How long did the Trailer Train Brown flats stay brown?

[pennsyfan1361]

How long did the Trailer Train Brown flats stay brown? They came out in 1966. I model PRR in 1966, so brown is good  for that. And I model Conrail in 1979. Looking at photos some of the yellow cars look brown from weathering.  I thought I read that Trailer Train repainted  the  brown cars  yellow in the early 70s  or did they stay brown?                     Rich

[bbussey]

The yellow repaint program started around 1970, but there are examples of cars painted in the original brown scheme that survived well beyond 1979.

[pennsyfan1361]

Thanks Bryan

[randgust]

TTX flats in general see pretty heavy weathering - not rust, but road grime and dust to the extreme from a combination of speed and air turbulence around the vans.

I've studied "Super C" photos by the hour and half the time you can't identify the cars or the trailers without just the right angle.  It's a dusty, and grimy, blur.   Same thing with most roads that ran any kind of expedited TOFC service above 50mph.

It's entirely possible that you couldn't tell yellow from brown unless you've got a closeup shot.

It's fun to have one or two 'clean' cars or trailers in a train like that though.

[w neal]

So like, I only need a "few" of the BLMA brown ones then? Whew!

Sweet!