Tinplate Lionel #38 Original Paint Finish

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

Hi,

I recently purchased a prewar Lionel #38 standard gauge engine. It has a terrible repaint on it but they went around the original rubber stamping (it was painted with a brush!) so I can still see the original paint in that area. The repaint is a high gloss black but the original paint is flat black. Even the interior of the shell is flat black. When I look up pictures of the engine online it’s a bit of a toss up on what the correct finish is. Do any of you know what the original finish would have been? We all think of tinplate trains as having that high gloss enamel paint and I know they do lose their luster as time goes on, but this paint looks like it never had a luster at all! It’s almost chalky looking. So, my friends, what do you think? Was this engine originally a flat black or was it glossy and it just faded? The production date of this engine was 1913-1924 so it’s really an old one. I’m going to repaint it and I’d like to attempt to preserve the original rubber stamping. It’s going to be a bit of a task to mask it out and not have a hard line where the new paint is but I think it’s worth at least attempting to save!

One last thing. I know Henning’s sells really nice reproduction paints. Which red of theirs would be most accurate for the pilot on this engine from this time period specifically?

I appreciate the help!

2

Check out the following link

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LIONEL-PREWAR-STANDARD-GAUGE-38-NEW-YORK-CENTRAL-ENGINE-SHELL-ONLY-/383696261397?hash=item5956145115%3Ag%3AoIQAAOSw9OlfSUwL&nma=true&si=wGrQkpvojMf9CCwWh2TxFJp6h7s%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

swede

3

In every picture of a Lionel that old I’ve seen where the condition’s good enough to make a judgement, and in the originals I’ve seen first hand where the same applies, the original paint is glossy. And far as I know that’s all that was available back in those days anyway, flat-finish enamel paints didn’t come around until just before WW2. Also, Lionel wanted their products to be eye-catching, and you needed glossy paint to do that.

If the original paint on yours has gone flat I’d say that was due to deterioration over the past 90-plus years. Who knows how it’s been stored before it came into your hands? And remember, the paints available back then were no-where near as durable as we have now.

4

I agree with flintlock. It appears to me that there are enough glossy spots in the photo to come to that decision.

swede