SECR, Purple Lake paint option

[Bluebell Model Railway]

Hello all
I have a number of LCDR / SECR 3D printed 4 wheeler coach bodies to paint, however I have hit a bit of a stumbling block, the Paint.
The paint is known as Purple Lake, which I don't think is available from anywhere.
I have attempted to mix some paint but keep missing the mark, have investigated Vallejo paint range also to see if they have anything close,
didn't have much luck sadly.

I just wondered if anyone has or know of a paint source for Purple Lake?
I have attached a link below  of the paint colour / finish.
http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pic2/wn/2016b/3188_kc_alexm8291_18jun16m.jpg

Any suggestions I would appreciate.

Cheers
Matt

[Guy Rixon]

Precision do a SECR coach lake, but it is rather bluer than that seen on the preserved stock. It's also not a very "rich" colour, in my opinion, contrary to contemporary descriptions of the SECR coaches. I think the Precision coach-colour I have is P580 SE&CR Coach Crimson, but it's possible that it's some other colour now dropped from their range. I'm away from my workshop and can't look at the tins right now, but will check next week.

 

My preferred option for SER/SECR lake is to mix equal parts of the blue Precision coach lake and Precision P576 SE&CR Locomotive Indian Red. This, to my eyes, matches the colour in your linked photo. The paint is dull needs gloss or satin varnish to add shine. 

 

 

Please excuse the grotty photo. The paint looks better than this in proper light. But you can see the basic colour.

 

BTW, the company initials above the door are wrong. I put them there because they wont fit in any of the waist panels, but what I should have done is split then between panels at the waist.

[nick_bastable]

Matt nice looking coaches ever thought of re-scaling to 2mm?

 

Nick

[Bluebell Model Railway]

Precision do a SECR coach lake, but it is rather bluer than that seen on the preserved stock. It's also not a very "rich" colour, in my opinion, contrary to contemporary descriptions of the SECR coaches. I think the Precision coach-colour I have is P580 SE&CR Coach Crimson, but it's possible that it's some other colour now dropped from their range. I'm away from my workshop and can't look at the tins right now, but will check next week.

 

My preferred option for SER/SECR lake is to mix equal parts of the blue Precision coach lake and Precision P576 SE&CR Locomotive Indian Red. This, to my eyes, matches the colour in your linked photo. The paint is dull needs gloss or satin varnish to add shine. 

 

IMG_2342.jpg

 

Please excuse the grotty photo. The paint looks better than this in proper light. But you can see the basic colour.

 

BTW, the company initials above the door are wrong. I put them there because they wont fit in any of the waist panels, but what I should have done is split then between panels at the waist.

Thank you Guy I would certainly appreciate that I will look at those numbers you have posted and have a look round.

 

Nick, I have been asked about 2mm before, I did try but couldn't get it to work and had to extend thicknesses of partitions ect.. and just looked daft as it looks like it was stretched, I am on the limit of minimum wall thickness on the OO versions.

 

 

 

[Guy Rixon]

I checked my paints and the blue component of my purple-lake mix is indeed Precision P580. I also found an old tin of Cherry Paints "SECR Purple Lake". Judging by the sample on the tin lid, this latter is redder and much closer to the preservationists' colour than Precision P580. Unfortunately, I think it's long out of production.

[Bluebell Model Railway]

Many thanks for looking, its a shame they have cut that particular colour, they have cut some others that I used to use also which is a shame... Thanks again for looking.

[Steamport Southport]

Still available from Phoenix Paints.

 

http://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/precision-paints/railway-colours/colours-for-the-pre-grouping-companies-pre-1923/south-eastern-chatham-railway.html

 

 

If that's not a good match then maybe LNWR Carriage Lake P379 (also called Plum) is a close match?

 

 

Jason

[Guy Rixon]

Still available from Phoenix Paints.

 

http://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/precision-paints/railway-colours/colours-for-the-pre-grouping-companies-pre-1923/south-eastern-chatham-railway.html

 

 

If that's not a good match then maybe LNWR Carriage Lake P379 (also called Plum) is a close match?

 

 

Jason

 

 

Yes, the Precision P580 and P576 colours are still in production, but the one by Cherry Paints, which seems to be the better match without custom mixing, is gone. I'm happy with my home mixing of P580 and P576.

[Bluebell Model Railway]

Just had a look through my paint box, I do have some P576, I have had a look through their range and purchased some others suggested to me shall see how I get on, thanks for your help.

[Bluebell Model Railway]

Thanks for your help guys, I did a bit more digging and looking in the phoenix paint range, I decided to search for purple, to see what would come up, one in particular caught my eye, P434 Caledonian coach Purple, looking at pictures and also looking at the paint tin top colour, I purchased a tin, it arrived today, along with various transfers, and it's not far off with my one dodgy eye, might be a shade or to, to light might need to be a tiny bit darker but it's not far off at all...
I shall see how it goes.

 

[Nearholmer]

Weren't the GWR c1910, and NER, "lake" colours very close to, or the same as, SECR "lake"?

 

I ask, because one of the paint suppliers may supply the right colour, but labelled for the "wrong" railway.

 

Kevin

[Bluebell Model Railway]

I shall continue searching the other railway companies, so far I only found 1, which was the one above,  which is slightly lighter but not by much.