Mixing Paint-specifically Humbrol colours to get bauxite

[rodent279]

Hi all,

 

Looking for some advice on how to mix Humbrol colours to get BR bauxite, as used on freight stock. Which Humbrol colours should I use? Does it matter if done are gloss, some matt?

I have a selection of base colours, and some rail colours, but not bauxite. I've just finished a Presflos hopper, which I want to finish in bauxite. Looking to mix my own as I haven't got a model shop nearby, and to make use of the stock I have.

Cheers N

[swampy]

I have two photocopied sheets from ages ago, from something called "the colour system", showing Humbrol mixes for the main LNER/SR/GWR/LMS/BR colours. It could have been in a ring binder of some sort, as there are faint traces of punch holes on the photocopy.

 

Under the heading "British Rail Freight" , it has ...

"Freight Stock Red Bauxite", it says to use Humbrol no. 133. ( whatever that is ) .

"Red" use Humbrol 132

 

Under the same heading, it has a mix for green. Not sure what that would be used for on freight stock, but clarification would be welcome.

 

Pete

 

 

[Ian Simpson]

Which period? The shade got darker around 1964/5.

Personally I just use Humbrol Brick Red paint.

But then I am colour-blind - and not very good at painting:

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

I wouldn't worry about having only one shade of bauxite, (or any other railway colour), look at half a dozen colour pictures of trains with bauxite wagons in them and tell me which is the "correct" colour.

I've got about half a dozen various shades of stock bauxite and grey, not all are labelled up as BR colours, Halfords red oxide primer for one. Once the wagons are weathered or have faded in the sun then your one shade goes out of the window.

 

Mike.

[Guest Half-full]

5 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

I wouldn't worry about having only one shade of bauxite, (or any other railway colour), look at half a dozen colour pictures of trains with bauxite wagons in them and tell me which is the "correct" colour.

I've got about half a dozen various shades of stock bauxite and grey, not all are labelled up as BR colours, Halfords red oxide primer for one. Once the wagons are weathered or have faded in the sun then your one shade goes out of the window.

 

Mike.

Second the Halfords primer!

[brossard]

I mixed up some bauxite from red and brown (can't recall the exact proportions).  I use acrylic paint almost exclusively.  I reckon if it looks right, it is.  It is acceptable after weathering:

 

 

I did use spray red oxide as a primer/undercoat.  (I ALWAYS prime)  Slaters W5 Cattle wagon in 7mm.

 

John

 

John

[John Tomlinson]

On 30/03/2020 at 15:00, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

I wouldn't worry about having only one shade of bauxite, (or any other railway colour), look at half a dozen colour pictures of trains with bauxite wagons in them and tell me which is the "correct" colour.

I've got about half a dozen various shades of stock bauxite and grey, not all are labelled up as BR colours, Halfords red oxide primer for one. Once the wagons are weathered or have faded in the sun then your one shade goes out of the window.

 

Mike.

I'd completely agree with this, ex.works the colour is quite orangey red, but this toned down to varying shades of brown grot quite quickly. A train in ex.works condition would look very unconvincing indeed.

 

John.

[brossard]

Hmmm, I'm not at all sure about red oxide primer as an analog for bauxite.  It is way too red IMO:

 

 

The same model in primer.  Quite a difference.  Obviously not Halfords and I will concede that various manufacturers make different shades of the stuff.

 

John

[rodent279]

It's not far off though. Add some weathering and from a distance it'll be convincing.

[brossard]

A subjective thing to be sure.  If it looks right to you, it is.

 

John

[meil]

Try RAL 3011

[JZ]

Can't find the picture now, but a while back, there was a similar discussion about the colour of bauxite, with similar arguments for and against Halfords primer. I took a picture of a kit built wagon next to a Bachmann one and with a light weathering, it was as near as dammit the same. If you want something a little browner, try Tamiya NATO Brown, XF68 in pots, TS62 spray cans. It is what I use for US Boxcar red.

[Il Grifone]

There's a Vallejo colour* I use (a slightly orange brown). IIRC it's 'Red leather' 136. Unfortunately I can't confirm this until I return to the UK. (The colour panels on line bear no relation to the real colour - on my lap top at least.)

My flight has been rebooked (again) for the 12th of May.

 

*Acrylic, but the best paint I have ever used.

 

US boxcar red varies from road to road and is different from bauxite in any case (more brown & less orange). In any case, the colour rapidly got covered with crud and faded.

 

EDIT - To correct colour reference - a combination of low resolution, bad eyesight and poor memory!

Edited April 3, 2020 by Il Grifone

[Darren Hedges]

55 minutes ago, Il Grifone said:

There's a Vallejo colour* I use (a slightly orange brown). IIRC it's 'Red leather' 131. 

