Micro-trains boxcar improvements

[Angus Shops]

I notice that the stirrup steps on the ends of the cars are brown to match the body colour (more or less). All my MT are older models and they all have black steps that are pretty much invisible to the eye. Brown is more proto; is this something new as well?

[peteski]

I notice that the stirrup steps on the ends of the cars are brown to match the body colour (more or less). All my MT are older models and they all have black steps that are pretty much invisible to the eye. Brown is more proto; is this something new as well?

No, MTL has been doing that (and also color-matchign coupler boxes and truck sideframes) on some of the cars for a while.  They might be now doing that more frequently.

[Missaberoad]

Since the late 1990s at least...

[Darkelf]

Hey all!

What is the best color/paint to match the boxcar red used by Micro-trains?  Its been a while - and this is my first rolling stock mod in a ridiculously long time.

Many thanks!
--Greg

[nickelplate759]

Bless their hearts, Micro-Trains doesn't have a single "box-car red" paint, so there's no one match.   They tweak it according to the car they are decorating.

I've noticed the same thing with "pullman green" on their passenger cars.

[JoeD]

Bless their hearts, Micro-Trains doesn't have a single "box-car red" paint, so there's no one match.   They tweak it according to the car they are decorating.

I've noticed the same thing with "pullman green" on their passenger cars.

Yep...prototypically many railroads had their own shades of Boxcar Red or Brown...same with the green.  There is a standard Pullman color they used, and other roads deviated from that...example being Southern Pacific when they bought their fleet of cars..

[JoeD]

Hey all!

What is the best color/paint to match the boxcar red used by Micro-trains?  Its been a while - and this is my first rolling stock mod in a ridiculously long time.

Many thanks!
--Greg

PM me...

Joe