This is a question about restoration of lithographed sides.
At several times I have acquired Lionel or Ives lithographed cars that looked a mess - rust, etc - but with litho sides in very good condition.
I've done complete restoration except for the sides. That means removing all rust and repainting so that they look like to original. My experience on eBay shows that there is a demand for this type of restoration as it shows the lithography in what looks like its original setting. The attached photos of Ives 51 and 50 are an example.
But notice that there is a significant cosmetic defect on one side of the chair car. You can see all of the original lithographed lines and letters, so it couldn't be corrosion of the metal sides. So what is it. Has anyone found a way to improve the appearance of sides with this kind of defect ?
BTW, something I've learned from other members of the Ives Train Society is that there were so many shades of that dark green that you can't say any particular shade is not that of the original car. I used Trainenamels Lionel dark green.
