Do the shinny "chrome" springs on Lionel sprung trucks bother you???

A dab of paint or black nail polish will do, just be careful not to overload the brush. Black primer would probably be best since it sticks better and is a flat finish. Since the springs don't actually compress, the paint will stay there fine. Neolube should work too, but I've never tried it so I can't say for sure. If the springs are actually plated, a chemical blackener may or may not work depending on what kind of plating is on them. I kind of doubt it's chrome, which is expensive and requires a two-step process. Gun blue will dull them nicely if they are just polished steel, but you will need to rinse with water to neutralize the gun blue, which is highly corrosive. To avoid having to take the trucks off, one of the other methods is probably better. 

Neolube works very well on them. Two coats five  minutes a part blackens them right up and it clings better to the springing steel better than any paint would.

As yes, I don't like the look out of the box.  You can't tell from far away or see it well enough when the stuff is moving on the layout, but when closeup, I find shiny springs look very unnatural.

Whenever I have to Blacken anything I always reach for a Black permanent marker first and give it a try. Most of the time it works, sometimes it don't, but always worth a try.

To be perfectly honest, they don't bother me in the slightest. I'm just happy to have actual functioning springs. 

And the more that I think about it, the less that it concerns me. We are perfectly happy with tubular track, 3 rails, super-deep flanges and somewhat over-sized couplers. 

Well, it really is annoying to me.  I'm not a fan of anything shiny (including driving rods and machined driver rims) on a loco unless it really was shiny of the prototypes (like brass trim on European locos or shiny stainless sides on passenger cars.  given the springs should be grimy and rusty, it just irks when they are shiny.

I'll take shiny springs over trucks made with zinc rot castings. How many have had their Atlas or MTH trucks disintegrate?

Pete

I'm with the shiny group. But for small chips or something black a Magic marker works for me. Plus it can be removed if you want to.

Agree 100% on the Neolube. It also works great on valve gear, rods, etc. on steam locos. I got mine from P-B-L, I think MicroMark also carries it.

Cheers,

Ken

Thx all for responding

Sounds like Neolube is the way to go

Do you think it is available at York from any of the parts/hobby-tool dealers?

I'd like to give it a try

I know--shinny springs---does seem a little silly

I'm glad this is my biggest problem right now 

Thx again

Joe S