Recommended paints for kits? (Emergency planning)

[KeithMacdonald]

As my Day-Job has already issued instructions to Work From Home for the near(?) future, I've made my own plans for a period of self-isolation by stockpiling some essentials. In my case, it's a few model kits.

 

Here's the stockpile as it stands (mostly Dapol):

• C004 Footbridge
• C15 Level Crossing
• C039 Cattle Wagon

(Thanks to @RedgateModels for those)

• C003 Girder Bridge
• C030 Travelling Crane

Plus a few other makes & models:

• Parkside 6T Fish Van Kit PC59
• Ratio 502 Cattle Dock
• Ratio 530 Oil Tanks

 

All intended for a south west coast branch line terminus, with a quayside, approached by a small river crossing (hence the bridge). I'm now wondering what paint colours I should get to complete the job.

 

My question for the assembled good-looking and highly knowledgeable brethren is: 

Is there a suitable "multi-pack" of acrylic paints for railway model kits like these?

 

If the answer to that is "No", what individual colours would you suggest?

Thanks in advance for any advice & suggestions.

 

[Steamport Southport]

For the buildings look here.

 

https://www.stationcolours.com/

 

I'm pretty sure the Parkside kit will tell you in the instructions and will depend on era. It think they were LMS Crimson in LMS days and BR Crimson in BR. Possibly later maroon or bauxite.

 

Cattle wagon would be bauxite.

 

 

Jason

[Nile]

The only one doing packs of railway paints I can think of is Lifecolor:

Lifecolor railway paints

 

[Barclay]

Apart from Railway colours such as the LMS crimson, the basic colours I find I always use are (all matt): Black; tan; light grey, dark grey, brick red, orange, metalcote gunmetal (I use enamels). With these you can mix up almost anything I find.

[RobjUK]

You can get various mixed packs of Vallejo acrylics for different purposes; whether they would be suitable depends on the colours you need?

(I've never built anything like the items you mention.)

 

I have an assortment of those plus various "Railmatch" acrylics and enamels for different things, they seem to work well.

 

If anything you are building involves any non-ferrous metals, you will need some suitable primer as well.

I've found the Hammerite "special metals" primer that Halfords sell to be exceptionally good for that, it's easy to use, water based but bonds in like it's become part of the metal.

 

[KeithMacdonald]

Thanks for the replies, good info.

 

By chance, I stumbled on this: Humbrol Rail Paints

https://www.humbrol.com/uk-en/shop/paints/acrylic-rail-colours.html

 

It looks like I can get the basics at £1.79 each?

[KeithMacdonald]

Good news!

I've updated my stock of paints with some Humbrol Rail Paints at just £1.60 each from New Modellers Shop.

https://www.newmodellersshop.co.uk/Model Railway/humbrol-rail-colours.htm

 

Hopefully that will be enough to cover my period of self-isolation.