Southern Big John Repaints color question

[bman]

So I picked up a couple of the 3d printed big johns a couple of months ago. I've the decals for the repaints that Southern did but I am unsure if they were painted (were the original cars unpainted aluminum?) and if they were painted what color.  Any ideas appreciated thanks folks.

https://www.rr-fallenflags.org/sout/sou07956dsa.jpg

[Mark5]

I've the decals for the repaints that Southern did but I am unsure if they were painted (were the original cars unpainted aluminum?) and if they were painted what color. 

Same car that you posted, but in color: http://southern.railfan.net/images/archive/southern/freight/chop/7956.jpg

Seems they wore a number of paint schemes, here's one from 2004: http://southern.railfan.net/images/archive/southern/freight/chop/sou7959.html

[chessie system fan]

Originally unpainted aluminum.  So they weathered badly over the years.

[bman]

I didn't do a lot of homework on these. It was an impulse buy to get some SOU cars for the run through trains from ATL/CHA to Columbus. Not that I've seen photo's of Big John's in Dayton or Columbus. I just wanted a couple as everyone called my father "Big John." I've always wanted some since I got my first HO set around 1970 or so. It looks like they tried to clean the cars up a bit when they re-lettered one. It doesn't look like the entire car was re-painted. Wonder how one could pull this off? 

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/photos/otherrail/sou/sou007967_patrick_harris.jpg

Thanks for the links. That site didn't come up in any of my googling. I initially wanted cars with "Southern" across the top. All the photos I found were so heavily weathered I couldn't tell if they did re-paint them at all.

[Mark5]

Not that I've seen photo's of Big John's in Dayton or Columbus.

It's probably a safe bet that they rolled through Dayton and Columbus at some point.

Bellvue: https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=150731

[Specter3]

I model the Southern and to my knowledge the cars were raw aluminum that weathered over time. But if you go to Southern Railfan

http://southern.railfan.net/images/archive/southern/freight/chop/chop.html

And check out the Big Johns on that page you do see some that appear to have been painted. There is a light grey and another that is such a uniform charcoal it is hard to imagine it not being a coat of paint.

[BruceStikkers]

I am old enough to remember when they came out and am also involved in agriculture. I was amazed at them compared to shipping in 40’ boxcars. They were aluminum with no paint except the lettering and were very impressive to me.

Bruce Stikkers
St. Joseph, IL