Does everyone realize that "Flat" black was not a color used by railroads... it is a color used by modelers... Linseed oil paints were naturally semigloss to glossy... but weathered to flat... Randy H

It would likely depend on how it was done... In general, there was a new cast part to replace the wedge, which was designed to bear on the 'sjournal box and on the bearing. Conversions on passengers c

The surviving depot in Rhyolite is from the Las Vegas & Tonopah. The caboose is from the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake (later LA&SL. today Union Pacific) It was built by Pullman in November of 19

"Oregon & California" an SP/CP railroad... I believe that this is a shipment from the California Nursery at Niles CA to San Francisco for the Panama Pacific Exposition. The trees were returned to Nile

The "D&RGW" stencil may be a journal "repack" date....

Hi Tim... That was a very good analysis of the issue, and the photo showing the various mineral reds was wonderful. A friend and I sample paint where ever we find it. If possible I retain a physical s

Pantone, while not the best system is the most accessible. Munsel books are $1000.00 plus... so not available... Pantone was originally designed for printer's ink, but now has expanded for paint and t

I was surprised to find PFE (and a few Santa Fe) reefers being used to carry plaster from Arden in Las Vegas to Los Angeles destinations in the 1915-1928 period. Per Union Pacific depot records they d

Andrew Brandon and I have been doing paint research of mostly 19th century western narrow gauge equipment and buildings, and issuing color cards with PMS numbers... one example can be found at http://

The WP cars were purchased used from "6 Companies" who purchased them (a mix of used and new cars) for construction of Hoover Dam. There are a couple surviving, one at Portola, the second, at the Nile

I made an unexpected research find today. I have been researching Arden PlasterCompany, located in the south end of the Las Vegas Valley. They operated from 1907 to about 1930. I was drawn to them bec

Bright reefer colors date back to the 1860's and the creation of "Fast Freight Lines" which were cars which could be interchanged in a time before the Master Car Builders Association (MCB, later the A

There are some museums that use solid Babbit bearings regularly and are not scared of them.... The system calls for a decent bearing and journal, and packing that is turned "inward" so thread are unli

As I understand the 50 year freight car rule, it was created because 1) freight cars were not as routinely updated and upgraded, so were more likely to have obsolete brake valves, draft gear and truck

There are FRA rules, AAR rules (for interchange) and for passenger cars, Amtrak rules... Currently, per FRA rules, for operation on a FRA regulated railroad, any "Freight" cars (including cabooses) ne

The Lomita railroad museum has a single sheathed box car identifed as "built for Union Pacific, numbered 51406, toUS Naval Weapons station, Seal Beach, to Lomita Railroad Museum." The car seems to be

The door at one end of the car is a known Seattle Car & Foundry - Pacific Car & Foundry design, seen in catalogs. (the 1913 catalog is available in a reprint and on line) The description notes that th

The British were still using horses for switching through WWII.... Southern Pacific had a horse drawn narrow gauge branch until 1910... The Centerville branch connecting Newark with Centerville (now F

The lettering is the latest air brake test... As others have noted it would be too small to be legible on a model, but for preservation its a wealth of information about the car's regular inspections,

From memory in the 1960's they would include the line "Standard Oil Stations and Chevron Dealers" ,more or less... in ads... again, from memory... Randy Hees