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For those building the MPC/AMT kit of the "General" locomotive, it will take a bit of research and work to build it as it looked at the time of its service during the American Civil War. Built by the Rogers Locomotive Works in 1855, the "General" , (not "The General") was rebuilt numerous times after the war. The MPC kit depicts the locomotive after restoration. A long-out-of-print book, Civil War Railroads And Models by Edwin P. Alexander has some nice 1:48 scale line drawings showing "General" as it looked as built (as well as a wealth of info regarding other locomotives used during the war on both sides, and other items such as lineside buildings and period track). The link below has some info regarding the probable paint colors of the General, using what is known regarding other Rogers locomotives of the era: http://loggingmallets.railfan.net/trainsim/rogers/general.htm (click on image on page for a larger one) Several years a manufacturer offered historically-accurate 1:48 scale locomotives and some rolling stock relating to the Civil War era. Here is their interpretation of the General. (Note the company is out of business, their webpage inactive. I had to go back to an archived page to find their pictures of the General. https://web.archive.org/web/20060209190215/http://www.smrtrains.com/general3.htm More here: http://www.modelcrafters.com/wordpress/?product=w-i-p-_american-civil-war-general-locomotive-tender-freight-car-set-with-plexiglas-display-case-track-section_operates-on-3-rail-ogauge-track-custom-finished-by-modelcrafters The MPC kit can be kitbashed into representations of other locomotives of similar design: https://www.oldmodelkits.com/blog/plasitc-model-kits-how-tos/construction-of-the-jupiter-no-119-locomotives-from-mpcs-the-general/ And, for fun here's a scratchbuilt interpretation of the General, in a 1:6 scale diorama at an action figure convention: https://patchesofpride.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/the-general-dominates-joelanta-2012/ Or you could just go with a custom paint job: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/4-general-mantua-real-brass-all-die-1809306136