I too use Vallejo Model Colour 70818 Red Leather for BR bauxite (it's 136 on the display rack).

 

Some may argue that it's a little too 'orange' out of the bottle, but over a black primer it darkens down some what, and weathering grime also darkens it some more.

 

Vallejo paints are readily available online. 

[31A]

I've seen Humbrol no. 100 suggested as suitable for BR freight stock brown, so I've bought some myself to try it but haven't actually used it yet.

 

[The Johnster]

On 30/03/2020 at 15:00, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

I wouldn't worry about having only one shade of bauxite, (or any other railway colour), look at half a dozen colour pictures of trains with bauxite wagons in them and tell me which is the "correct" colour.

I've got about half a dozen various shades of stock bauxite and grey, not all are labelled up as BR colours, Halfords red oxide primer for one. Once the wagons are weathered or have faded in the sun then your one shade goes out of the window.

 

Mike.

Agreed; BR bauxite, like grey, was a very moveable feast especially in the early days when supply of any sort of paint was a bit uncertain and the paint shops had to make do with what they could get.  For acrylics, Revell Brown Leather Matt, 361 84, is a good starting point, and can easily be reddened, lightened, darkened, or further brownedend, to achieve the exact shade you want.  I find that plywood vanfits tend to look redder than planked ones, and steel opens look redder than wooden as well, but the differences overlap under the influence of lighting and weathering.

[SM42]

To me early bauxite is a little more orange than later freight brown.

 

I've used Humbrol 133 but was not  100% convinced for my taste. It's acceptable but nearer to the later freight brown than early bauxite to me. I see it as a sort of in between shade

 

Humbrol's 133 is also a semi matt colour which could, of course, have coloured my judgment, but that helps with the application of decals and as a bonus sealing the decals with  a matt varnish knocks it back anyway.

 

Humbrol's rust (I forget the number now) just looks wrong but I do sometimes use it as an undercoat for bauxite on lighter plastics

 

Mixing matt and semi matt has not been an issue in my experience. I was doing just that for quite a time before I realised I was doing it. Just grabbing colours that looked right to mix together without paying attention. Things did turn out a little more on the glossy  side though.

 

It's a matter of personal taste and perception in the end and as has been said, consistency of colour across wagons of the same colour is not often seen.

 

Andy

[47137]

On 01/04/2020 at 19:47, JZ said:

Can't find the picture now, but a while back, there was a similar discussion about the colour of bauxite, with similar arguments for and against Halfords primer. I took a picture of a kit built wagon next to a Bachmann one and with a light weathering, it was as near as dammit the same. If you want something a little browner, try Tamiya NATO Brown, XF68 in pots, TS62 spray cans. It is what I use for US Boxcar red.

 

I sprayed a model with Halfords red primer, and then added a top coat of Railmatch 'BR bauxite'. The Railmatch gave a smoother finish but I couldn't tell the difference in the shade.

 

- Richard.

Edited April 25, 2020 by 47137
Added the "BR" to "bauxite"

[steveb860]

I have been painting  a batch of O gauge  Bauxite wagons during lockdown. I have used Halfords red primer, Railmatch late and early bauxite and humbrol 133. My prefered method though is to use a darker base colour, Railmatch late as a preshade, then paint a lighter shade in the centre of panels, Railmatch early or Humbrol 133. You can of course add a bit of black to your favorite colour to darken to taste

[Paddy]

Hi Folks,

 

Thank you for the great info.  I had a look on the Halfords website but there is no red oxide aerosol primer listed.  There is a plain red - is this the same thing?
 

Many thanks 

 

Paddy

 

[101]

11 hours ago, Paddy said:

Hi Folks,

 

Thank you for the great info.  I had a look on the Halfords website but there is no red oxide aerosol primer listed.  There is a plain red - is this the same thing?
 

Many thanks 

 

Paddy

 

 

Yes that's the one.

 You can use any of the car shop red primers

I prefer to use Halfords, but to save me driving if I'm in a hurry, I have a small car parts shop within walking distance, they have sold a few different makes of paint but are currently selling Holts paint and I've found their primer to be very good. 

Edited September 28, 2020 by 101

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

From experience, and I'm not saying anybody is wrong or whatever, but I stick to Halfords aerosols because they have a finer pigment, hence spray finish, than some others I have come across.

 

Mike.

[Paddy]

Thanks both, much appreciated.

 

Kind regards
 

Paddy

 

[Paddy]

Popped to Halfords and got cans of white, grey and red primer.  As I model in N gauge this should last a wee while! 

 

Kind regards

 

Paddy

 

[BoD]

Shade arguments aside Phoenix Precision paints have a good selection and quick mail order service.