10-06-2017, 06:44 AM
Surface preparation
As GN 441's restoration neared completion, the locomotive was moved to RELCO's paint shop. On July 25-27, 2009, it became the first locomotive in 40 years to be painted Big Sky Blue.
Because GN 441 will spend the rest of its days exposed to the weather - and because painting it on-site will be a major challenge - the locomotive received a first-class paint job to stand up to time and the elements.
The most tedious and most critical step of the painting process is good surface preparation. It begins with a thorough cleaning, either by grit blasting, or in this case, a 40,000 PSI blast of water to strip the paint down to bare metal.
Bondo is then applied to fill in minor surface imperfections, followed by sanding, more sanding, primer, and yet more sanding.
