Got yet another one for the forums. This may have been covered before but I can't find the link. What would the correct (generic) interior colors be for some corrugated streamline passenger cars (Athearn BBs)? I have decided eventually I will need to put interiors in those cars but I don't really have a good idea on what colors to use. I think the Pikestuff passenger seats would be properly for my cars. (I have used them in another car project and they seem to work nicely.) Era in question is mid 70s (short runs on a freelanced shortline and connections to Amtrak.)
As usual, any suggestions or ideas that the forums can provide would be most welcomed.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/18587/268112.aspx#268112
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
For any railroad-related interior space - passenger car, caboose, railroad station, roundhouse, engine cab etc. - the most common color was a light grayish-green, sometimes called "industrial green". I've used Tamilya "cockpit green" paint for some interiors, it's a pretty good match to my eye.
Look at the interior walls of the old GN Jackson St. roundhouse in St.Paul MN:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Transportation_Museum#/media/File:NP_2156.JPG
As built those Post-War cars would have had interiors of mostly earth-tones. Beige or tan walls, maroon or blue-green seat cushions, light pastel tans, greens and blues on restroom bulkheads.
Since you mention the era being mid 1970s you have a whole, wild spectrum of colors to choose from! Amtrak was trying to "reinvigorate" passenger travel. Autotrain had their own palate of wild colors, too.
Take a look at some of these Amtrak photos from the era and you'll see what I mean:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2016/03/29/amtrak-1970s/82346702/
Specifically photos 2, 6, 7, 9, and 17. Lost of red, purple, orange and paisley prints. Like a Peter Max poster
I'll add some photos of a few cars that I shot at the Mad River & NKP Museum here soon.
Amtrak inherited hundreds of tired, road-weary cars and gave most of them a quickie rehab with their limited budget.
This was the era of carpet on the walls, a burled walnut contact vinyl on the window pillars and, again, those wild red-orange and plum colors!
The above are in the former CB&Q 4714 "Silver Dome" a home-made dome coach (the floor under the dome was not depressed like Budd-built domes) it became Amtrak 9401
This coach got a little more "reserved" redo. Amtrak 6045 was one of 20 former Nickel Plate coaches delivered in 1950 (NKP 105). I'm guessing the off-white wall paint was still in pretty good shape so Amtrak left it alone. They were pressed for time when these cars came to Beech Grove so they wanted to get them back in service ASAP.
As a last resort you can click here:
https://www.google.com/search?q=amtrak+early+car+interiors&biw=1344&bih=735&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjU8-KhoZLMAhVDbz4KHWRBAGoQ_AUIBigB
Regards, Ed
I was originally thinking about doing a leather color (Humbrol paint) interior with MEC green seats (Pikestuff seats). (My cars are MEC Pine Green, Silver Striping and Black Roof. The original inspiration was the "Pine Tree" scheme of the NP. I modified the scheme by taking out the middle stripe.)
However, I might think about doing something similar to the NKP coaches instead. I like the looks of that scheme and it is fairly classy. The rest of those are a litte bit garish, at least to me. And it is prototypical to the era.
Back in 2013, I finished detailing the interiors of my Walthers Budd Amtrak cars. Here's the thread on that: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/216497.aspx
Kevin
http://chatanuga.org/RailPage.html
http://chatanuga.org/WLMR.html
FRRYKid The rest of those are a litte bit garish, at least to me.
It sure was a sign of the times! I remember watching the Brady Bunch Movie with my sons (or was it the Partridge Family) anyway, when the film was over my younger son asked, "Dad, it REALLY wasn't like that, was it?" —I'm afraid it was, son
Even looking through some of the old issues of MR from the '70s, you can really see some "far-out" ads with the really "hip" typefaces!
The only redeeming merit of the 1970s?
It was the miniskirt era
Have fun with your interiors...
Here's another appetizing Amtrak interior!
http://history.amtrak.com/blogs/blog/a-closer-look-lunch-is-on
Ed
gmpullman FRRYKid The rest of those are a litte bit garish, at least to me. It sure was a sign of the times! I remember watching the Brady Bunch Movie with my sons (or was it the Partridge Family) anyway, when the film was over my younger son asked, "Dad, it REALLY wasn't like that, was it?" —I'm afraid it was, son Even looking through some of the old issues of MR from the '70s, you can really see some "far-out" ads with the really "hip" typefaces! The only redeeming merit of the 1970s? It was the miniskirt era Have fun with your interiors... Here's another appetizing Amtrak interior! http://history.amtrak.com/blogs/blog/a-closer-look-lunch-is-on Ed
The two best things to come out of the 1970s were the 1950s nostalgia craze and The Eagles.
RIP Glenn Frey