Sky light colour

[Londontram]

Can I ask your advice chaps. 

 I'm in the process of painting a small 1860s Caledonian mail coach and can't decide what colour to paint what should be the glass area of the sky lights. There solid white metal castings so need a colour to represent the glass. 

 I'm thinking possibly a light blue or would a warm glowing colour be better like a light golden brown.

 It's for daytime running only so doesn't need to represent an illuminated coach.

 Thanks Steve

Edited February 25, 2019 by Londontram
Add photo

[Ben Alder]

If they are anything like the HR TPO's tended to be, at least in their latter days, a good layer of grub will be the answer. The rooflights seemed indistinguishable from the rest of the roof.

[Londontram]

Hello Richard thankyou. 

 For some reason I'm still drifting towards a sky blue to try and emulate the reflection of the sky.

 

 Richard I'm sending you a pm

[The Johnster]

I'd go either for the general roof muck idea, as I doubt these were often cleaned, or, if you want to model the coach in pristine condition, you could either cut the metal away and glaze them, revealing the sorting fittings and other interior details of the coach, or, if you are going to paint them, I'd suggest a mid or dark grey with a high gloss finish, or even plastic glazing over the top of it, to provide the necessary highly reflective surface to catch the light, which will then reflect whatever the ambient layout lighting is.

 

The only thing I have done anything like this is the glasses of the guard's periscopes on BR mk1 and Southern NPCCS vehicles, usually the same colour as the RTR roof moulding which is of course not right for them.  High gloss dark grey, but then of course when I weather the roofs the matter becomes just as academic as it was the real vehicles.  It's the thought that counts...

 

OTOH if these vehicles were used on a daylight sorting run, more likely in Scotland in summer where the northern evenings are longer because one is closer to the Arctic Circle, the light may have been needed by the sorters to read the addresses, and the glazing regularly cleaned.  Letter sorting is done to the Post Office's required standard of speed and accuracy, and needs proper lighting.

Edited February 25, 2019 by The Johnster

[Il Grifone]

I've always used gloss black for small windows at least. Where the inside is dark, little will be seen of the interior. The gloss finish (or a layer of glazing) will reflect back the ambient light. Weathering is always optional, but in Victorian times cleaning was considered part of the job. I have seen a reference to the inside of locomotive wheels being inspected. I forget by whom, but woe betide the culprits if found wanting....

 

Hornby tinplate stock favoured a silvery effect, which looked most unrealistic IMHO.