Car 57 starts to regain her elegance

car57 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2012 11:44 pm

Spent the last few days (when it was cool enough to even apply paint) masking and applying the gold decoration to the cars east end.

Mike Pannell

gbrewer · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:30 am **Posts:** 150

Nice work, Mike. How about a description (or illustration) of how you did this?

Glen Brewer
Railroad Glory Days
http://railroadglorydays.com

Bob Hall · **Joined:** Thu Jul 12, 2007 3:37 am **Posts:** 152

Looking good, mate. I bet when you finished, you just stood there looking for an hour or so with a big grin on your face!
Cheers, Bob

car57 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 04, 2012 12:04 am

This illustrates where the design came from, the c1900 photograph at Pullman's factory.
I traced the design we found under the hood on each end and transferred it to clear film. The design was adapted to achieve the curved panel lines as per the 1900 photograph. This was then sent to High Res Imaging of Pueblo CO and made into disposable vinyl masks which were pressed on and peeled off once painting was complete. I used the amazing One Shot gold signwriters enamel which after two coats looks amazing. Evidence of the lining on the door and corner posts was found on the car as well. The designs with rope like tassels were drawn by hand round a home made card stencil. The flowers on the corners were hand drawn and are being made as masks right now.

Mike Pannell

car57 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 04, 2012 12:08 am

Note of course the deliberate error of the masks being put on the car the wrong way up !
It got rectified.

Mike

gbrewer · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:30 am **Posts:** 150

Mike,

Thanks for the explanation. It really looks good (and authentic). Will you need to varnish over the whole when done as Pullman did?

John White's "The American Railroad Passenger Car" has a picture taken inside the Chicago plant showing a large metal stencil leaning against one of the new wooden cars, and of course, many examples of the completed art.

I have tried my hand at some of this type of work, although inside my house (there is a story on my web site at the end of the table of contents).

Glen Brewer
Railroad Glory Days
http://railroadglorydays.com

car57 · **Posted:** Sun Jul 08, 2012 11:47 pm

Applied the new flower masks today so apart from the doors the East end is almost complete with its gold finery.

Mike Pannell

Stephen S. Syfrett · **Posted:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 1:06 am

Mike, great to see such wonderful progress. I really admire what you have been able to accomplish with limited funds and one heck of a lot of enthusiasm and sweat equity! Absolutely fantastic! Are you expecting visitors during Cheyenne Frontier Days in a couple of weeks? Time to get out the donation jar...