In a message dated 12/18/2015 7:23:23 A.M. Central Standard Time,
STMFC@... writes:
Pre-coating the seam caps wouldn't work, unless the coating could
hold up to the heat of hot riveting, which zinc will. For the same reason, the
rivets themselves can't be galvanized, as the zinc coating would burn off
while the rivets were in the rivet furnace. So, unless the railroad didn't
mind streaks of rust forming under each seam cap, at least the riveted portion
needed to be painted or covered with car cement.
I've often wondered
why steam era photos show few bare or patchy roofs. It may be that the roofs
became dirty so quickly, with the locomotives putting out literally tons of
particulates and streaming back over the train, that what we are seeing isn't
paint at all, but dirt, and dirt can cover raw galvanized as well as
paint.
The change to patchy looking roofs seems to coincide with the
general change in motive power.
Dennis Storzek
I have to agree with you Dennis, if somebody had found a way to make paint
stick to a galvanized roof or any other galvanized surface they would
have certainly let it be known. Also the galvanizing was not exceptionally
thick ether, and those same flat expanses mentioned in your earlier post would
lose their coating as did any sharp bends. Furthermore, Those particles
streaming back along the train were also notable for being both abrasive and
corrosive and coming out of nearly every home business and
factory in the country.
"Years ago someone, Richard I think, cautioned me about doing to much with
the peeling paint off galvanized roofs on my steam era cars. He mentioned that
yard photos of the steam era don't show the peeling paint effect with the same
regularity as the modern era." its also notable Richard never said the roofs
were well painted or painted at all, he just said it didn't show the peeling
paint effect.
