UK paint availability?

[webbcompound]

Any hints on where to buy correct colour paints in UK? I'm looking for PRR Tuscan Red, PRR Olive Green, and PRR boxcar colour (the orangey red) initially. Either specifically formulated paints, or suggestions for equivalents from Vallejo, Tamiya or Humbrol

[cnw6847]

Model Junction has this set of Modelflex paint if its of any use?

 

https://www.modeljunction.info/paint/48314-modelflex-east-coast-railroad-colors-paint-set-2.html

[webbcompound]

Thanks for this link. I'm not sure these colours match what I'm looking for. Tuscan Red  is that Modelflex Pennsy Maroon?

[F-UnitMad]

This document from MRH Website doesn't cover Tamiya paints, which strictly speaking aren't actually water-based paints, but does give a very useful comparison chart of what water-based paints match the most popular old Floquil colours. 

Note the "most popular" caveat; it isn't a full list so your specific colours might not be there - for me, Soo Line Red is missing, but then I know that some dedicated Soo modellers have used Santa Fe red, which is listed.

Hope it helps anyway.

MRH-Acrylic-painting-guide-post-Floquil-Landscape.pdf

[webbcompound]

excellent thanks. Vallejo comparisons especially

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by webbcompound

[Patrick SPF]

When we are sort of back to usual try taking a photo of a colour to Games Workshop, I tried with CN green and Yellow and they managed to find something suitable.

 

 

[webbcompound]

This is really very useful. Thanks very much.  Although I can't patch modifications with a Vallejo paint it looks like I can repaint the whole car and with weathering it is likely to be indistinguishable. Given that these are not going to reach finescale replica standard but will be "pretty close enough" this looks feasible.

[Patrick SPF]

A variance in the colour would not be unusual, I understand that in the steam era the paint shop foreman used to mix up paint as needed so there was always some variation depending on the precise mix used at any shop and if the car had been repaired there would be more variation depending on who had repaired it..

[webbcompound]

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Edited April 16, 2020 by webbcompound
mis-saved

[webbcompound]

1 hour ago, Patrick SPF said:

A variance in the colour would not be unusual, I understand that in the steam era the paint shop foreman used to mix up paint as needed so there was always some variation depending on the precise mix used at any shop and if the car had been repaired there would be more variation depending on who had repaired it..

 This may apply to scruffy shortlines, and Class 1 lines of dubious merit, but this is the Pennsylvania we are discussing, the Premier Line of America. The Altoona car shop turned out well over 5,500 steel bodied cars between 1907 and 1928, so some degree of conformity might be expected.

[mdvle]

5 hours ago, webbcompound said:

 This may apply to scruffy shortlines, and Class 1 lines of dubious merit, but this is the Pennsylvania we are discussing, the Premier Line of America. The Altoona car shop turned out well over 5,500 steel bodied cars between 1907 and 1928, so some degree of conformity might be expected.

 

Except even the mighty Pennsy would be subject to the realities of color matching of paint, which back then wasn't all that great and even today isn't fully solved - you can still run into subtle variations in batch.

[mdvle]

8 hours ago, webbcompound said:

This is really very useful. Thanks very much.  Although I can't patch modifications with a Vallejo paint it looks like I can repaint the whole car and with weathering it is likely to be indistinguishable. Given that these are not going to reach finescale replica standard but will be "pretty close enough" this looks feasible.

 

I would point out, given you talk about using it to patch modifications, that the odds of having a bottle of paint exactly match the color used on a model is extremely small - even the paint used on different runs of cars for a single manufacturer can have slightly different shades of color - and matching between manufacturers can be even more difficult.

 

Unless you get either lucky, or are good at modifying the paint to match an existing example, if weathering won't cover up the difference then you are looking at a complete repaint anyway.

[Patrick SPF]

8 hours ago, webbcompound said:

 This may apply to scruffy shortlines, and Class 1 lines of dubious merit, but this is the Pennsylvania we are discussing, the Premier Line of America. The Altoona car shop turned out well over 5,500 steel bodied cars between 1907 and 1928, so some degree of conformity might be expected.

I was thinking of the PRR when I made my comment, the paint would despite painting instructions vary slightly between batches due to the nature of the paints used, also despite there being standard painting diagrams the scheme applied could vary depending on where the car was last painted, a system as large as the PRR had a number of heavy maintenance shops who did not always do exactly as Altoona did when they constructed the cars an outside vendor also could have their own ideas, if I remember correctly the PRR PS1 box cars had black ends as delivered, though the railroad did repaint them reasonably quickly into "Freight Car Color".

