Since asking my question about scale car color in 1953, I’ve had a chance to study the photos Phil posted yesterday. All three photos of CB&Q 204740 were taken in Quincy, IL in September 1953,
and they are especially helpful because one shows the right side, one shows the left side, and one shows a close-up of the maintenance placard. No end photo was taken at the same time. All other available photos show only the left side of the cars.
Decals were early Railroad Roman and the herald was the white stencil version. The paint appears to be mineral red or Omaha orange on all surfaces. The calibration is KC 5.11.53 and the lub date is HV 4.4.53. The recalibration data are stenciled on the right
car side on a very dark, probably black, paint patch, and the remainder of the car is clearly not black The scale placard is mounted at the same location on the left side of the car. The lub date is stenciled above the right foot hole on the left side and
to the left of the foot hold on the right side. This car had Timken roller bearing journals, though the maintenance placard still refers to repacking. The word SEALED is stenciled under Weight 800000LBS on both sides of the car in a block stencil font. The
foot recess on the sides appear black in the photo due to shadow, and are most likely painted the same color as the car body. Chalk marks are evident at several locations on both sides of the car. Journal box door covers are painted silver. There is no indication
that the grab irons or rail was painted another color.
Nobody had responded with color information, so maybe Phil remembers what color these cars were if he took the picture? The car in these photos is definitely not black, so that leaves mineral red
or Omaha orange. MOW equipment on Lines East were painted Omaha orange beginning in 1948, so one would think by 1953 204740 could have been repainted. However, the lettering for the reporting marks is the early Q Railroad Roman with periods, suggesting an
earlier paint color which could only have been mineral red. The block SEALED was probably added later without repainting the car. Other evidence supporting mineral red is the white dashed line herald. Finally, cars painted Omaha orange had black lettering,
and this car has white lettering. I believe that CB&Q 204740 was wearing mineral red paint at the time this photo was taken. I would love to hear from anyone who can confirm or refute my conclusion.
I have already painted and decaled my car in the black and yellow scheme based upon the incomplete information I had at the time. I’m so convinced the 204740 was mineral red in my modeling year
of 1953 that I’m going to strip the paint and start over. I told Dave I’d do a Zephyr article on the scale car, but now he’s going to have to wait until I get around to it. Actually, I’m glad this happened in a way, because I hate the black and yellow scheme.
It is unfortunate that these photos weren’t available when the decals were designed, as they include squared side shots of both sides of the car and the lettering is very sharp. If scale car decals
are ever reprinted, I hope that this lettering will be included. If there are other scale car photos out here that have not been shared, now would be a good time to do so.
Nelson Moyer