Forney Cab Roof colour

[James Thomas]

I got my second Forney with sound today.  The first one was outside frame #12, this one is inside frame #11.  At eye level, these two locos look very different from each other.  However, my railroad is only 12" from the floor.  From above, these locos are quite similar.

I know it was sort of common to paint cab roofs boxcar red (or something like it.)  Was there another colour commonly used for steam engine cab roofs?

Thanks.

[C.P.R.R. Manager]

Hi James, I like the way Polly S Oxide Red looks for loco roofs.  It looks pretty close to what I've seen in photos of real locos, and it's nice with a light overspray of grimy black.  And I also liked how the new roof color looks on the Forney.  I also added white striping along the walkways, and on the trim edge under the cab and fuel bunker.

Gary

[kendoitall]

I was once told by a NH engineer in my old O Scale club that roofs were sometimes painted with red lead paint to avoid rust. It was supposedly also applied to some RRs tender decks for the same reason. I remember red tender decks on older steam on the PRR. Anybody else with input on this subject?

[Tim]

Hi Fellows

The red lead applied to PRR & GN cab roofs and tender decks is to
prevent or at least slow down corrosion.

The cinders from anthracite burning loco's contain small particles of
unburned coal.

When wet coal releases acid, the red lead is not affected by this.

The cab roof and tender deck have a tendancy to collect the cinders,
that is why these are the only surfaces painted with red lead.

BTW red lead is not red, it is a reddish orange.

The color variations seen on the prototype are due to the local
shops using what ever is on hand, often times mixing other colors
of regular paint with the red lead.

Hope this helps.

Tim
Souderton, Pa

[Woody Elmore]

MR ran a loco building article some years ago where the cab roof was done in red oxide. That article suggested a 50-50 mix of Floquil Box Car Red and Caboose red.

I am sure that there was lots of variation and I think often modellers use the color that "looks" right.