2023-2024 - Repainting F40 231 back to Amtrak colors

How #231 looked at beginning of new year	Cab floor and walls cleaned up	Needlescaling has commenced
Weld lines visible showing construction of F40 locomotive	More needlescaling	Cleaned up handholds and installed new fasteners
Cleaned up handholds and installed new fasteners	Needle; wirewheel; bondo; sand; primer; bondo; sand; primer; bondo, etc.	Working our way around the front end
Steps removed and cleaned up	Steps reinstalled with new fasteners	Cleaning up access hatches
Prep work continues	Snowy February halts prep work	Sideways snow
6976 hanging out in the snow at Boulder City	231's engineer seat	Cleaning up area around red strobe housing
text Work progresses around to the left side	Larry needlescaling the front end	All of the orange is finally gone!
Signage for NSRM open house in March	Signage for NSRM open house in March	Signage for NSRM open house in March
Signage for NSRM open house in March	Signage for NSRM open house in March	6976 and Eureka steam locomotive operating side-by-side at open house
Steve S. operating 6976 during open house	Lapel pin of 231 for volunteers	Bondo bondo bondo
Primer, then more bondo	Bondo work continues	Areas marked for additional bondo work
Bondo work continues	Sunlight at low angle helps identify additional work areas	Little by little, the nose becomes smoother
Vandalized windshield removed	Windshield area undergoing cleanup work	New windshields have arrived!
Steve and Harris prepare windshield frame	Harris and Steve, along with Andrew and Larry, installing windshield	Harris and Andrew installing windshield
MU hose access door straightened out over 20 years, and won't close	Door removed and placed under hydraulic press	MU access door welded back onto plow and fits nicely
Angela prepping ditchlight housing for paint	Angela applying bondo to carbody	Angela prepping ditchlight housing for paint
Plow being cleaned up and prepped for paint	Grab irons removed, cleaned up and fastened with new hardware	Handhold on fireman side cleaned up and fastened
Alec applying bondo to weld seams behind the cab	Isabella applying bondo to the carbody	A ton of progress since the beginning of the year!
New windshields in place	Windshield's are so clean, they look like they're not there!	Wide panorama shot of the cab
Cab controls undergoing some TLC	One final sanding of the carbody before primer	Glass masked; locomotive ready for primer
Getting ready for primer	Primer on	Christopher spraying aluminum silver to carbody
Christopher spraying aluminum silver to carbody	Christopher spraying aluminum silver to carbody	Aluminum complete!
Fresh double-coat of aluminum silver	Texture is beautiful	Nice smooth silver!
Smooth silver	Silver has cured, ready for black	Christopher, Harris and Johnny helping with masking for black paint
Masking for black paint	Masking for black paint	Masking for black paint
Black paint	Black paint	Black paint
Finish look of black paint on roofline	Slowly yet surely starting to look like Amtrak	6976 hanging out near monsoonal storms
Mike replumbing the pneumatic bell	Mike removing defective 250A aux. generator breaker	New plumbing under the cab floor
Behind the electrical cabinet	New lugs for battery leads	New 250A circuit breaker for aux. generator
Matt refilling distilled water	Matt cleaning up headlights	Matt reinstalling headlights
Trucks with brand new coat of black paint	Finish look on fuel tank	Truck and automatic-train-stop bracket with new shiny paint
Plow back-side painted first	Plow with three coats of black paint	Main reservoir tanks in fresh coat of black paint
At beginning of Year 2024	Prepping undercarriage for black paint	Prepping plow and undercarriage
Prepping fuel tank	Fresh paint on lead and rear trucks	Interior of plow area
Fresh paint on fuel tank!	Plow gets painted	Ready for stripes
Greg and Lew lining up and chalking across the front	Close-up showing how lumpy the front is!	Masking and prepping
Al and Claudio chalk lining the sides	Front and sides lined up for Phase III paint	Prepping for Phase III paint
Ready to spray	Amtrak Red goes on first	Amtrak blue follows behind
Masking removed	In the shop	In the shop to dry
On the display track by platform	Positioning the new decals	Rear carbody number decal
Number decals in place	Positioning the Amtrak logo on side	Lined up and placing one letter at a time
Letter placed	Lining up and placing letters	Prepping for white stripe
White stripe applied and drying	Black stripe across bottom applied	Battery box painted
Masking off for white stripe	First white stripe down, rest to follow	Look Listen Live decals applied
New Look Listen Live decals	New Look Listen Live decals	New Amtrak decal and battery box paint