Speaking with some industry insiders they mentioned that California may be lessening up voc some regulations in order to utilize some more effective coating systems A lot of these low VOC systems are very thick and by adding solvents to spray changes the whole VOC composition.

Not rail related but an observation none the less: The VOC standards are the reason you can’t see roadway lane striping at night in the rain. That paint used to be very thick and easy to spot. The stuff used nowadays isn’t much more than a reflective colorant that doesn’t last very long.

Hello Eric thank you for your response. I did not realize that this was not rail related. My intent was that I would share my thoughts on preservation not just restoration. A lot of restorations after 10 years need to be restored again. I don't subscribe to that school thought. Stay safe. Pat..

No, the reason why you can't see roadway lane striping at night is because your night vision declines as you age.

If true (though seems unlikely to me), I’m guessing that higher voc coatings still wouldn’t fly, say, in the South Coast AQMD, so why would manufacturers change their formulations?

Personally, as a restoration professional, I’m fine with modern paint formulations.

I assume that was sarcasm. The reason why striping is harder to see, in the dark (and sometimes in daylight), in the rain, especially with overhead lighting, is that the current striping coatings are thinner in application and “flood” over with runoff more easily. The older high VOC coatings were much thicker and stood more proud of the surrounding pavement surface so were much easier to spot. I actually asked that question to a stripping contractor and that was his answer 20+ years ago.

Back to preservation.... Yeah the modern low VOC coatings are so much better now that there really isn’t much reason to turn the clock back.

No, it was not sarcasm. Older people, as a group, have reduced visual acuity, narrower visual fields, poorer nighttime vision and greater sensitivity to glare.

Well I thought I could share my thoughts and experience with preservation and industrial coatings. I'll continue to work with IRM. In the meantime I will enjoy my retirement keep my thoughts to myself

pat m, please check your PM.

Howard P.

Your post is rail preservation related, I think he was referring to his own highway striping comment.

Pat,

Sorry to mislead. I was referring to my own post. Yours is preservation related. Mine was an observation on the transition from high to low VOC coatings that, in fact, is only vaguely related in a sort-of round about way if you sprain you brain thinking about. Post on....

I can't see the road lines around here because the local highway departments are too cheap/underfunded to repaint them on a regular basis.

They are covered by snow and ice during much of the winter here anyway. No paint can cut through that.

Refreshing to see that California may be taking a small dose of common sense.

Hello Eric in my later years confusion runs rampant. Were good.. I appreciate the work that you do on colors, which seems quite challenging. I was told by a lab guy despite all their fancy equipment in that company the secretary was the girl they would go to for color matching. She was a artist with oil paints. She would tell the guys in the lab what color to add to get a good match. Unfortunately she passed away.I guess we'll have to look for a starving artist

This reminds me that decades ago we had a customer at the family resort who worked in the DuPont Color lab in the Bay Area supplying and matching paint for the Auto Assembly plants in the area. I was working on my Nash Metropolitan, which was blue & white. He told me, "I'll bring you some paint when I come back up next month." All he did was look at my car, and he came back the next month with a gallon of Blue that was dead nuts on.
Paint wasn't as pricey back then, but it was a top-line paint. I Remember when he offered, I asked him how he'd match the color and he said, "I'll remember the color." And he did!!!
Wish I still had that car. . . Beep-Beep, Beep-Beep, His horn went Beep-beep-beep (and if you remember that novelty tune. . . . ).

stay away from that low to zero VOC stuff. Basically all the dryers are gone and some concoction of chemicals added to somewhat make it dry. Try the zero VOC house paint, takes 3 months in the california sun to dry and then 4 years later its time to repaint. You want to paint rail equipment then for wood use Linseed oil paint. This is not regulated and lasts 50 years with proper maintenence. PPG and Sherwin Williams have industrial divisions selling paints for marine use, aircraft, bridges, amusement park rides etc etc. These paints are hybrids, sherloxthane for SW and for PPG amerlock and amershield or their hybrid Polysiloxane Somehow they skirt most of the VOC requirements with low VOC but not zero VOC. look to the industrial marine industry for equipment/chassis paints. Most will outlive us. for wood try https://www.solventfreepaint.com/linseed_paint.htm