Re: Color used on DSP&P Boxcars

The sample is the best smoking gun we have for the light color seen on some DSP&P way cars...

The historic record and photos suggest that some cars (likely the earliest cars, built by the DSP&P in their shops) were apparently painted a dark color (Red or iron oxide red) while the later cars built after Union Pacific controlled the road were painted a light color, the specific color subject to debate, with suggestions varying from white to buff or cream to yellow.

For the first time we have a sample of original siding from one of the later "UP built" cars. It pretty much proves that the car was originally painted a bright likely "chrome yellow" which was also used on UP cars at the time.

The sample shows fewer layers of paint that I expected... suggesting that the car was not repainted very often... The second layer is a orangey mineral color, with at least 3 coats of a darker redder mineral color. I am still trying to ID which layers may have varnish over the color...

By the way, some have suggested Tuscan for the darker redder later color. I wouldn't say no. Tuscan was a very common freight car color, with a number of paint manufacturers making the same shade. I have compared 1890's samples from Masury, Valentines and Sherwin Williams and they are more alike than expected.

Randy Hees
www.spcrr.org
www.pacificng.com
www.rypn.org