Yes i have. I use gloss black enamel. Fully black roof, that is.
Why gloss? Better adhesion and resistance to the elements.(i think..no objective testing).
Downside, its black. Here in Colorado, summer heat and high UV combined with black is a recipe for possible damage.
Black, imho, has a nice snappy contrast, yet looks appropriate, imho.
Need to remove the clerestory glass, a bit tricky, but doable.
I happen to use these prr cars for my dspp/denver leadville and gunnison cars, simply re-shot the letter boards. Close enough to give the idea.
Another option would be red oxide,(or other dark reds) or some shade of grey, roofs. More prototypical for some railroads, but, a bit unusual. Ive got some cars, eureka and palisades, lgb’s nevada central, with cream or palomino tan, respectively, roofs, buff bodies….definitely has an old time ‘look’…not sure if that would work with the tuscan red .
Again, flat paints, in my experience can flake after a period, depending upon conditions. Gloss dulls (well actually,it just gets a bit dusty) sufficiently, imho, fairly quickly when you run outside. Fwiw, dull cote too seems to not do too well with exposure and time.
As for striping the edge, per lgb, i have avoided this, as getting a straight line and consistent’feathering’ is way more difficult than you might expect. You could try, and always make it solid if you’re not happy. Assuming you’re using a can, and not a fine model spray gun, The problem, as i see it, is that in order to contain the spray area, youd need to spray very close, which , unless you move very quickly, will result in runs. The ‘shading’ is critical, imho, to make the edge color not look like some inexplicable stripe. In fact, if youve ever seen the early lgb drgw yellow coaches, they have a very dark bit of shading. To my eyes, these just didn’t look right. The prototype coaches, as far as ive ever seen , simply had uniform dull silver grey roofs, even after decades.
I suppose you could try to lightly mist the top. Id be reluctant to trust a hardware store can for light spray.
I think, using artists chalk, and dusting with a brush, then fixative, might be the simplest option. I have done this frequently, no fixative, and despite fingerprints etc., it works and is entirely reversible.
For some reason, i actually like the curtains…different.
While for years i was sold on only using fine pigment model spray paint, flo-quil, tamaya, railroad colors, etc. i am now using regular old krylon or rustoleum. Tamaya is superb…a bit pricey. Very smooth and fine, but very thin as well.While typically the hardware store paints nozzles are not as fine a spray, the paint is still mineral, great coverage, and, with practice, and light coats, i can get an almost perfect finish. Way cheaper too.
Good luck
