The blue masking tape by 3M is good for the rest. Make sure you use ALL the same brand of paint. Prime, then spray. I’d use the fuel tank as practice with the colors, especially if one gets sprayed over the other. Let it dry for a week between taping off for another color, longer if it is humid.

#5

I have painted my GP38 and used rustoleum spray paint to do it. I used blue painters tape to mask it. With all the detail parts like doors, latches nad hinges be sure to rub your finger nail around these bits where the tape intersects so the over spray doesn’t sneek underneath. I recoat in 10 minutes or so then let it dry for 24 hours like the can says then move onto the next colour. The last engine I painted called for black around the cab windows so instead of removing it from the main body then removing all the windows I used a small brush which saved alot of time and hassle.
With your scheme I would start from the bottom since it will be easier to mask what was already done and easier to touch up the final black if need be.

#6

Thanks for the information, especially the “how to” of taking it apart. The only thing I can add is that I’ll be taking a lot of pictures as this repaint progresses. At the risk of mixing parts up, I may dissemble two engines at once, and spray all the same color at the same time on both of them. This should keep the paint consistent from loco to loco.

I’ll have to be very careful with the Rio Grande unit, as it has an “after market” sound system in it, that no one in our club has seen, as we bought it used.