A bit of a quandary

[Kisatchie]

Lauren gave me a set of Baldwin RF16 sharks for Christmas...

...Considering that the scheme is not prototypical and that I probably could do the correct DR4-4-15, but that I could not paint it, should I leave the current scheme on the RF16s and call them freelanced?

"Hmm... if I were your
girlfriend, I'd be offended
that you even THOUGHT
of changing them..."

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I don't understand why people think purchased models should never be changed?

I know that I've gotten any number of models as presents over the years, and frankly, the givers should be pissed if I DIDN'T do anything with them.

It's not like you're returning them, signaling that the giver was off base with their gift, instead you're enjoying the present as you should.

If someone gave you a new car as a gift, do you think they wouldn't want you to drive it? It's the same thing.

It's not like SHE painted them incorrectly. In fact, knowing John's penchant for Baldwin oddities, I think she knows EXACTLY what he should be doing with them.

[Mark5]

Paint 'em up for Contrail ...

[up1950s]

It all depends on the understanding of modeling that the giver has , and the expressed appreciation of the gift , or lack there of that gets expressed as " oh wow , but the paint , and body style is wrong " . If left as is , and run as is , the giver sees no sadness , and feels you are happy as a clam . The giver then is clam happy as well .

However if you expressed with glee that you will have sooooo much fun doing some prototypical modifications to a model you were already planning to get some day , then get down and boogie with a paint brush .

You need to read the givers personality , and choose your words carefully . In the long run try to swing future gifts into cash  offerings which then can be pooled , and you can get the stuff you really want .

  

[Iain]

And just for good measure, run them once and a while when she`s around. 

No worries there, they've seen more run time over the last week than anything I own for the last three months.






Now, what y'all seem to be hitting on is the gift part.  My problem is my inability to paint.  I know she doesn't mind if I play around with 'em.  I've already got working marker lights in the A unit.  Heck, Ed's right.  Lauren would indeed be offended if I did not at least detail them a little.
My old Deluxe/V-Line sharks are safe, for now, as long as I don't decide to just forget the whole problem and paint the new set for Boondoggle 'n Offschedule.

[inkaneer]

Seems ER got a lot of things wrong paint wise on the sharks.  I got 8 of them, all PRR.  Never saw a single picture of a PRR unit that matched the ER models.  The biggest flaw was that ER had the grills on the sides and top painted silver.  They were DGLE on the proptotype.  The striping in the front did not go down to the pilot nor did it carry over to the cab doors.  I think the NYC and Monongahela units also had the silver work.  I painted the grills DGLE but then I purchased these myself and I don't have a GF.  I'm married so she's stuck with me, silver grills or not.