Does color matter?

[Bob The Builder]

Does Color Matter? Yes, according to Union Pacific Railroad it does. They are painting the vertical sides of tracks white in the hotter areas. They are noticing a 20 degree reduction in rail temperature which reduces thermal expansion.

I'm wondering if relying on internal only expansion and contraction on welded rail is not working out quite as good as once envisioned. No more fish plates.

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[kevinmccune]

Does Color Matter? Yes, according to Union Pacific Railroad it does. They are painting the vertical sides of tracks white in the hotter areas. They are noticing a 20 degree reduction in rail temperature which reduces thermal expansion.

I'm wondering if relying on internal only expansion and contraction on welded rail is not working out quite as good as once envisioned. No more fish plates.

Ribbon Rail!

 

[Fcnrwy]

I know (have been in cars of ALL colors)..
White is Cooler than Black.

In my trucks.. I am stuck in a "Loop".
I have gone from Blue...

To White

To Blue

To White...

And NOW back to Blue...

Jerry

 

[Hunters Edge]

Does Color Matter? Yes, according to Union Pacific Railroad it does. They are painting the vertical sides of tracks white in the hotter areas. They are noticing a 20 degree reduction in rail temperature which reduces thermal expansion.

I'm wondering if relying on internal only expansion and contraction on welded rail is not working out quite as good as once envisioned. No more fish plates.

Makes sense. Even before they did it and noticed a 20 degree reduction. Thanks for sharing the information.

 

[Hunters Edge]

I know (have been in cars of ALL colors)..
White is Cooler than Black.

In my trucks.. I am stuck in a "Loop".
I have gone from Blue...

To White

To Blue

To White...

And NOW back to Blue...

Jerry

I couldn't just click like. Great photos and memories thanks for sharing.

 

[babytruk]

I miss the days of black vinyl interiors with non-tinted windows… no!
But white vinyl interiors, no!
My Beetle Convertible had a “beach towel” covered interior.
I like an exterior color that I don’t have to wash daily.

 

[Hunters Edge]

I miss the days of black vinyl interiors with non-tinted windows… no!
But white vinyl interiors, no!
My Beetle Convertible had a “beach towel” covered interior.
I like an exterior color that I don’t have to wash daily.

I don't miss vinyl at all that's why it has to be a cloth seats for myself. Not just because of the heat, cold or can't breathe I don't want to be sliding around the seat when trying to control the vehicle in stressful situations or bouncing along a trail. I remember them seats all to well. I also remember no a/c and a vent window to help drive ait into the cab. Also remember the vents you could manually open on the side of the foot wells. I didn't mind the vinyl instead of carpet flooring, you could hose it out. Only you had to do it before you wore a hole through it or punctured it. The carpet for a truck does help to quiet the interior and probably help with insulation when heating or cooling on long trips.

If we look back and remember technology or vehicles have come a long way. At one time there wasn't any seat belts. 30 or 40 mpg was not feasible but not even imaginable for a truck. Let alone a crew cab.

 

[TheRef]

Black absorbs heat, always hotter.

 

[KO Stradivarius]

Or you could get a silver aluminum tonneau cover.

That is very unique. Can you please share any info on the brand name/model, how to purchase?

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

When a ship full of red paint crashed into a ship full of blue paint, the crews were all marooned.

That was good.

Black absorbs heat, always hotter.

Yes it does. Always has.
- Black – Absorbs the most heat (up to ~90% of sunlight)
Steel roofs transfer Heat (Thermal transfer) to the interior.

White reflects more heat, sure.

Yes it does.
White – Low absorption (~20-30%).

Yes, I am near Phoenix as well and I got a white Mav myself on purpose, and it's stunning the amount of other white vehicles that you see on the roads. It's science (click link).

Another story: When I moved here my mailbox by the curb was black, and I noticed it would get very hot on a typical day here with no clouds in the sky. When we got mail order prescriptions delivered, I knew it was not good, because medicine always has a given temp range for storage. I would always grab it ASAP to bring in the house.

So I spray painted the mailbox white, and it makes a very noticeable difference - it's much cooler now.

I don't really want to buy a tonneau cover, bed mat, or bedliner because they are always black and I park outside a lot. And the Sun is formidable adversary. It destroys things. Don't @me if you don't live here. It was 113° here today, no clouds.

Yep, 111° yesterday. Heading back to Utah tonight.
@KO Stradivarius
According to Colorado State University
White-painted aluminum is cooler in the sun than bare silver aluminum because white paint reflects almost all incoming solar radiation, including visible and invisible wavelengths. Bare silver aluminum, while reflective to visible light, has a low emissivity, meaning it absorbs and traps more infrared heat

 

[kevinmccune]

would have acquired a white one if it was available,the white was already spoken for had to settle for the dark graphite one( almost as bad as black) the way they took advantage of Me will probably never buy from those con artists again,actually contemplating purchasing through 'Long MacArthur' if I get a chance to acquire a Ranchero,do have a surety on the Maverick though(if I can keep from running it to death) have already serviced transmission what should be my next service item?

 

[VBMav]

That is very unique. Can you please share any info on the brand name/model, how to purchase?

It's from Lomax. I've had it ever since the Mav was new. It looks like diamond plate! I love it.
https://lomaxtonneaucover.com/

 

[MaverickDragon]

I know (have been in cars of ALL colors)..
White is Cooler than Black.

In my trucks.. I am stuck in a "Loop".

I have gone from Blue...

To White

To Blue

To White...

And NOW back to Blue...
Jerry

Too bad a red one wasn't in there somewhere....

 

[Bob The Builder]

I know (have been in cars of ALL colors)..
White is Cooler than Black.

In my trucks.. I am stuck in a "Loop".
I have gone from Blue...

To White

To Blue

To White...

And NOW back to Blue...

Jerry

 

[tpollauf]

I've had almost every color in the rainbow BUT prefer the darker colors. Yeah they're hotter in the summer, and a bitch to keep clean, but they look sharper! Have always ben partial to the reds, thus my 2026 Ruby Red Lariat!

Oh, a shot a a decade or two ago of working on a black rubber roof Servicing HVAC equipment. And that's up here in the lower Great Lakes region!

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