Shawn said:
How did the engines and rolling stock get painted in the early 1900’s. Not air brushes or paint cans for that matter. I could see diesels etc… being more even and perfect paint jobs.
Don’t know about early 1900s but as for late 1800s there is on page 33 of Mallory Hope Ferrell’s book Virginia & Truckee, The Bonanza Road, a late 1870s photo of Reno with passenger cars 13, 13, and 3, on Crown Point Trestle in Gold Hill. There is a man standing on end platform of baggage car adjacent to tender and a mirror quality reflection of him is seen in varnished finish on end wall of car. Aha, found a small copy on line
(http://wnhpc.com/wnhpctbr0021-s.jpg)
And some more searching brought in a huge one! http://wnhpc.com/details/tbr0021 Available Sizes: 800x594 | 1024x760 | 2048x1521 | 3957x2940 Here’s this quote from http://www.virginiaandtruckee.com/ "Joseph Castle, the V&T Master painter wrote a letter to “Railway Master Mechanic” in 1903 and noted: We shop are cars every six months for cleaning and varnishing. They get a through scrubbing with soft soap and pumice, then a light sandpapering with number 00 paper, then one coat of finishing varnish. Our cars are painted yellow, with brown letter boards and corner posts. The company had two sets of passenger cars that were switched off twice a year, while one set was on the road the other set was in the shops, undergoing repairs and painting. The cars were not repainted each time they were in the shop, but would usually receive a coat of varnish. Painting would be every other year or so. If the paint buildup was too much, it would be burned off and the cycle would start over. " Locomotives and cars of the past were more finely finished that often given credit for from many decades aged and many times painted over examples in assorted states, or not, of preservation. Can’t remember where the reference was but somewhere around here in a book or magazine is a quote from a letter to the builder for a locomotive of the 1800s which directs it to be finished in the finest lacquer {lacquer was misspelled in the letter according to contemporary spelling} finished with three or four coats of varnish. Locomotives were big investments for 1800s and early 1900s railroads, and especially passenger cars, their greatest public presence so as good a finish as practical would be called for lest the public and popular press take jabs at them for their careless lackadaisical presentation. As far as spray painting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbrush “Spray guns The airbrush led to the development of the spray gun; a similar device, that typically delivers a higher volume of paint and for painting larger areas. The first paint spraying machine was developed in 1887[1]. Equipment by De Vilbiss and Binks is typical of modern sprayguns. The addition of a simple pistol grip adapter to a Aerosol paint spray can is used as a cheap alternative to a spray gun. History The first airbrush was patented in 1876 (Patent Number 182,389) by Francis Edgar Stanley of Newton, Massachusetts. Stanley and his twin brother later invented a process for continuously coating photographic plates (Stanley Dry Plate Company) but are perhaps best known for their Stanley Steamer. The airbrush was later improved by Abner Peeler which used a hand-operated compressor, and the inventor patented it “for the painting of watercolors and other artistic purposes”. It was rather crude, being based on a number of spare parts in a jeweller’s workshop such as old screwdrivers and welding torches. It took 4 years of further development before a practical device was developed. This was marketed by Liberty Walkup, who taught airbrush technique to American Impressionist master Wilson Irvine. The first modern type airbrush came along in 1893, presented by Thayer and Chandler art materials company at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, invented by Charles Burdick. This device looked like a pen and worked in a different manner to Peeler’s device, being essentially the same as a modern airbrush. Aerograph, Burdick’s original company, still makes and sells airbrushes in England. For more a detailed academic study, the University of Wales Library holds a detailed PhD on Airbrush History. Likewise the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia retains a copy - authored by Dr. Andy Penaluna.”
