To paint and detail or not to paint but detail?

[Packer]

This one's kind of an odd question for the painters, operators, and prototype people; but here goes.

I have an older Frisco and a Chessie SD40-2 that I bought for turning into BN units. This question regards the SLSF unit since the Chessie unit must die (or be re-done). BN ended up aquiring the SLSF in 1980; and I have been debating weather or not to re-detail and re-paint the SLSF unit to be one of the much more common BN units (SLSF only had .

Here's the SLSF unit in question:




If the paint job was better; I'd more than likely patch it out as a BN unit. But the rough paint and the fact I don't have any BN SD40-2s (aside from my bicentennial) kind of pushes towards making it a green unit; although I could make it an ex-SLSF unit in green colors.

Keeping in mind that I've never painted and decaled anything; which would I be better off turning it into via detailing, decaling, and painting:
1. ex-SLSF patch
2. ex-SLSF unit
3. normal BN unit (like the Chessie will be)

[Philip H]

I'd go with the patch and detail option.  Yes, the Frisco pint is rough - but that makes heavy weathering easier top produce.  Plus, you'll get to a completed and running loco all that much sooner.