Hopper paint color?


goscrewyourselves

I'm the one
Can some one tell me what the "standard color" is used on these hoppers?

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Not the color used by atlas or mtl or any other manufacturer but the REAL color used by the railways. I am assuming it is a very light grey but would like to know, and to get as exact as I can, to repaint a number of 4 bay hoppers I am getting next week.
 
Do a Bing or Google search for images of these and any other cars. But then again there's no "Real" color that will be "correct" for you or anybody else for that matter. The only way you can ever be sure what is the right color is for you to have seen the original car right out of the paint shop. As they say "color is in the eye of the beholder". Meaning no two people will ever agree on what is the "REAL" color. Then there's always the effects of weathering on any car's paint. And it doesn't take too long for a car's paint to be altered by weathering. Look the cars built/new date then weather it to look like it should in your modeling era.
 
I realise and understand exactly what you have said and couldn't agree more with it. what I might see as correct others might see differently, that is understood.

That being said though, there has to be a "common or standard" color that people have used to paint these hoppers, be it the exact color out of the shop or not. I suppose that is the color I am asking about more than anything else.

Witht hat said, I guess the proper question should be:

"What color do you guys use to paint covered hoppers?"
 
I have bought 6 pre owned cars that are various colors, here is a picture of them:

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The Hoppers I see going past me are all the color of the 2 bay I posted above. I would like to paint these 4 bay cars that grey and then letter them accordingly - probably as lease cars with no railroad name similar to the 2 bay car. The blue ones I might retain - the yellow ones, they have to go :)

From what I can tell, the cars I am getting are in "as new condition".
 
Why do you want to repaint those 4 bays? And why get rid of the yellow ones? Variety is the spice of life. ~} Don't see any place on your plan for 4 bays anyway. But you'll need plenty of 2 bays for your cement plant.
 
I don't model prototypical so whether there is a place for 4 bay cars doesn't bother me ... there just there waiting to be picked up to go else where. On the other hand, perhaps I'll include something to make them relevant on my layout :)

Why get rid of the yellow ones? Because yellow isn't one of my favorite colors - basically, I don't like it and because I want to replicate what I see every day.
 
Mike,

That's the impression I get as well and not just from manufacturers but from the real mccoy also. Some of the ones that go past me look creamy while others look an of white while others have a more grayish look to them, and they are the clean and (sometimes) new hoppers.

I guess so long as I picked a color some where between off white and light grey I'm probably going to be some where in or near the ball park.

Thanks for the trucolor link but my wife cant stand the smell of it unfortunately :(
 
Okay, so I don't listen to anyone - hmm, why am I here again?

As for being in the dog house ... well, I'd have to build it first and WHAT a dog house it would be :)

So what do you guys think about this:

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Kansas City Off White. Okay well - on second thoughts - nothing like it :(
 
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Mike,

That's most likely what I will have to do. I did order 5 or 6 different Model Master grays so will look at them and see what I can some up with. I also have Modelflex Imitation Aluminium which might even go close. One way or the other, I'll get something even if I have to custom mix it.
 
i LIKE A SLIGHTLY DARKER GREY (OPPS CAPS) more like a light cement grey.
I want a couple "Halliburton Hoppers" on my layout. I like the Red and Grey with the White lettering.
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