USRA models

Nice work. What pressure did you shoot the thinned True Color at? Interesting that you can thin it with Lacquer thinner.

Matt, 30lbs pressure.    Most guys thin 25-40%, or so they say...

Thanks. Judging by the paint job on the box car, looks like it shoots well at that dilution and pressure. I'm going to try it out on a couple of "expendable" cars to see how it turns out with my limited skills.

Tonight I decaled a double sheathed car for TH&B.    This was the lettering at delivery from the NYC ( a majority owners of the road).

i have a set left...

Just curious, why are the roof walks not painted the same?

I thought that as delivered they would be painted body color?

Depending on the road some cars had wood running boards treated with different types of preservatives.  Or they would be left unpainted as they might be applied after the car is/was painted.

Kind of like car roofs, some were coated with car cement to help seal them from leaking or to help protect them from the abrasive affect of cinders in the steam era.

The C&NW "ball and bar" was a great herald and shows up as an American classic. In fact, there is a model of a USRA double sheathed boxcar in the Smnitsonian, lettered for the C&NW!

I like to weather the roofs after painting; I use a top coat of weathered wood from Star Brand Paints or a grayed black.    I then go over with an alcohol solution to soften the colors.