Ok, I admit, this might seem a bit of an odd question, but I am still on the front side of the learning curve…most notably when it comes to steam age equipment.
On the cover is a great shot of a whole flock of box cars and some of them have the roofs painted black with black roof walks… or black roofs and matchin walkways with the sides, etc.
I have never seen this before, but I like it. It helps break up the “sameness” of the oxide red box car. I have quite a few that I would love to do this too. Was there prototype practice from one road versus the other? Depended on who made the box or car who owned it? Or was it just simply a case, some were that way? Any info would be great.
You’re doing quite well on your “learning curve” . Observing things is a big part of the hobby. There are sources for how each road painted its equipment. There are historical groups. Book publishers have color guides, but not cheap ones. or just ask people like you just did… Happy Model Railroading!
Some railroads used a black bitumin coating on car roofs (think roof tar) while others didn’t. Some roof walks got painted black to match the tar, some got painted with whatever color the painter was using for the car sides and trim. Most railroads used a more durable finish on the roof than on the car sides.
Then, too, cars which followed steam locos around the countryside would end up with soot-colored roof finish, no matter what color it was to start with. After a rain, some of it might be found washed down the car sides.
My prototype solved the problem the way Henry Ford solved the painting problem with the model T - any color you want, as long as you want black. (Not quite true, but close enough.)
Well thanks for the comments guys, and the words of encouragement.
That makes sense about the tar use. I have been wondering about the whys. The black primer showing seems logical.
The soot issue I learned early on. Just about all of my cars of my steam age have some sort of roof weathering to imply soot build up. And got some with the wash streaks. [:)]
So, anyone want to take a stab if Southern Pacific or Sante Fe had black roofs?
The tar-like coating that Chuck referred to was called “car cement.” It was supposed to help keep the car watertight, and some roads used it on the ends of cars too. It wasn’t always black, though. It could be colored to match the cars’ sides if that’s what the buyer wanted. It could also be used as an anti-skid surface, and the Santa Fe and other roads mixed slate granules into car cement for a rougher texture.
There are several Santa Fe boxcars in that cover photo, and most have black roofs with wood running boards painted “Mineral Brown,” the Santa Fe’s version of boxcar red. This scheme was the Santa Fe’s standard up until the mid 1950s or so. The all-Mineral Brown car to the right of the switcher reflects a paint scheme that followed after black roofs were discontinued, but originally still with an anti-slip finish. By the early 1960s the use of anti-slip roof finishes was discontinued on the Santa Fe, as it was by then less common for trainmen to walk on the roofs.
Usually when you see a car with a silver running board, like the Burlington car behind the switcher on Chuck Hitchcock’s layout, that’s an unpainted galvanized metal running board. By the mid to late 1950s unpainted galvanized roofs were becoming common too.
Great info, thanks Andy. That’s twice in recent weeks you have chimed in, I do appricate it.
I left my magazine at my shop (work) and wasnt able to go back look at yet this morning. I but I do plan on giving it hard look when I get in. I got some ideas allready about paining my roofs of the cars. All makes sense.
Thanks again to everyone for the info…this has been a great.