Coaling tower color

[SteamGene]

I'm about to start on the old Bachmann Plus coaling tower and sand storage unit,  There will also be a water tank and maybe a whistle stop station with a small mountain village behind it all.  This is Sarah's Mountain where a train can take on fuel, sand, and water after climbing up from Bradyton to the east.   The coaling tower models a wooden coaling tower and is cast in a dark brown plastic that is not really a creosote color.
Here's the question.
Should I paint it a oily black to come close to creosote, or the corporate Confederate gray?  I've looked at plenty of black and white pictures of wooden coaling towers and I really can't tell if they are painted or not.  Quite frankly, I don't remember from when I was a kid. 
Sarah's Mountain came as a result of my kids objecting to the fact that nothing on the VT&P so far was named for them.   
Gene

[RAM]

My guess would be dull black. 

[rogertra]

My guess would be dull black. 

Because many large wooden structures were painted with a black tar.

[SteamGene]

Makes sense.  I thought that would be the most likely. 
Gene

[r.cprmier]

Gene;
A logical approach would be that framing exposed to the weather and of a fire hazard would be painted with asphaltum.  Not only is it a pres- ervative similar to creosote, but it is also a fire retardant; a material I am sure the railroads would have embraced (not literally).

My approach would be to do what I thought they would do, and then get an idea how each structure would weather out.  My main tower will of course, be round concrete, but I will use two of the smaller  Walthers concrete towers at various other locations on the layout.  I have a Sheepscot Models coaling tower that is a real beauty; that, like a bunch of other craftsman kits, I am saving for "retirement"-unfortunately not too far off.  Then I can hole up for the winter months.  Only thing better would be a truckload of Nestle's Crunch bars.  All for me...

Rich

[SteamGene]

I managed to find pictures of a great number of some very strange coaling towers.  All the pictures are black and white, but the shade is definitely not black.  It seems some sort of a brown, but I'm not sure.  In any event, I won't leave the Bachmann tower the color it is. 
Gene

[scottychaos]

I would paint it brown/wood-tone, then  heavily weather with black chalks or a black india ink wash.

IMO a wood coaling tower should not be all-black..
it should be mostly brown..

think of Railroad ties..they are mostly brown (from the wood) with varying amounts of black creosote showing..IMO thats the same kind of look you should go for with a wood coaling tower.

some photos of wood coaling towers, prototype and models:

http://www.blazeksplans.net/photos/ChamaCoalTower.jpg

http://rustylopez.typepad.com/./photos/uncategorized/2007/10/15/_mg_9714.jpg

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2606039060051262496pTLHDk

http://www.trainmaster.ch/images/WCO-2922.jpg

http://www.granddadshobbyshop.com/Day001a.jpg


some wood towers would have also been painted:

http://www.goldengatedepot.com/images/coaling-prod1-web.jpg

Scot

[ebtnut]

FWIW, I believe the coal tower at Chama on the C&TS is painted dark oxide (barn) red. Many just got black from all the coal dust generated over the years, and never saw a fresh coat of paint.  I would consider painting the tower a dark brown, and as suggested above, weather it heavily with black chalks or other weathering materials. 

[SteamGene]

I had a brainstorm yesterday and bought a spray can of camoflague dark brown at the BX.  Obviously a cammy color will be FLAT.  I think that will work quite well - and then weather it with either black chalk or heavily diluted grimy black paint.  The concrete coaling tower will get the same weathering as well as smoke stains over the track under the tower itself. 
Thanks for all the input.
Gene

[r.cprmier]

Gene;
That is a good idea.  In fact, in scale, darker colours should always be represented a little warmer; if for no other reason, than for them to stand out a bit. 

RIch