C&S Cars on the D&RGW at Marshall Pass

[Jim Courtney]

(Don't overlook Pat's last 2 posts of May 28th, at the bottom of the prior page).

Great info, Pat.

So the 5900s, the 34 foot stock cars, were painted red when built, black in later years (after the late 1930s), correct? And the 30 foot, 5500 class stock cars emerged from the 1924-26 rebuild were also "red". Mid to late 1930s is when black was adopted for stock cars?  Who knew!

Any idea what color D&RG "Freight Car Mineral Paint" might be?

Sloan's Narrow Gauge Data Book states that in the 1880s--early 1900s, D&RG freight cars were painted a "Princess Mineral Brown" with black iron parts.

He gives a formula (Floquil colors) of 2:1, boxcar red : roof brown. He implies, but does not state clearly, that this "Mineral Brown" color was used until the mid 1920s rebuilding spree, when the more familiar D&RG freight car red, as in PBL's Star Brand paint line, became commonplace.

Your posts have inspired me to add some 4-board D&RG gons to my circa 1920 C&S freight roster, for interchange.  

I got lucky here: My friend Dale Kreutzer has decided to push the era of his Sn3 RGS layout from 1925 forward to the late 1920s (He can't seem to resist K-27s). I've acquired several of his not-yet rebuilt 4-board, 32 foot gons (post safety appliance hardware).  Beautiful models, I plan to mask off the interiors, repaint them and re-letter them for the D&RG (before the "W" was added). Perhaps like this 1903 builder's photo, from the Dorman collection:



http://ngtrainpics.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/RD060-D-RGW-Gondolas/G0000TskmDUb79pc/I0000XrqO9QZ5QCM/C0000Vd2qoA2MbNU


Not sure what color to paint them though. I wonder if PBL's Star Brand "Mineral Red" might be a better choice". Any D&RG experts, lurking here, have any thoughts?

[Todd A Ferguson]

From an O scale forum...

[Pat Student]

Todd

Prince's Mineral Brown is dark chocolate in color. It was used from sometime in the 1800's until approximately 1910 when it was replaced with "freight car mineral" paint.

The 3000 and some 4000 boxcars were rebuilt between 1922 and 1928 and were painted with "freight car mineral" paint, hence the paint chip references was close to "freight car mineral" in color.  Compare builder's  photo of D.&R.G. 1899 painted with Prince's Mineral Brown with that of D.&R.G. 1271 which was repainted sometime around 1910.





Pat

[ComoDepot]

I always understood the coal for Como came from Baldwin once King closed.

[Pat Student]

Jim

PBL's "Mineral Red" is is essentially the same color as Prince's Mineral Brown.

Also, please note the difference in stenciling between the 9200's and 1000 - 1499 versus the 1500's.  Eventually the 1500's were stenciled like the others.

Pat

[Keith Hayes]

I like it when Pat Student posts something in these parts: I usually learn something.

[Jim Courtney]

Yes, Keith we all learn things from Pat.

I come back to this thread from time to time to reread Pat's research and contemplate which D&RG interchange cars I might want to build for my 1901, 1909 and 1924 C&S rosters.

In the Klingers' new book, among many other amazing photos, I found this illustration of Pat's research:




A D&RG not-yet-high-side gon has derailed and lies beside the C&S mainline. Location is just a wee bit north of Climax, near Buffehrs Spur. The date is in the World War 1 era. C&S 72 and its eastbound freight is carefully moving past the derailment site and stopped to have its picture taken.

The gon was likely hauling coal, now spewed all over the ground. Wonder where is was consigned?