>I don't know which photo you're looking at Tony -- the one I'm looking at has
four 40 foot steel box cars in a row, and the galvanized coating is starting to
show through on all four of them. The painted Gypsum running board also appears
to be losing its paint, and the Apex running board in the foreground also appears
to have had a painted lateral that has lost most of its paint ...

My guess is that modelers see precisely what they want to see. :-)

Tim O'Connor<

 

I have to agree that at least on three of the four cars the galvanize metal roofs are beginning to so signs of paint peel. I think, or at least it strikes me is what we see represented on paint peel in modeling is far more exaggerated then in practice. It appears, at least in the photos to be shades of gray, not silver or aluminum that we often see.

 

I am glad you pointed out the running boards as this is something that I am going to have to address more concisely in my modeling as the reality is that most of use should likely paint our running boards gray an weather tem slightly with your favorite freight car color, or by the KADEE running boards offered in galvanize gray/silver...

 

I am just wondering how roofs painted with asphaltum held up, not much better I suspect.  

 

Greg Martin     

 

Eventually all things merge into one and a river runs through it.
Norman Maclean