Should the MTL and TW Trailer-Train flats have white decks?

[nkalanaga]

Lock4244:  Very true, and properly weathering a white deck could be a magazine article in itself.

Robbman:  Thank you.  So they did clean the decks, and the white didn't simply fade to grunge, at least during the circus-loading era.  Looks like the MT cars should have white decks after all.  That's going to require some careful masking...

[Denver Road Doug]

... with the shopping of cars in the 80s, no longer painted white.

Wouldn't this make the Atlas three-hitch car either incorrect or at very least a rarity? (a car that perhaps got shopped and converted but not painted other than the hitches?)   Would the appropriate color then be simply the same yellow as the car, or some other color of coating or paint?

[wcfn100]

Okay thanks Robb, one question about your post.

Cars in the original T.T.X. scheme as painted didn't have white decks as delivered...

...shortly after the Trailer Train brown scheme was introduced, they painted the decks white.

Are these two different schemes you're talking about here?


Jason

[bbussey]

I think he's referring to the initial Roman-style reporting marks scheme.  That scheme pre-dated the white decks.

[wcfn100]

I think he's referring to the initial Roman-style reporting marks scheme.  That scheme pre-dated the white decks.

Okay, thanks Bryan.  So with Robbs post and all the other input, plus the books I have, let me try and put this all together.

Cars in the original T.T.X. scheme as painted (the new Train-worx cars) didn't have white decks as delivered, but they could have been painted later (of course, they most likely got the current scheme of the time as well - san-sarif reporting marks)  Don't know the exact year, but very shortly after the Trailer Train brown scheme was introduced (Late 1964-ish), they painted the decks white (they were white so drivers could see the decks better at night, and yes, it was anti-skid compound.  it was also applied to the risers (wood or steel)(not all cars were like this))... container only cars were an exception, but even some of those got white decks as shops just followed a generic painting diagram.  The P-S cars in the builders photos haven't had the white applied... I have seen hundreds of 'incomplete' P-S builders photos, so this isn't rare.  Towards the end of the 70s, with the transition away from circus loading, decks were no longer cleaned regularly, and with the shopping of cars in the 80s, no longer painted white.

Looks like I'll have to re-letter some of my TW cars and give them a white deck.  I don't like the brown color on the MTL car, so maybe a repaint for one of those.  Maybe Atlas will do one of they're new 89' cars in the TT brown and save me the trouble.

Thanks to everyone.

Jason

Jason

[Robbman]

Wouldn't this make the Atlas three-hitch car either incorrect or at very least a rarity? (a car that perhaps got shopped and converted but not painted other than the hitches?)   Would the appropriate color then be simply the same yellow as the car, or some other color of coating or paint?

I wouldn't say incorrect... they just didn't repaint the deck stripes after shopping... so a good dose of weathering is needed.  After the 1991 TTX scheme, definitely painted the body color.

One thing to clarify for Jason, yes, not all cars had risers (particularly flush decks)... but if it had risers, they got painted along with the deck

[wcfn100]

One thing to clarify for Jason, yes, not all cars had risers (particularly flush decks)... but if it had risers, they got painted along with the deck

Well let me tell you why I added that and maybe you can comment.

The Morning Sun P-S Color Guide has a 1964 shot on page 114 of a refurbished 1960 car.  This car has the new san-serif reporting marks and a white deck.  The riser boards however are not white.  They actually look to be the same red/brown as the car and hitch.  You can also make out some over spray on one of the risers.

While obviously not definitive, it was compelling enough that I added that in.

Jason

[bbussey]

... I don't like the brown color on the MTL car, so maybe a repaint for one of those.  Maybe Atlas will do one of they're new 89' cars in the TT brown and save me the trouble.

I don't think Atlas has plans to do that, as the brown scheme pre-dates the introduction of the prototype.  The MTL cars are foobs.

[wcfn100]

I don't think Atlas has plans to do that, as the brown scheme pre-dates the introduction of the prototype. 

Well that depends.  It doesn't pre-date the ACF 89' ASH10 flat which I believe the Atlas car is.  The Atlas car may be a later build, but then it's no different than the PS-1 situation with the early schemes since the Atlas car is a mid-50's version.

I can also point to other recently tooled cars like this:



Wrong roof, ends and doors.

Or this:



It's a foot too short in height and has the wrong roof.

From what I've seen the difference between the Atlas flat car and the earlier 60's version version are less than the two box car examples above.

You're probably right that they won't do it, but there no real reason not to.

Jason

[sirenwerks]

I think the 5th and 6th photos are glared.  The Model 1:160 article references only one builder providing white decks as-built.  Perhaps that's the case, as the photos are a mix of builders.

[central.vermont]

Not sure if this answers any questions for anyone but check out the first couple minutes of this video that Ntrainz1 posted just a bit ago.

Jon

disclaimer: not mine

Bob.

[Mark5]

Here's a shot from the mid 60s: http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=20182