Need help with design of an Octan Locomotive

[AlmightyArjen]

My collection of Octan tanker wagons is growing and I want to have a special locomotive for them. I have two kinds of tanker wagons: the ones that come with the 7939 Cargo Train:

and some custom-from-the-internet-stolen-design:

The locomotive doesn't have to be big or special so I was thinking about a classic 7755 design:

But I'm stuck on the colour scheme. The lower horizontal grey layer on the 7755 will be green in my version. Above that will be a layer of red plates. And all the red you see on the original 7755 will be white. But I'm stuck with the roof! Should it be white, red, grey or green?

Or do you have another cool idea?

[Covi]

I would try to use red. Mix in some yellow details, like the bars in front and the stairs on the loco, and it would fit very well the small wagons.

[AlmightyArjen]

Thanks! Good advice about the yellow parts, I'll have a look!

[Hrw-Amen]

If it is to match it would be good to make sure the colors on the engine match up with those on the wagons and at the same height so the theme is continuous.

[roamingstop]

The 7939 locomotive has a plain yellow cab - but on bricklink you can find them with octan logo (windscreen, decorated). Then replacing a line of yellow bricks with red green yellow plates and tiles Produces a very elegant diesel locomotive or three.

The 7855 does work in blue but a large part of the red is two weight bricks to keep the locomotive on the track - and the 4 wide nose means it doesn't fit well to being used with PF.

I remember the custom octan wagons - I also sold some a year ago. I have a few more in metallic silver / yellow to finish making up.

[AlmightyArjen]

If it is to match it would be good to make sure the colors on the engine match up with those on the wagons and at the same height so the theme is continuous.

Good point. I checked it with a 7755 from my showcase and it doesn't match nicely: the green ends approximately one stud higher than the lower end of the door of the 7755 loc. So if I want to use the 7755 and I want the colours to continue nicely I have to get rid of the doors in the 7755.

The 7939 locomotive has a plain yellow cab - but on bricklink you can find them with octan logo (windscreen, decorated). Then replacing a line of yellow bricks with red green yellow plates and tiles Produces a very elegant diesel locomotive or three.

The 7855 does work in blue but a large part of the red is two weight bricks to keep the locomotive on the track - and the 4 wide nose means it doesn't fit well to being used with PF.

I remember the custom octan wagons - I also sold some a year ago. I have a few more in metallic silver / yellow to finish making up.

The problem with the 7939 is that its windscreens don't come in white :( I could use the windscreens of a 7755, but that means that I have to get rid of the diagonal parts in the nose of the 7939. And these parts just make the loc look cool if you ask me. I don't need the weight bricks since the train is running a 9V track (all 9V trains don't have the weight bricks anymore) and a 4 wide nose isn't a problem either since I don't use PF.

I guess I'm gonna stick with the 7755 as a base but I'm going to remove the doors so I can make the colours run at the full length of the train...

[codefox421]

I guess I'm gonna stick with the 7755 as a base but I'm going to remove the doors so I can make the colours run at the full length of the train...

You could always use stickers/decals to keep the colors consistent. Something to the effect of the doors on TLG's Metroliner.

[AlmightyArjen]

That's a great idea also, thanks!

[roamingstop]

Can also use combinations of these to make a modern looking locomotive - but it is not really a typical diesel design.

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=30633px3

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=30633pb04

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=30633pb02

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=30633pb03

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=30633pb05

Together with... (in white)

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=30619

It can look good - I had some also designed like this including some Orange and Blue locomotives. However the all glass windscreen is not so idea.

A white 7755 works as well. Enjoy

[AgentRick]

Looking back at the Octan sets, they seem to have a constant theme of green bottom, red stripe, white top, and white roof (On trucks at least). They also use mainly trans-light blue for the windows. The only outliers in this seems to be 6423 and 3810 , with a red roof and trans-black window respectively. Your best bet is probably something like the mock-up below, but you could probably experiment a bit more with more modern colors.

Edited December 9, 2013 by AgentRick57

[JopieK]

Looks very nice! Stickers / decals will do the rest! @AgentRick, marvelous job to transfer that train from the eighties into this Octan version!

[AlmightyArjen]

Looking back at the Octan sets, they seem to have a constant theme of green bottom, red stripe, white top, and white roof (On trucks at least). They also use mainly trans-light blue for the windows. The only outliers in this seems to be 6423 and 3810 , with a red roof and trans-black window respectively. Your best bet is probably something like the mock-up below, but you could probably experiment a bit more with more modern colors.

That looks really AWESOME!! I'm definitely gonna build that! I'll bricklink it, no matter what the costs are :P I'm finishing my huge automated container terminal this month (I hope), after that I'm going to build the octan train and make a nice video of it.

Do some of you have any nice ideas for some train automation in combination with the octan train? Not too massive ideas please, since that container terminal has cost me a lot of time and brain-crackers I'm a bit "done" with train automation at the moment ;) But a train like the Octan train needs a proper automation I guess :)

[AlmightyArjen]

I've been looking on bricklink for the stickers that have to go on the locomotive and the wagons.

On the wagons I want to use the stickers similar to those on the 3180 tank truck. Original stickers are around 7 Euro at Bricklink. Does someone know where I can get them for a more reasonable price?

[dr_spock]

Have you tried looking at ministickers.nl to see what they have? http://www.ministickers.nl/

[AlmightyArjen]

Thanks Spock, had some contact with them and they can help me out!