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Which red for 710/712 cars?

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Which red for 710/712 cars?
Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Saturday, February 12, 2011 9:44 PM

I'm going to be restoring a set of Lionel 710/710/712 passenger cars, and I'm going to paint them red. I've found a place that sells prewar color paints, but there are different shades available. The choice for reds is either the #219 or the brighter #252. Which one is the more appropriate color?

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  • Member since
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  • From: Southington, CT
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Posted by DMUinCT on Sunday, February 13, 2011 8:36 AM

That's a hard one.

   The TCA Pre-War Book shows production of the 710/712 cars as 1924 to 1934, with 4 or 6 wheel trucks and painted red, orange, and blue.  The Lionel catalogs show the switch from orange to red in 1930 and to blue in 1933.   They were cataloged with 4 wheel trucks except in 1933 and 1934.

  The TCA Lionel "Chip Chart" shows "Red  #8 & 248 Loco",  "Light Red #517 & 817 Caboose", and "Vermillion #1685-1687 Bodies".     Of the three cabooses on my shelve, the oldest is the #817 and it is a darker red.   The #657 is a much lighter red and the #1682 is the lightest red.

Don U. TCA 73-5735

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Posted by rtraincollector on Sunday, February 13, 2011 11:13 AM

from what I remember of prewar Passenger cars it seems there a lot closer to the red that you have with 252.

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

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Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Monday, February 14, 2011 5:29 PM

Thanks for the advice! I figured the #252 would be the closest, but I wanted to make sure before buying a half-pint can of paint.

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