Trucks were almost always supplied painted black. If they were not masked during car painting, they would get a light overspray, or direct heavy spray, of the car color.
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Anyway... they would weather pretty quickly. Since we have so few color photographs of freight cars before the 60's, there is an awful lot of theorizing on this subject.
My favorite way to paint trucks is to start with military drab green, and then add washes of black, brown, and rust. I tend to go a little light so they can be seen with normal layout lighting.
Yes, gray cars could have very well had gray trucks, if the trucks were on the car when it was painted.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 Trucks were almost always supplied painted black. If they were not masked during car painting, they would get a light overspray, or direct heavy spray, of the car color. . Anyway... they would weather pretty quickly. Since we have so few color photographs of freight cars before the 60's, there is an awful lot of theorizing on this subject. . My favorite way to paint trucks is to start with military drab green, and then add washes of black, brown, and rust. I tend to go a little light so they can be seen with normal layout lighting. . Yes, gray cars could have very well had gray trucks, if the trucks were on the car when it was painted. . -Kevin .
Kevin, I can show you endless builder or shop photos of red oxide cars, with red oxide underframes and trucks.
One noteable road for this was the WESTERN MARYLAND, box cars and flat cars in particular.
I think every color photo I have ever seem of as WESTERN MARYLAND flat car has the trucks the same red oxide as the car.........
Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRALKevin, I can show you endless builder or shop photos of red oxide cars, with red oxide underframes and trucks.
Sheldon,
That is exactly what I said in my post. If the trucks were on the car when it was painted, and not masked, they would get the body color. It only makes sense.
SeeYou190 Trucks were almost always supplied painted black. If they were not masked during car painting, they would get a light overspray, or direct heavy spray, of the car color.
SeeYou190 Since we have so few color photographs of freight cars before the 60's, there is an awful lot of theorizing on this subject.
Since we have so few color photographs of freight cars before the 60's, there is an awful lot of theorizing on this subject.
When Great Northern chose the new boxcar paint scheme featuring Vermilion Red (instead of mineral red), it specified that the carbody was to be Vermilion, the underframe and trucks mineral. And there are some color pictures to demonstrate that.
That was before the '60's.
Trucks were almost always supplied painted black.
I believe they were supplied unpainted. And painted at the builder.
Does anyone here even know HOW trucks were supplied? Assembled? How d'ya know? I'm pretty sure ACF could assemble truck pieces somewhere in the plant. The parts would be easier to ship, compared to assembled trucks. If they were shipped as parts, would the parts be painted at the supplier? Or after the truck was assembled at the builder?
Ed
7j43k SeeYou190 Since we have so few color photographs of freight cars before the 60's, there is an awful lot of theorizing on this subject. When Great Northern chose the new boxcar paint scheme featuring Vermilion Red (instead of mineral red), it specified that the carbody was to be Vermilion, the underframe and trucks mineral. And there are some color pictures to demonstrate that. That was before the '60's. Trucks were almost always supplied painted black. I believe they were supplied unpainted. And painted at the builder. Does anyone here even know HOW trucks were supplied? Assembled? How d'ya know? I'm pretty sure ACF could assemble truck pieces somewhere in the plant. The parts would be easier to ship, compared to assembled trucks. If they were shipped as parts, would the parts be painted at the supplier? Or after the truck was assembled at the builder? Ed
It is my understanding that they generally arrived at the builders as parts.
For shipping reasons and because different customers might specify different "details" which would make specific parts different, spring rates, dampeners, wheel sets, types of brake shoes or rigging for specific applications.
And I would suspect painting was done at various sub-assembly levels......
Not only that, the factory that makes the primary castings would seldom if ever make the other parts - springs, bearings, hardware, brake shoes, etc.
It appears, thumbing through the '53 "Car Builders' Cyclopedia", that a company would sell a truck fully assembled, or in parts. A small operation might prefer to have the whole truck delivered, being as it might be irritating to try to assemble it themselves. I don't see the car builders, themselves, having a problem doing the assembly. But that would explain why trucks were offered both ways.
7j43k It appears, thumbing through the '53 "Car Builders' Cyclopedia", that a company would sell a truck fully assembled, or in parts. A small operation might prefer to have the whole truck delivered, being as it might be irritating to try to assemble it themselves. I don't see the car builders, themselves, having a problem doing the assembly. But that would explain why trucks were offered both ways. Ed
But one could also assume that trucks were likely ordered for each run of cars seperately, and one could/would specify options and.......color........
I can see were a small builder, or as a maintenance item to the railroads, assembled might be prefered - but again, I'm sure there was a job spec sheet....
If trucks are shipped as parts kits, painting the parts before shipping would invite a lot of paint chipping, both in transit, and later, during assembly.
I asked about this two hours ago over on the steam freight car Yahoo group, where there's a lot of people who Know Things.
Only one answer, so far, from Dennis Storzec, the owner of Accurail:
Trucks were bought as parts, because there were umpteen sources of parts other than the basic castings. The same foundry might supply both side frames and bolsters, OR the customer may have ordered bolsters from a third party, such as Simplex. Springs aren't castings, and came from a different vendor; same with brake components. Bearings, dust guards, and journal covers were other specialties. Wheels and axles came from a different supplier yet.
it makes sense, that trucks would be supplied as parts, with the car builder doing the assembly.
When I attended the Car Inspection and repair training, at Holidaysburg, while with Conrail, each member of the class was required to participate in the complete breakdown and reassembly of a Ride Control truck. It was and still is a car shop function.
While there, we were shown the Gondola car assembly line, where three gondolas were in various state of assembly. If I remember correctly, the underside of each car was painted before it was flipped. Landing the car on its trucks was the final step. The completed car was moved to a paint booth for the final painting, numbering etc. It was quite cool to watch the process.
Joe
wojosa31When I attended the Car Inspection and repair training, at Holidaysburg, while with Conrail
This should bring back some memories, Joe
Enjoy, Ed
I prefer HO trucks in flat grey, because it is easier to see detail at a distance, regardless of prototype.