Richard is probably right, but if you are modeling a particular
railroad and branch
you never know what the local crews did. I've seen photos of
wood or steel passenger equipment on the CB&Q
used in branchline service that were rather well kept and some
that you couldn't read the lettering on.....
You have at least one photo...what does it show???
Charlie Vlk

----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Hendrickson
To: STMFC@...
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 11:09 AM
Subject: Re: [STMFC] How much is too much?


On Nov 7, 2007, at 7:06 AM, Philip Lord wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I am about to weather a combine to match a photo of the same
one in
> the late 1940s on the branchline I am modeling and near my
prototype
> area. The combine also served as the "caboose" on the end of a
short
> mixed train, and the photo shows one window converted with
weather
> guards and a rain deflector to serve as the crew observation area.
>
> Given all this, I am assuming it is pretty dirty and worn, yet
some
> people are saying passenger cars should not be weathered much
since
> they went through the washers all the time and stayed pretty
clean.
> True no doubt on the mainline. But I am thinking in this
peripheral
> service, on the low-end route, and late in the game, it was
pretty
> much a "poor relation" and not serviced that often.

Phil, you're right that ex-passenger cars used in mixed train
service
or as cabooses weren't maintained to the same standards as main
line
passenger equipment, and certainly were seldom run through the
car
washers. I still remember a similar Santa Fe car I rode on when
it was
used on branch line locals in Southern Calif. and it was both
weathered
and dirty, though perhaps not as much as if had been used in LV
"coal
country." I'd model your LV car with faded and weathered paint
and a
fair amount of dirt and grime, but I'd avoid overdoing it.

Richard Hendrickson