Lionel 6-82674 UP Bathtub Coal Gondola w/Load 2-Pack

While I do not have any of the cars you mentioned above, I did just get my Detroit Edison 2 pack set the other day.  The paint is a dull grayish silver.  The orange ends are even a dark orangish red. Not what I was expecting. Compared to my earlier MTH coal porters (DETX) - they are way more dark/dull.  The MTH ones I have sound a lot like what you describe above for the earlier Lionel UP sets.  Now I know that this is comparing different manufacturers.  But if you can compare your previous sets to any MTH ones - that might help you get an idea of what you might be dealing with here.  I can upload side by side pics if that will help you.  Won't be till I get back home later today though.

They kinda grow on ya after awhile and I like them alot now.  Thinking my other ones will need some weathering (there goes another task to the ever growing list!) and then I will have a great looking consist.

This is of course only my opinion.

Appreciate the reply, which seems to confirm appearance of the paint finish in the vendor's photographs.  Also appreciate the offer to post pics but, based on your feedback, think I will delay a decision until I can see the new issues in person.  

Can't comment on the paint finish, but I noticed this auction item has both cars with the same road number. Perhaps a packaging error or are other 2 packs like this ?

82674 UP 2 pack

It may be just a mix-up on the listing pics.  The two road numbers in the 6-82674 set are 28097 and 28103. hobbyspeed is breaking up the sets and shows the correct cars in individual BIN listings.  28097, by the way, is a duplicate road number from one of the previous 3-packs.  The product number on the individual box for the 28103 also is wrong, according to hobbyspeed. 

The new aluminum coal gondolas and the old aluminum coal gondolas look different.

The old aluminum coal gondolas are dulled down by dust.

Andrew

I have all the previously issued UP cars except one.  The two new cars match OK with silver body color but the yellow on the rotary ends are a much brighter yellow than the previous issued ones.  Also one car in the new two pack (28097) is a repeat of a number used in a previous release.  However the new one has just one rotary coupler, the older one had two with both ends of the car painted yellow. 

Looked again at previous releases compared to new ones and saw that the aluminum body colors weren't the same on the previously issued 3 car sets either. The new cars are the least reflective, the set produced in 2003 is a little more reflective, the set produced in 2009 was more reflective still.  It doesn't bother me as much as the same car number does.  The bright yellow ends on the new ones are not the color shown in Lionel's catalog.  As someone previously mentioned, the car numbers printed on the boxes are not the actual car numbers.  Lionel's response to the yellow paint, duplicate car number and wrong numbers on boxes was that the information would be forwarded to appropriate department.

Thanks for the detailed report, JFC454.

Here are photos of the Detroit Edison coal gondola set. The aluminum shade is a well aged aluminum color.

The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway coal gondola set was a new aluminum paint color.