I'm still not 100% happy with the yellow on the ATSF U23C's, while not orange like the SD45's to me it has a slightly green tint to it as if Kato apply the yellow over the blue or red. Kato seem to be having problems with yellow that Atlas don't seem to have.
Dont get me started about the GS4. It had a worm issue, with a bind in the drive. I sent it to Kato for a fix. They charged me 60 dollars for labor and parts (I bought it new from a retailer on Ebay) The loco still has the same issue. So I am out 60 bucks, and 2 months of my time waiting for nothing....thanks, Kato. David B
I did not mean to say those truck and chassis parts were all painted. I only meant that they got the correct color, whereas the shell does not. And if you look at the attached picture from the internet, you see that the chassis and tank have the correct painted color! Here they managed to match it very well with the unpainted plastic trucks. I don't think dullcote can cure the difference of the shell's blue. Weathering can do a lot, of course. But only if one does not aim for a freshly outshopped version.
Your point is well taken. Too bad they didn't try to match to the truck, tank and plow color. I wouldn't let it be a deal breaker as on my layout it is not as noticeable as the KATO product shot...maybe the lighting. On the BN U30C, I think the colors are right on and the handrails, which are not painted, are as close as you are going to get to the shell color. I have so many Santa Fe locos by KATO and I think the yellow is very acceptable but it is not the same as the Atlas yellow used on their locos. I don't particularly like the difference in the yellow on the shell of the KATO vs their handrail colored plastic. I guess some molded plastic colors are harder to get right than others? Colors vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer in models and 1:1 but the big boys don't use colored plastic so everything gets a coat of paint.
