thanks everybody.
Decided, for now, to "bend time" a bit and order the Atlas #25 GP 9 with 'speed lettering' which will put me later in the 50's than my layout plans. I have an ancient N&W GP9 my brother gave me from [1970s?] and when I took that apart to check it out with thoughts of refurbishing it and repainting...gears and bits literally fell out in my hand. Not usually a good sign.
I will get one of the Atlas Geep 9s with dyn brakes in speed lettering for now. If i can find photos of early geep 7 with with the fireball logo i may get another roadname gp7 and repaint it down the road. WM didn't chop noses on geeps until early 60's so it should suffice for my current goals.