Bachman coaling tower prototypical colors

I painted mine dark brown with silver tin roof.  Then I weathered it with lots of black as coal and steam locomotive smoke are going to dirty it up big time.  The dirtier the more realistic it will be.

Charlie

Here's one of mine.

like both suggestions-  the light addition great for night time.

This one is dark brown with black soot and some gray. I added 2 lights and a coal pit below the track !

I definitely like the pit below. 

Hieke's version.

Inspiring work by all. I will probably look at mine sometime to consider repainting it.

Grime.

Some of the Coaling towers were offered redwood. 

I would look at some older wooden structures in your part of the country to see what colors they have turned. It's not the same everywhere. I was always puzzled why so many excellent modelers made everything wooden some shade of brown... until one mentioned in an article that in Colorado wood weathers brown. In my part of the country, wood exposed to the elements turns gray. So your base color is going to depend on where in the country you imagine your coaling tower to be located. After that, you have to consider the coal dust, coal smoke, iron / rust stains, whether the timbers were originally creosoted, etc.

A coaling tower was a rather substantial in infrastructure investment for the railroads, so they wouldn't be untreated wood allowed to weather down like an old barn.  Most were likely painted and maintained.

The coaling tower on the CT&S in Chama is painted boxcar red or a variation of it.

Rusty

nice work by all.  I will borrow some of these ideas Thanks

This is made with two Bachman Coaling Towers.

Skip, nice work!  I really like what you did with the coal chutes.