What color would you use for this TVA tank car?

[Specter3]

The Tennessee Valley Authority ran the National Fertilizer Development Center in Muscle Shoals AL from its inception in the 30s until the early 2000s. The height of activity there was in 1980 with 2800 employees active on site. TVA used a fleet of older tank cars to transport fertilizers and precursors. I am stripping a group of MT tank cars to create some TVA cars for use on my railroad. This will be my first major painting project in years. I am late to the whole “which paint do I use now” conversion but I can figure that one out. But what color would you use for 30 year old+ silver tank cars?

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Finding pics of these cars is very hard. I am sorry to use the watermarked screenshot but it is one of only 3 pictures I can find online. But anyway, what color would you paint a car to replicate this older silver?

Thanks!

[ednadolski]

maybe a mix of some silver and light gray?    you'll need to try a few things to see what looks right to you.

Ed

[garethashenden]

I think light grey would be better than silver. It doesn't look metallic at all in these pictures.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was some FS color.

Wait, what color are those DOD boxcars?

https://www.wrm.org/visit/car-roster/freight-cars/item/140-dodx-28535
http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/other_cars/dodx_cars/index.htm

[Mark5]

Most likely, heavily weathered silver.

[southernman]

Well dang now you’ve got me going down a rabbit hole. Never knew this facility existed so I had to look it up. In doing so I discovered a photo of a USAX army tank car there so further investigation was required. Turns out they made ammo components. Now the area I model is between an army ammunition plant and the “ fertilizer” plant so I’m sure that at least some of the army cars would have most likely passed through.I was already leaning toward modeling a couple anyway so this seals the deal.

BTW. I found a lot of info here: https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.al1051.photos/?sp=2&st=gallery