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Car Cement on Roofs

Nelson Moyer
 

I have several questions about use of car cement on freight car roofs. Was it applied directly to galvanized roofs or were roofs painted before application of car cement? Were running boards and latitudinals unpainted, painted, or covered with car cement? Are there railroad specific variations on the theme?

 

The car under construction is a WAB 88200 series boxcar. Ed Hawkins posted the paint specs., but they are silent about running boards, and I don’t know anything about the Wabash.

 

Nelson Moyer
Ed Hawkins
 



On Aug 1, 2021, at 7:14 PM, Nelson Moyer <npmoyer@...> wrote:

I have several questions about use of car cement on freight car roofs. Was it applied directly to galvanized roofs or were roofs painted before application of car cement? Were running boards and latitudinals unpainted, painted, or covered with car cement? Are there railroad specific variations on the theme?
 
The car under construction is a WAB 88200 series boxcar. Ed Hawkins posted the paint specs., but they are silent about running boards, and I don’t know anything about the Wabash.
 
Nelson,
As a general rule, the car cement was applied directly to the galvanized roof sheets & seam caps after they had been cleaned so they were free of rust, dirt, and grease.

It was relatively uncommon for the builder’s paint specs to state one way or another if the running boards were to be painted. If the paint specs did provide any specific instructions, it was because the railroad wanted them a certain way. 

Photos of new Wabash 88200-88699 box cars show the running boards had a dark color on the latitudinals and near the ends, so my hunch is that they received black car cement on them at the same time the roof received the car cement. It takes a higher-angle photo than I have to confirm for sure what the entire running board looks like. 

Hope this helps.
Ed Hawkins
Todd Horton
 

I had a conversation with Ed this weekend about this very topic on Pullman Standard cars. One thing Ed pointed out to me was the cost of car cement vs paint. Paint was $2.10ish a gallon, car cement was $.38 per gallon in the mid to late 50's.

If a buyer (the railroad) wanted something other than the standard PS package they had to pay extra for it.

Todd Horton


On Sunday, August 1, 2021, 08:14:50 PM EDT, Nelson Moyer <npmoyer@...> wrote:


I have several questions about use of car cement on freight car roofs. Was it applied directly to galvanized roofs or were roofs painted before application of car cement? Were running boards and latitudinals unpainted, painted, or covered with car cement? Are there railroad specific variations on the theme?

 

The car under construction is a WAB 88200 series boxcar. Ed Hawkins posted the paint specs., but they are silent about running boards, and I don’t know anything about the Wabash.

 

Nelson Moyer
Nelson Moyer
 

Thanks, Ed. I’ll paint the running boards and latitudinals black along with the roof. That simplifies construction and painting.

 

Nelson Moyer

 

From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Ed Hawkins
Sent: Sunday, August 1, 2021 10:53 PM
To: main@realstmfc.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Car Cement on Roofs

 

 



On Aug 1, 2021, at 7:14 PM, Nelson Moyer <npmoyer@...> wrote:

 

I have several questions about use of car cement on freight car roofs. Was it applied directly to galvanized roofs or were roofs painted before application of car cement? Were running boards and latitudinals unpainted, painted, or covered with car cement? Are there railroad specific variations on the theme?

 

The car under construction is a WAB 88200 series boxcar. Ed Hawkins posted the paint specs., but they are silent about running boards, and I don’t know anything about the Wabash.

 

Nelson,

As a general rule, the car cement was applied directly to the galvanized roof sheets & seam caps after they had been cleaned so they were free of rust, dirt, and grease.

 

It was relatively uncommon for the builder’s paint specs to state one way or another if the running boards were to be painted. If the paint specs did provide any specific instructions, it was because the railroad wanted them a certain way. 

 

Photos of new Wabash 88200-88699 box cars show the running boards had a dark color on the latitudinals and near the ends, so my hunch is that they received black car cement on them at the same time the roof received the car cement. It takes a higher-angle photo than I have to confirm for sure what the entire running board looks like. 

 

Hope this helps.

Ed Hawkins

 
Gatwood, Elden J SAD
 

Nelson;

 

Speaking from experience with PRR, it was all over the place in their case.

 

The P&L instructions were confusing:  some paint shops did it differently from the “everybody” instructions.  Some groups got asphaltum over galavanized; some only paint.  Some got asphaltum on galvanized, then a coat of paint (which quickly peeled off).  I think offering them options:  paint on galvanized vs asphaltum on non-galvanized; how did paint guys know what was, or what was not?

