I have been given an NP reefer. This was built by a friend who sadly died of cancer a few years ago. The model was built from an Old Huff n Puff Silver Streak craft kit. Photos below show the model with red trucks and wheels, is this correct for this car? Hope so, as it looks very distinctive
Hi Alan, The 1953 ORER lists 199 cars of type RS in the series 93000 through 93950, so it looks as if the cr number is reasonable. In the book "The Great Yellow Fleet" on pages 83 and 106 there are some black and white photos of similar cars that might help a bit. It looks to me as if the trucks and wheels are different than the roof and ladder color, but with a black and white photo its pretty hard to judge. Nice looking car though... Charles
Alan- I grew up along the NP. And am sorry to say I never saw trucks that color. Just black. In fact, almost all, if not all their cars had black trucks. However, it is a nice looking car! Believe I recall possibly seeing some grain hoppers that had silver or gray trucks. And starting in 1967, they had cars that were painted green. Anticipating the BN disaster. Some trucks on these appeared almost green. But that seemed to be mostly just overspray. Boxcab E50
Thanks guys. I take it that thye roof and ends are correct? Pity about the trucks as they do look rather nice, or would with a little weathering. But on my new HO layout I want all cars to be as correct as I can make them, so if the trucks have to be painted black to make this correct, then so be it Still a few details to add before weathering though, like cut levers.
Hi, The trucks may have been red when the cars were new. The Illinois Terminal received grain hoppers in the 70's that were yellow with red ends and underbodies. The trucks were also red IIRC. Of course they weathered very quickly. AF Niederer
Alan, I think some of the model mfg's made the reddish trucks to appear as though they are rusted. I know I have a few different cars that came with red trucks and I had to paint them all black.
Alan- Not box car red. Brown. Can't think of a paint color name right now. Sorry. As far as trucks go, I spent a few years building and repairing freight cars. For rust, it starts out orange-ish when fresh. But browns down with age and dirt. Most painted trucks I saw, and recall, were, or started out black. The only place you might see an orange color, is where the wheel tread contacts the ball of the rail. If that car were to sit a few days in damp conditions. Boxcab E50
Thanks Ken, I will look for a suitable brown paint, and will paint the trucks black, then rust them up a bit
Boxcab, You may be thinking of, "Oxide Red" formed by mixing ferrous oxide (rust-or as we in Michigan call it- the main component of a two tone automotive paint job) with the painters best friend, linseed oil. The tone of the brown/red depending on how long the the ferrous oxide was roasted. Barn paint was made the same way for red barns. White barns used lead oxide back in the day. PS-Alan, I was confused when I read your subject line. Northern Pacific Reefer usually refers to British Columbia's most prevelent cash crop...yee old hippy lettuce!! Thought I had clicked on the Hightimes link for a second. Of course, that would give you a good story to explain the color scheme. A couple of Vancouver Stoners working in the paint shop, a couple of spare buckets of caboose paint, too much time on their hands.....
Oxide-Red. OK. On the trucks, I was thinking of what rust looks like when fresh. That brighter orange color. And then what it looks like on cast iron, such as the side frames, after some serious use. Coated with road grime, such as oil from leaking friction bearing packings Sand, and mud, etc. Boxcab E50
<font color="336633">Hmmmmmmm </font> </font>[/QUOTE]Alan, you can strike one person's name off the repaint job
Red oxide is a colour we can buy as a car bodywork primer. The cans I have bought over the years, from different makers, range from very red to quite dark brown I think I will make a guess, repaint the roof and ends brown and the trucks black, but rusty/dirty. Then lightly weather the car body. Somehow I don't think reefers should be too dirty! To be on the safe side, I am tempted to paint out the NP markings and letter the car for Andersley Western
I finally got around to repainting roof, ends and trucks on this car, as it was beginning to annoy me as I knew it was wrong! I just have to fit coupler cut levers, and then weather it a bit. One more thought - it has sprung archbar trucks, are these ok for the early 1950's, or should I substitute bettendorfs ? Before: After:
Definitely looking more like an NP car. Those that I have seen. Even that one I worked on.... Remember that in those days, reds, with their iron pigments tended to swiftly oxidize. And changed colors quickly. Just one hot, sunny summer, and the elements of a following winter, would see a noticeable difference. Boxcab E50
