Window tinting question.

[Nick Lorusso]

@skytop35 had a great article on model160.com about tinting the windows on the California Zephyr. And I was wondering if this would have been done on streamlined cars built before WWII? I have a SPL Daylight and thought this would look great only if the windows should be done.

Thanks in Advance for the replies.

[Cajonpassfan]

Nick, I don't know about other railroads, but ATSF and UP didn't start tinting the windows until about '53 or thereabouts... Certainly not prior to WWII. I was planning to tint mine, until I learned it would be wrong for '51.
Otto K.

[Nick Lorusso]

good to know. Thank you Otto

[motofavorite]

@skytop35 had a great article on model160.com about tinting the windows on the California Zephyr.

I've seen many references to Skytop35's article. I have not been able to access the article or the website. Also, I have not been able to find a description of the method here at TRW.

Please can someone point me in the right direction toward the article or some other place where I can find the method? Thank you!

[keeper]

... I have not been able to access the article or the website. ...

That's a good point and the website is well worth a visit. I haven't visited the site for a long time, but reading the above and trying to reach the site is not successfull.
I only get a blank page. I tried some possibilities because sometimes the webserver is not configured correctly.
So
model160.com
www.model160.com
https://model160.com
https://www.model160.com
http://model160.com
http://www.model160.com
gets you nowhere. At least from the other side of the Atlantic.

Thomas

[peteski]

Isn't that Mike Skibbe's website?  He visits here often.

[Missaberoad]

https://web.archive.org/web/20170717205007/http://www.model160.com/

https://web.archive.org/web/20170820220352/http://www.model160.com/n-scale-magazine-features/passenger-car-window-tinting/

Not the best formatting, but the meat is there...

[Maletrain]

OK, read it.

Short version is that he airbrushed the plastic "glass" with 1 or 2 light passes of a 1:1 mixture of Alclad II Lacquers ALC404 "Transparent Green" and ALC403 "Transparent Blue".  That gave him the tint that he felt matched the prototype for vintage rail cars.

Those lacquers are apparently still available at multiple sources like Hobby Lobby, RCPlanet, eBay, Walmart, etc.

[peteski]

Yes, Alclad II is a thriving company (geared mainly to model aircraft and automobiles).  https://alclad2.com/

Be careful using their products. They are on the "hot" side and can sometimes craze polystyrene.

[motofavorite]

https://web.archive.org/web/20170717205007/http://www.model160.com/

https://web.archive.org/web/20170820220352/http://www.model160.com/n-scale-magazine-features/passenger-car-window-tinting/

Not the best formatting, but the meat is there...

Awesome! Thank you for finding that! I need to print that article before I lose it.

[Rasputen]

I've used a mixture of Tamiya clear green and clear blue acrylic on a bus model with good success.