Boxcar red - is there a colour in the Humbrol range to match?

[Talbotjohn]

I looked at the paint for sale at the NMRA BR Convention and could not see a generic Boxcar Red. I was wondering if anyone can recommend a colour from the UK Humbrol enamel range that would fit the bill. I want to paint a boxcar for C&O. I bought a Western Maryland speed lettered boxcar that colour-wise is a good match for Humbrol 113 (Rust). Is there such a colour as Boxcar brown?

[RichardT]

I stand to be corrected but I’ve always understood “boxcar red” to be a synonym for plain bauxite paint - the matt browny-reddy-rusty colour applied basically to prevent rust. Some companies’ boxcars and cabooses were painted an actual red (e.g. crimson or scarlet etc) but in general bauxite is what I’d use in the absence of evidence of a specific painting schedule. Of course, weathering, work-staining, ageing and variations in paint batches (plus the effect of scaling down colour) would mean that most “bauxite” cars would appear be different shades from each other.  So unless you’re going for an ex-works finish then combinations of red-brown, rust and bauxite shades should do. Traditionally railroad colours aren’t like car colours now - they weren’t computer matched to a Pantone number.

 

See also this thread:

Cheers, Richard

[long island jack]

Another can of worms, every railroad had there own version of box car red/brown

 

 

 

Which would you says the right colour!!!!

Edited November 3, 2021 by long island jack

[RichardT]

6 minutes ago, long island jack said:

Another can of worms, every railroad had there own version of box car red/brown

Thank you - a picture (or two) saves a thousand words!

 

Richard T

[Talbotjohn]

OK thanks for the replies. I got the message.......

[Marshall5]

Rustoleum red oxide primer is reckoned to be a pretty good match.

Ray.

Edited November 3, 2021 by Marshall5

[mdvle]

1 hour ago, Talbotjohn said:

OK thanks for the replies. I got the message.......

 

It is good you asked this question - not just for your benefit of getting an answer, but for anyone else reading this who was too afraid to ask, hasn't thought about it yet, or doesn't have an account.

 

Because it is a good question.  The replies above have given you evidence of what really happened, yet despite that evidence there are people online who claim somehow their favourite railroad was different and managed a standard consistent colour across their x thousand/tens of thousands of freight cars.

[Dava]

The main factor is weathering (dirt & fading) as the CNW cars show. Red oxide primer/undercoat is a good start.

 

Dava

[Keith Addenbrooke]

On 03/11/2021 at 21:36, mdvle said:

 

It is good you asked this question - not just for your benefit of getting an answer, but for anyone else reading this who was too afraid to ask, hasn't thought about it yet, or doesn't have an account.

 

…or someone like me who bought some boxcar kits at an event at the weekend so now wants to find out .  I’m slightly colour blind (especially with reds), so it’s really helpful if I can pick a number off a list rather than trust my eyesight with mixing paint.

[Johann Marsbar]

Not painted a boxcar (as such) but I've used Wilko Red Oxide Primer (from Wilkinsons) on some of my G-Scale stock as well as the odd OO wagon as well.....

 

 

[alastairq]

Does the shade of 'boxcar red' not also alter if applied to wood, rather than steel?

I suppose ''boxcar red'' is a US generic term for what we in the UK might call red oxide?

[Talbotjohn]

Hi, A bit of a wider track than just boxcar red but I found the following information on the instruction sheet for a Stewart Hobbies HO scale 70 ton Triple Hopper Car kit - dated 10/1/95. All are offered as Scalecoat II approximate paint matches. Clearly this is for painting Stewart Hobbies range of Hopper Cars.

Black - #2010 Black

Oxide Red - WM, CN, MONON - #2002 Oxide Red

Mineral Brown - ATSF, CR, SOU, CB&Q - Mix 2 parts #2013 Box Car Red with 1 part #2012 Tuscan Red

Box Car Red - L&N, MILW, SAL, C&EI - #2013 Box Car Red

Reddish Brown - SP (T&NO), NYC - Mix equal parts #2002 Oxide Red and #2013 Box Car Red

Mineral Red - CNW, CMO (=GMO?) - Mix 10 parts # 2002 Oxide Red with 3 parts #2013 Box Car Red and 1 part #2015 Reefer Yellow

Rock Island Red - RI - Mix 20 parts #2026 Santa Fe Red with 10 parts #2013 Box Car Red and 5 parts #2012 Tuscan Red and 2 parts #2010 Black.

 

Happy painting!

[JZ]

My go to is Tamiya NATO Brown. It matches pretty well with rtr stock I have from Blackstone and Micro-Trains.