 

[webbcompound]

9 hours ago, Lantavian said:

 

It seems that Pennsylvania RR was a pioneer in standardising colours, according to this book from 1913, entitled "Paint making and color grinding; a practical treatise for paint manufacturers and factory managers, including comprehensive information regarding factory arrangement; pigments; vehicles and thinners; liquid and cold water paints as well as practical working formulas and recipes." 

 

https://archive.org/details/paintmakingandc00uebegoog/page/n214/mode/2up/search/pennsylvania+railroad

 Interesting to note that the intensive experimentation done by the PRR people produced a consistency and useability that appeared to be unachievable by "other railroads" according to this contemporary source

[webbcompound]

4 hours ago, mdvle said:

 

I would point out, given you talk about using it to patch modifications, that the odds of having a bottle of paint exactly match the color used on a model is extremely small - even the paint used on different runs of cars for a single manufacturer can have slightly different shades of color - and matching between manufacturers can be even more difficult.

 

Unless you get either lucky, or are good at modifying the paint to match an existing example, if weathering won't cover up the difference then you are looking at a complete repaint anyway.

You are absolutely correct. I don't intend having a large fleet, so I think I will actually have to repaint most of and to try to match the best vehicles I have, which are the Walthers head end cars in 1934 scheme.

[Theakerr]

When I reworked some CCT vans I established this:  Railmatch BR Crimson.   Can Tire Strawberry Fields Gloss The Army Painter Warpaints "Chaotic Red"  Tamiya TS11 Maroon.   Also British Model Trains https://britishmodeltrains.ca/ has a fair selection of Humbrol paints although the acrylics are all matt.

 

[GW Jim]

Hiya all.

 

As a Pennsy modeller I have also been trying to source US paints here in the UK but have, so far been unable to find any. Yes, Model Junction stock some but as we know they will not be around much longer, sadly!!

 

After ordering a Rapido RS11 from Rails of Sheffield have asked them if they are able to order Rapido's Proto-Paint. I have had a response from them which stated they have asked the question of Rapido and are waiting for a reply.

 

Perhaps a few more enquires from others may well convince Rails to work a bit harder to bring the Paint into stock. Other than being a customer of Rail's I have connection with them.

 

Happy Model Railroading and Stay Safe. 

[mdvle]

10 hours ago, GW Jim said:

After ordering a Rapido RS11 from Rails of Sheffield have asked them if they are able to order Rapido's Proto-Paint. I have had a response from them which stated they have asked the question of Rapido and are waiting for a reply.

 

Perhaps a few more enquires from others may well convince Rails to work a bit harder to bring the Paint into stock. Other than being a customer of Rail's I have connection with them.

 

Using Rapido's comment form, expressing an interest in knowing of any UK retailers, might also help create some action.

 

https://rapidotrains.com/contact-us

[warbonnetuk]

Model Railway Solutions (Poole) were apparently looking to start importing the Tru Color range of railroad paints. I registered an interest in some prior to the current situation and am awaiting an update

 

https://trucolorpaint.com/products/paint/

 

https://www.modelrailwaysolutions.co.uk/cms/

 

Dan

Edited April 21, 2020 by warbonnetuk

[mdvle]

Was looking for something else and stumbled across this UK retailer that carries some Badger Acrylic paints for US railroads

 

https://mech-models.com/shop/ols/categories/paints-and-airbrushes

 

 

[Koala Creek]

On 20/04/2020 at 09:58, GW Jim said:

Hiya all.

 

As a Pennsy modeller I have also been trying to source US paints here in the UK but have, so far been unable to find any. Yes, Model Junction stock some but as we know they will not be around much longer, sadly!!

 

After ordering a Rapido RS11 from Rails of Sheffield have asked them if they are able to order Rapido's Proto-Paint. I have had a response from them which stated they have asked the question of Rapido and are waiting for a reply.

 

Perhaps a few more enquires from others may well convince Rails to work a bit harder to bring the Paint into stock. Other than being a customer of Rail's I have connection with them.

 

Happy Model Railroading and Stay Safe. 

 

@GW Jim - did they ever receive a response from Rapido?

[mdvle]

My recollection from Rapido Q&A's has been that the paint line has been on hold as they work out some production issues - Rapido have another live Facebook even scheduled for Monday September 13th so perhaps it will be asked about again.

 

In the meantime anyone wanting the paint line in the UK it may be worth requesting Rapido UK stock it (who could then either potentially sell it direct or sell it to retailers).

 

https://rapidotrains.co.uk/product-suggestion/

[GW Jim]

Koala.

 

Yes I did but not the one I was hoping for

 

"At the minute we are not looking to sell these items but this could change in the future."

 

I wonder if anyone interested in these paints drop a note to Rails, it may well gee them up a bit, perhaps!!

 

Happy Model Railroading and Stay Safe. James.