PAINTING ATLAS 4750 CVD HOPPERS

No more undeco models

Al, although haven't tried it on the 4750's in O Scale, depending on how many you want to repaint, a bath in a tub of 91% or greater alcohol does wonders on Atlas cars. Often you end up with some areas you need to lightly scrub with a extra soft tooth brush.  You will have to experiment with how long of a soaking bath is required to remove the paint and printing.   Some of this depends on the color you're trying to remove.  Darker pigments often require a little longer bath.  The paint should come off easy and not require any hard scrubbing.    Once out of the bath and paint removed, you can give the car a rinse in warm soapy water to prep for paint.  Let it dry thoroughly or dry on medium heat with hair dryer, careful not to keep too much heat on the plastic.   You'll also want to watch for dust/lint particles in the air.   Usually you can keep the tub of alcohol, air light lid, for several applications.    

Others try grit blasting with extra fine grained particles to remove paint and printing.     Requires more equipment including safety equipment but very effective, even in the smallest of cracks.  

Mike and Chris,

Thank you both very much for the information.

I got curious and took the 6 screws on the ends of the 4750s out,expecting the bottom frame & hopper bays to separate from the body of the car but nothing doing. I even mildly pried a bit but the car must be cemented together. 

Many thanks again.

Al Hummel

I checked Atlas’ website about a parts diagram, sadly they don’t list the TM hopper on there. 

Alan,

I have done an unpainted atlas tank car and a cylindrical hopper and never figured out any way to get them apart.  On the tank car, everything is black, so no issue.  On the hopper, the trucks come off and everything is grey as you can see. An easy paint job  If you want more colors I guess you will need to be good at masking,  but I am not- hence montone and the color comes from the decals.The only undecorated cars surface prep I did was washing down with soap and water. On a related topic, I have quit trying to strip cars.  I sand the decals or painted letters I want to remove using 400 / 1000/ 2000 grit sand paper.  Works fine from my viewpoint. 

undecorated atlas tank car

Decorated version with Tichy decals

undecorated,  atlas covered hopper with testors grey and  microscale decals

Some many delicate details on those hoppers, rather than re-paint, I just removed the lettering and relettered with dry transfers.

SPSF,

I use the dry transfers for number changes and would like to do the same as you're doing with my 4750s but can't match the car color. Been looking around at cars that seem to be plentiful in existence such as Reynolds Aluminum,Santa Fe&Southern 4750s, to remove the lettering,but again,the color is wrong unless I were modeling some very old 4750s,which would be mostly Family Lines 4750s from the 70s run of 4750s. My 4750s don't have the delicate to worry about.

Nice job of relettering,very professional to my eyes.

As Always,

Al Hummel

Hokie 71,

How do you paint the ladders and hopper slope sheets on the insides? I use the same grades of sandpaper and love it.

Thank you.

Al

Al,

I simply use a rattle can and do my best to manipulate the angles.  I probably get 98.75% coverage and you have to  really look to find issues. If I cover the undecorated grey, there is no issue due to the similar colors.  For the grey spray, I use testors 1226 Flat dark aircraft grey. for black, I have been using krylon color master satin black finish.   Most guys love the krylon paints on the forum but I tend to think testors and tamaya are better (but more expensive).

Forgive the rambling if you know most of this already. .....

Still debating on how best to keep silvering down on the water slide decals.  I am currently putting a thin coat of pledge original floor gloss where the decals will be.  Some folks like using a glossy paint and skipping the pledge step.  (a glossy finish reduces silvering of water slide decals.)  Either way, the final finish is testors dullcote or a krylon matt clear finish.  Again, I tend to think dullcote is better but there are a lot of opinions out there.  Here is an old lionel tank car I just finished. these 6-17xxx tank cars are scale size and easy to disassemble.

I have not tried dry lettering, SPSF's work looks super.

Hokie 71,

No problem with  "rambling," what you're telling me is 1st hand news. When it comes to decals and especially painting,I'm like Sargent Schultz on Hogan's Heroes- "I know NOTHING-NOTHING!!" LOL The photo enclosed is a SCL 4750 that I changed over to a CSXT car. I just used sand paper to take the reporting letters/numbers off,then used dry transfers to put the new numbers/letters on with no dulcoat or anything over them. I used a pencil eraser to remove any smudges,sometimes this works,sometimes not such good results. I'll probably get bold and repaint a car of another road and see how that goes. I can take a CSX hopper with the color I need&take a chance on removing the lettering and putting on the decals I want. Just evaluating my options right now,using the information you fellows provide as I'm a beginner to this area of painting & lettering.

Many thanks for the information and pictures they look GREAT!!

As always,

Al Hummel