 

That’s why I go from pics!

 

Elden Gatwood

 

From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Nelson Moyer
Sent: Sunday, August 1, 2021 8:15 PM
To: RealSTMFC@groups.io
Subject: [Non-DoD Source] [RealSTMFC] Car Cement on Roofs

 

I have several questions about use of car cement on freight car roofs. Was it applied directly to galvanized roofs or were roofs painted before application of car cement? Were running boards and latitudinals unpainted, painted, or covered with car cement? Are there railroad specific variations on the theme?

 

The car under construction is a WAB 88200 series boxcar. Ed Hawkins posted the paint specs., but they are silent about running boards, and I don’t know anything about the Wabash.

 

Nelson Moyer
Rich C
 

I know from what I have seen,  the Santa Fe did not paint their running boards and laterals, at least on the steel ones.

Rich Christie
Nelson Moyer
 

Thanks, Rich. I have two ATSF steel cars in the stash, so I made a note not to paint the running boards and latitudinals.

 

Nelson Moyer

 

From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Rich C via groups.io
Sent: Monday, August 2, 2021 12:49 PM
To: main@realstmfc.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Car Cement on Roofs

 

I know from what I have seen,  the Santa Fe did not paint their running boards and laterals, at least on the steel ones.

 

Rich Christie

_._,_._,_

 
Nelson Moyer
 

Thanks, Elden. I try to get color pictures for all of the cars I build, but that’s hasn’t always been possible. I’ve pretty much filled in all of the PRR cars I can use by buying RTR, but whether or not they’re accurate is another issue. I confess to not holding plastic to the higher standard I have for resin.

 

Nelson Moyer

 

From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Gatwood, Elden J SAD
Sent: Monday, August 2, 2021 12:43 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io; RealSTMFC@groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Car Cement on Roofs

 

Nelson;

 

Speaking from experience with PRR, it was all over the place in their case.

 

The P&L instructions were confusing:  some paint shops did it differently from the “everybody” instructions.  Some groups got asphaltum over galavanized; some only paint.  Some got asphaltum on galvanized, then a coat of paint (which quickly peeled off).  I think offering them options:  paint on galvanized vs asphaltum on non-galvanized; how did paint guys know what was, or what was not?

 

That’s why I go from pics!

 

Elden Gatwood

 
Rich C
 

Your welcome, Nelson. I will check my early RPC's as they give a little more detail on roof , running board and lateral colors.

Rich

On Monday, August 2, 2021, 03:03:49 PM CDT, Nelson Moyer <npmoyer@...> wrote:


Thanks, Rich. I have two ATSF steel cars in the stash, so I made a note not to paint the running boards and latitudinals.

 

Nelson Moyer

 

From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Rich C via groups.io
Sent: Monday, August 2, 2021 12:49 PM
To: main@realstmfc.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Car Cement on Roofs

 

I know from what I have seen,  the Santa Fe did not paint their running boards and laterals, at least on the steel ones.

 

Rich Christie
Dennis Storzek <dennis@...>
 

On Mon, Aug 2, 2021 at 10:49 AM, Rich C wrote:
I know from what I have seen,  the Santa Fe did not paint their running boards and laterals, at least on the steel ones.
IIRC from an article on Santa Fe cabooses, wood running boards were pre-painted freight car color before being applied over car cement roofs.

Dennis Storzek
Tony Thompson
 

It’s useful to remember that car cement didn’t just come in black (its original color). By WW II, it was also available in BCR.

Tony Thompson
tony@...

On Aug 2, 2021, at 1:11 PM, Nelson Moyer <npmoyer@...> wrote:
Nelson Moyer
 

Just what I didn't wanted to hear - another unknown variable!

Has anyone modeled the texture of car content, or is it too fine to show up in HO scale?

Nelson Moyer

-----Original Message-----
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Tony Thompson
Sent: Tuesday, August 3, 2021 1:45 PM
To: main@realstmfc.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Car Cement on Roofs

It’s useful to remember that car cement didn’t just come in black (its original color). By WW II, it was also available in BCR.

Tony Thompson
tony@...



On Aug 2, 2021, at 1:11 PM, Nelson Moyer <npmoyer@...> wrote:
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