Comparing Manufacturer Paint Colors
In my latest YouTube video, I did a review of a GP40-2 from the latest Athearn Genesis run. In that video, I covered some history of the GP40-2, as well as a review, so if you haven’t seen it, check it out.
I also talked about paint colors, specifically (in the video) about how the vermilion (“orange” to some) color on the engines tend to be a problem spot, if any.
In one of the comments, Jeff Hanke asked, not about the vermilion but the yellow, wondering how the latest Athearn models compare to earlier GP40-2 offerings by Atlas. (In older runs, the difference in yellow shades was quite noticeable.)
These two images show the new Athearn GP40-2 (left) and a roughly 10 year old Atlas GP40-2 (right) engine side by side.
These next two images show the new Athearn GP40-2 (left) and a roughly 15 year old Atlas GP38 (right) engine side by side.
To my eye, at least in my lighting, they are pretty close. The GP40-2 are closer than the GP38. In both cases, the Athearn is slightly darker in both the yellow and vermilion, but not so different as to be glaring. I wouldn’t be embarrassed to run these together, and once weathered, I think the difference would be negligible.
While I think both Athearn and Atlas are pretty close. Not so for some earlier Walthers, where the vermilion was just… RED.
Recent Walthers runs have been better, but I was so put off by these older runs that I haven’t bought a Walthers loco since.
Your mileage may vary.
Support the Channel:
Become a patron on Patreon
Spring Store for Pixel Depot branded merch