I recently acquired this Marx tank car. The metal scissors coupler dates it to 1941-1953. The curious thing about the finish is that the cylindrical metal body of the tank has a yellow-tinted tarnished look, but the metal end caps are a brighter silver color. The car appears original with no indication that is has been disassembled and parts replaced.
At first glance I thought this car had nicotine stain, but if that was the case the end caps would have the same tint as the rest of the tank. I'm supposing that the parts were made in different batches and somehow the finishes aged differently. Can anyone else explain it better?
The yellow tint does not come off with a damp sponge. I figure I'll just leave it this way, pass it off as weathering, because attempting to clean it might mess it up.
