Anybody know if there is a source/sources either online or print showing the colors roads used for their freight cars in the 19-teens through the 1920s? I realize there wasn't color photography in that period, but I think (?) most roads stayed with the colors used in those years on into the time when photography could show color. 

Chuck Greene
St. Charles, IL

Anybody know if there is a source/sources either online or print showing the colors roads used for their freight cars in the 19-teens through the 1920s? I realize there wasn't color photography in that period, but I think (?) most roads stayed with the colors used in those years on into the time when photography could show color. 

Chuck Greene
St. Charles, IL

RPC Vol. 3 has a table of freight car colors  with roads grouped by color from oxide to dark brown. I attached a scan. If you want prototype freight car paints look at the attached Excel file. You may wish to search online for a document presenting research on freight car paint colors in the 19^th century, which may be applicable to the early years of the 20^th century.

Nelson Moyer

Anybody know if there is a source/sources either online or print showing the colors roads used for their freight cars in the 19-teens through the 1920s? I realize there wasn't color photography in that period, but I think (?) most roads stayed with the colors used in those years on into the time when photography could show color. 

Chuck Greene
St. Charles, IL

Nelson,

I had forgotten about the RPCyc table. Thanks for sharing it, although little seems to reflect pre-WW2 applications.

FYI, the other file does not include freight car paint colors.

Eric Hansmann

Media, PA

RPC Vol. 3 has a table of freight car colors  with roads grouped by color from oxide to dark brown. I attached a scan. If you want prototype freight car paints look at the attached Excel file. You may wish to search online for a document presenting research on freight car paint colors in the 19^th century, which may be applicable to the early years of the 20^th century.

Nelson Moyer

Anybody know if there is a source/sources either online or print showing the colors roads used for their freight cars in the 19-teens through the 1920s? I realize there wasn't color photography in that period, but I think (?) most roads stayed with the colors used in those years on into the time when photography could show color. 

Chuck Greene
St. Charles, IL

It does indeed include freight car paint colors, but they are prototype colors using prototype paints mostly from Dupont. To match model paints, you need to see the Dupont color chips. On page two you will see list of sections included in the document – Diesel & Passenger Cars, Pullman Company, Steam, Freight Cars, and Structures.

Nelson Moyer

Nelson,

I had forgotten about the RPCyc table. Thanks for sharing it, although little seems to reflect pre-WW2 applications.

FYI, the other file does not include freight car paint colors.

Eric Hansmann

Media, PA

RPC Vol. 3 has a table of freight car colors  with roads grouped by color from oxide to dark brown. I attached a scan. If you want prototype freight car paints look at the attached Excel file. You may wish to search online for a document presenting research on freight car paint colors in the 19^th century, which may be applicable to the early years of the 20^th century.

Nelson Moyer

Anybody know if there is a source/sources either online or print showing the colors roads used for their freight cars in the 19-teens through the 1920s? I realize there wasn't color photography in that period, but I think (?) most roads stayed with the colors used in those years on into the time when photography could show color. 

Chuck Greene
St. Charles, IL

On Jan 24, 2023, at 12:43 PM, Bruce Smith <smithbf@...> wrote:

Charles.

 

Of course, you could always just model in black and white (grey tones actually).  Now, before you snort in derision and suggest I might need more ventilation at my modeling bench… this approach has been seriously proposed by at least one modeler. I have not heard if they even managed to execute it, as it would be potentially very challenging.

 

Regards,

Bruce 

Bruce Smith

Auburn, AL

 

From: <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of "bounce+13731+198541+676026+2098347@groups.io" <bounce+13731+198541+676026+2098347@groups.io>
Reply-To: "main@RealSTMFC.groups.io" <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io>
Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 1:09 PM
To: "main@RealSTMFC.groups.io" <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io>
Subject: [EXT] Re: [RealSTMFC] Colors by Freight Car Type by Railroad

 

CAUTION: Email Originated Outside of Auburn.

Thanks everyone for your responses....quite a lot of info to peruse! The central problem, of course, is that those of us who choose to model a period before there was color photography faithful to the subjects photographed the world appeared as a black and white one. Although, as you say, there may not be data specific to my modeling period I think I can come up with some plausible color choices using the info you provided.