Busy repair yard

It is getting a bit over-crowded with pre-war Lionel cars that are patiently waiting restoration. Amongst the latest refugees is a 814 boxcar in very poor brown overpainted condition. It used to be bright yellow-brown in better days. The 814's came out in three rather similar bland colour schemes: yellow-brown, cream-maroon and cream-orange. Perhaps it is better to try a really nice colour like burgundy red / black. That would combine great with the copper details. Well, this needs some consideration. Furthermore, another 812 gondola joined us. This was clearly tortured: a front siding is missing and a very strange plastic hook coupler is bluntly glued on. And two tank cars joined: a 654 with missing rails and a 904.

It is getting time for some restoration activity. As can be seen on the photo's the metal of a 1689 Tender is in pink Hammerite primer, waiting for better weather to get a nice Gun-metal top-coat with Tamiya spray paint TS 38 (this is the only gun metal paint easily available in Europe). This tender was already primed with a more simple primer, but that one was found to be incompatible with Tamiya spray paint (nice textures formed, GRRR). So indeed, a lot of work for nothing. The other bare metal parts are of a 259 Tender of which the metal is heavily pitted and grooved by rust. I already removed the rust with a brass brush wheel, but the metal will need to protected, plastered, polished and smoothened thoroughly. So at least some progress is made.