Hey folks,
If you have noticed Sunset 3rd Rail is doing U.P. water Tenders! Excellent news! BUT!
Were those tenders ever painted Black or Grey to match the engine paint shemes???

No. Only yellow, to match the yellow train behind.

Think about it; when 8444 was two-tone gray while 3985 was black, what color would you paint the auxiliary tenders from trip to trip?

Did these yellow tenders have silver or gray trucks?

I would like to run one with my Lionel 18" aluminum passenger cars from a few years ago, which have gray trucks. It seems that the only tenders on the market currently have silver trucks, which do not look quite right (IMHO) with a gray truck consist in tow.

Scott

The correct color for the auxiliary tender trucks is "silver", which UP referrs to as Bright Aluminum. Same color on the steam locomotive truck journal box covers.

Thanks Hot Water!

So UP intended on having the trucks of the tenders match the steam locomotives' truck journal box covers, not the passenger cars' trucks.

Or are the passenger trucks supposed to be bright aluminum as well and not armor gray?

Scott

I think that passenger car truck color might depend in what era you are modeling. Just like back in the 1940s & 1950s, the diesel locomotive trucks where also Bright Aluminum (silver) and even delivered from EMD that way. You will probably have to look at color photos of UP passenger equipment from the time frame you are trying to model.

To be honest, I have never paid that much attention to all the passenger equipment behind either 844 or 3985. However, I just looked at some color photos of the support cars that we carry behind either steam locomotive and all their trucks are Bright Aluminum (silver). I believe color photos of the UP executive passenger equipment will show that their trucks are also all Bright Aluminum (silver).

UP did have one tender painted black to match 8444. Below is a link to discussion about this on the Real Trains forum. In there are links to info on all the UP Auxiliary Tenders and links to pics of the black one. Basically they used it from 1973 to 1980. It is now the tender on the Gas Turbine at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Ricky

Black Union Pacific Auxillary Tender

I believe that UP yellow passenger car and diesel trucks were painted harbor mist grey until the mid fifties. The Standard Turbine No. 57 with propane temder was the first of any UP units to have the silver trucks in I believe 1953. Shortly thereafter the silver trucks started showing up on new units and those being shopped and repainted. During the grey truck period those with roller bearing had the bearing cap painted silver to notify maintentamce workers that they required special procedures. Ed

There's quite a lot of information here with regard to UP truck colors. Most of which I was not aware of.

History aside, I just think that the trucks look more attractive with the gray paint versus the bright aluminum against the yellow color of a tender, passenger car or locomotive.

This is most likely the reason that Lionel's F3 ABBA and matching 18" aluminum passenger cars from a few years back is one of my favorite trains to run.

Scott

I like them both ways. The gray trucks seem more utilitarian to me so they look good on my freight locomotives like F units and GP-9's in the transistion era. But, the silver trucks look great on the E8/9's pulling a long passenger train. But, I'd take them either way just so its UP livery!

It's all a matter of opinion and personal taste. Luckily in our modeling world we get to choose which we prefer and run it.

Butch

Here's a pic of the Lionel U.P. Tender, having the silver trucks and harbour mist gray top (catwalk?)



Cesar