What Colors For AT & SF USRA Hopper 'Bits'?

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

I have several HO scale AT & SF USRA 55-ton hopper kits with the body & its components coming off the sprues a sort of ‘red oxide’ color.

I am wondering in the real world what color the items such as the Handbrake Lever, Brake Equipment, Hopper Door Beams & Door Closing Mechanisms were, before they weathered??

Thanks

Tanked

2

A red oxide color.

The ATSF painted its cars “Mineral Brown”. A deep reddish brown color.

3

Dave Husman is right about the Santa Fe’s Mineral Brown, but in fact the AT&SF didn’t have any USRA 55-ton hoppers, so you might say the color hardly matters. The Santa Fe’s first 2-bay open hoppers were the 200 cars of class Ga-54 built by General American in 1941, and they had offset sides as opposed to the outside posts of the USRA cars. For most of the first half of the 20th century the Santa Fe used Caswell drop-bottom gons (modeled in HO by Intermountain and Westerfield) as its primary coal and mineral carriers. – Andy

4

Well damn it! Accurail is pulling my leg with their kit instructions sheet. It clearly says USRA 55-ton & they have AT & SF decals[:)] I think the kits are circa 1997.

It makes economic sense to completely assemble a car then put it through the paint shop to take 1 color [or whatever they did - spray?, bake??], instead of painting the fiddly bits [brake assemblies etc], a different color.

Thanks

Tanked