Russian Iron Paint Scheme

[Pacific Northern]

Some time back I bought a 4-4-0 in the Russian Iron paint.

The colours are superb, any chance that the Russian Iron paint could be used on other smaller steamers? I had hoped to pick up a few in the 4-6-0 low driver version but that engine is not in production at the moment. If, and when it is again produced could it be produced in the Russian Iron livery?

[richg]

Just curious. Was Russian iron used on prototypes of those locos? I am sure you know on prototypes, it was not a paint. To my knowledge, most roads turned to black paint around 1900. No idea if the Russian iron was painted over or new sheet metal used.
The actual color could depend on the lighting from the sky.
Over the years I have seen maybe two or three different colors used on model locos to simulate Russian iron which also brought up many heated discussions/opinions on the color.

Rich

[Len]

Even in the prototype there were variations in the coloring of "Russian Iron", depending on where the iron was made and the exact process and materials used.

You might find this page on the manufacturing processes for "Russian Iron" http://www.pacificng.com/template.php?page=/ref/russiairon/index.htm interesting.

Len

[J3a-614]

Just thought this might be interesting, in which a restored park locomotive was painted to simulate Russian iron:

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=31738

[Desertdweller]

That Russia Iron is very handsome.  I remember seeing stove pipes made of this stuff in old houses when I was a kid.

I have an N-scale Bachmann 4-4-0 (UP 119) that I bought in 2008 that came painted  to simulate Russia Iron.
An earlier Bachmann model of the same engine, from about 1980, was not painted that way.  I think it had a black boiler.  I think the Russia Iron paint job is a real improvement.

I recall seeing Russia Iron that had a definite blue cast to it, and others that had a brown cast.  My favorite was a soft blue-gray.

The links give the only description of how this was made I ever read.  I had always thought Russia Iron was a sort of induced oxidation, like bluing a gun barrel.  I had no idea of the amount of hammering involved, or that the process involved charcoal.

I wonder if the original formula for this was lost in the Russian Revolution?

Les

[ebtnut]

As Richg noted, the arguments about the "color" of Russia iron can get heated at times, with essentially no resolution.  It's color is imparted two ways - by the actual hammering process with the type(s) of charcoal used, and by it's appearance out in the open.  Because it is reflective metal, the color can appear anything from a noticable blue to a grey-brown, which as much as anything reflects the sky color at any particular time as it does the actual color of the metal itself.  While I'm sure there are instances where railroads just painted over the Russia iron with black paint, it is more likely that the metal was just replaced with plain iron sheeting whenever the loco was due for Class 3 repairs and had to have the boiler sheeting and insulation removed. 

[Doneldon]

Russian Iron at sunset is something to behold -- even gold, purple and fuschia.

                                                                           -- D

[ryeguyisme]

it was noticeable on the Erie Triplex