The Home Machinist!

does anyone know the name of the shade of brown, that was prevalent on boxcars in the steam era? ….I have heard it called boxcar brown, and also Tuscan red?....are these one and the same?...…..any idea if this is available today in a rattle can, or would it be a custom mix?

Take a look at this color photo, there was wide variation in "boxcar brown":

http://cohs.org/repository/samples/prod ... 992-05.pdf

In rattle cans use ruddy brown primer from Krylon.

Box car red though it's more a brown than a red. The brownish primers in a rattle can are pretty close and looked decent with a clear coat over them. In the Microscale color chart you can see some railroads had their own version. Tuscan red was a Pennsylvania color. https://www.microscale.com/Floquil%20Color%20Chart.pdf

Having two cars my dad built, one Tuscan red and one rattle can brown I decided to some continued variation was in order. I took Floquil's box car red and made a sample card, took it to Lowes and for $5 they mixed a small sample can which was enough to spray the car with a touch up gun. The samples are intended for you to try a color on the wall at home. They would do latex but not oil base. Oil base would a full quart. I was hesitant at first. But I sprayed they latex, waited for it to get good and dry then clear coated it. 10 years later it's holding up fine.

Pat

Ace Hardware sells both the "ruddy brown" primer and another primer with more of a reddish tint. Both are durable, but as suggested above, should be clear-coated.

Freight car Brown, box car red, Mineral Red, Mineral brown, oxide red, Tuscan Red, etc.

All variations of the early attempt to put color on equipment once they figured out how to use something besides black.

Every railroad spec’their own version, or used one offered by the equipment builders. And over the years they changed those colors as equipment was rebuilt, and paint technology evolved.

Keep in mind, that back in the early days paint pigments were shipped in dry form and mixed according to paint specs. So, when Santa Fe was painting equipment in Topeka, San Berdoo and Cleburne the paint guys were mixing their colors according to a recipe. Is it any surprise that there were subtle variations in those mixes that drive the rivet counters nuts today?

You could have three cars fresh out of those three shops, side by side and see differences in the color. Just the human factor involved.

The best thing is do as you have, pick a color from a good period photo, and go find something that matches, whether off the shelf or custom mixed. If the latter, save that mix schedule.

Roy Pickard used Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer in rattle can or quarts for older freight equipment. Made it easy to match when rebuilding. Satin or gloss will darken the same paint so when using test examples keep that in mind also.

I use polyurethane spar varnish in rattle can for top coat. Gloss is too much. I use satin.

My favorite color is Pacific Electric red. The early one that is more darker red

I'm using Rustoleum's red oxide primer for my riding car/hopper, and I think it's a pretty close match for the red/brown color used on so many different roads. It's a fairly flat finish, but the nice thing is it can be touched up and shows no spray can marks in the touchup area.

rkcarguy wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2019 3:27 pm I'm using Rustoleum's red oxide primer for my riding car/hopper, and I think it's a pretty close match for the red/brown color used on so many different roads. It's a fairly flat finish, but the nice thing is it can be touched up and shows no spray can marks in the touchup area.

Agreed. Rustoleum. I use their "Rusty Metal Primer" Readily available everywhere. I topcoat with satin epoxy clear coat but you could just use it as is. It's nearly flat.

Ken-

viewtopic.php?f=51&t=105660&start=336

That page has the Rustoleum red oxide sprayed on the bulkheads on the ends of my riding car. I used rattle can over some 2-part Sherwin Williams 646 epoxy paint I got for free from work (job leftovers and not much longer until expired).