IHB SW1500 switchers

[geofftiller]

Hi All. I have a collection of Athearn Blue Box SW1500s and following my recent leaning from New England to Chicago area I've decied to look at getting these locos decorated in one of the IHB switcher schemes. I'm looking at both the recent schemes, the current Tennessee Orange and the earlier dark scheme (not sure if it is very dark green, dark grey or black!)

I'm looking for any ideas for a source of decals, the Microscale ones seem to be 1950's onwards so might be OK for the dark scheme but I'm not sure if they are Ok for the current scheme. I'm also after any recommendations for suitable base colours to get the livery started.

Any suggestions would be very useful. Thanks in advance.

Geoff

[Gloriousnse]

I think that decal sheet takes you as far as the 1980s to 00s black with orange lettering scheme (bottom one on the sheet) - pretty confident the base colour on that really is black, although looking at other pics the earlier 'dark' schemes may not have been?

The one above on the sheet is for an older version of orange with black lettering, but might work for the modern if the style hasn't changed much, I haven't looked at that too closely?

[geofftiller]

Hi Martyn

I have to admit to a oops at this end. I had forgotten that I had finally shelled out for the Morning Sun book on the IHB. (I bought it at the Seaboard Southern show.) Apparently the recent incarnation of the dark livery was originally Brunswick Green (from 1984) but by the late 1980's and into the 1990s the base colour was black.

I'll have to remember to look in my own library first.

Cheers

Geoff