WP 1947 Paint Scheme
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Peter Hall
I’m in the process of removing all the cast-on detail from two HO scale Roundhouse 50’ single-sheathed automobile cars that will become Western Pacific 40001-40100 (originally 13001-13100) series cars. Separately-applied details will replace the cast-on details. I’d like to repaint these cars in a proper “boxcar red” color that would be appropriate for the 1947-1950 time frame.
I’d be grateful for advice on what paint/color would be a good “BCR” match for these two cars. Thanks Pete |
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Eric Hansmann
Fred Jansz noted a Tru-Color WP red in his upgrade on the Resin Car Works blog. On Mar 22, 2017, at 8:15 PM, petehall6369@... [STMFC] <STMFC@...> wrote:
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Garth Groff <sarahsan@...>
Pete, The color of the original Roundhouse models was a good match for the rich red-oxide paint the WP favored up until the early 1950s. If your cars came painted and lettered for WP, you should try to match that. If you are working with undecorated models, or from some other road, good luck. If you own a copy of Jim Eager's WESTERN PACIFIC COLOR GUIDE, take a look at the lower of the two 40' boxcars on page 19 and make your own match. There is a color photo of one of the 50' cars on page [3], but to my eye it looks like the colors in the photo have shifted. Also check Fred Jantz's article at http://blog.resincarworks.com/western-pacific-50-foot-automobile-box-car/ . Yours Aye,
Garth Groff On 3/22/17 8:15 PM,
petehall6369@... [STMFC] wrote:
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Fred Jansz
Pete, TruColor TCP-204 Western Pacific freight car red is a near match for the factory Roundhouse car color which is indeed a neat rendition if you browse through the Jim Eager WP book and study the <1950 box cars. I've studied several paints and came to the conclusion that TCP-204 was the right one for me. I now use it on all my WP cars. You could mix it with some grey to archieve a more faded result for older cars. Or fade it afterwards with a light grey filter.
There was an article on modifying this Roundhouse car in the July 1995 Mainline Modeler. In 1950 there were 3 types of outside braced 50' WP Pullman-built cars: 12001-12150 with 12' doors and lumber door 19201-19250 with 15' doors and lumber door (taken from batch above) 40001-40100 with 12' doors and steel doors at end Microscale makes a decal set for this car. However, the shield is not very sharp. Try to score a Champ set, which has a very clear and sharp shield. If you follow the link Eric and Garth already published here, you'll find a rebuild I did last year of a WP 15' door car. cheers, Fred Jansz |
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Garth Groff <sarahsan@...>
Pete, Let me add that for most of their lives the single-sheathed boxcars PROBABLY had white lettering, not silver. Part of the confusion is that the WP specified "aluminum" pigment during the period, which most fans think means silvery lettering. The actual color of the paint was white. The color MAY have changed to a silver tone with the delivery of the Mt. Vernon-built 40' steel boxcars 20551-20800 in mid-1947. It is hard to tell from color photos, most of which were taken later when the paint was faded, and there is always the possibility of a silver-lettered repaint. Certainly the 1949 Greenville mill gondolas numbered 6300-6400 came from the builder with silver lettering (Lifelike model). Older cars were rarely repainted on the WP, which flirted with bankruptcy for most of its history. It certainly did happen when really needed or when the cars were converted to some special use. I suspect that few of the 50' SS cars did get silver paint as they were being replaced by 50' PS-1s beginning in 1954. Those cars converted to wood-chip service were the major exceptions. Yours Aye,
Garth Groff On 3/24/17 4:00 PM,
fred@... [STMFC] wrote:
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