Humbrol color like sleeper grime?

[Derrick23]

Hello to the community,

 

I've just ballasted some test track for weathering tests. As I read through the forum, to get tips, I found a color named sleeper grime from a manufacturer called railmatch. Searching for railmatch at german dealer was somehow a problem, no one had this manufacturer on stock, or didn't heard of them either.

 

As to the fact that the railmatch color aren't really cheap, I searched for a mixing manual. The only thing I found was a mixing with Crown Color, which aren't available in germany either.

 

As last idea I thought it should be mixable from humbrol or revell. But the problem is, that the colors viewed at several dealer pages differ (perhaps only on my screen?). The only thing that could help is someone, which has a bottle of sleeper grime and could tell me which humbrol is nearest or from which humbrol/revell/testors color in can mix it up!

 

So if someone has sleeper grime and humbrol colors, it would be very kind if him or her would have a look

 

 

Best regards

Martin

Edited September 24, 2013 by Derrick23

[Modelling Martin]

I used Humbrol railmatch sleeper grime from a tin on my layout to wether the track which came out quite well although i think its a bit too light in colour. The next layout i will make i shall just use the sleeper grime from an aerosol which i think would give a better darker effect and avoid painting the rails by hand.

 

Regards

 

Gary

[WardRail]

Hi

 

Railmatch paints come from Howes of Oxford, Humbrol doesn't....

 

Many people use Humbrol Chocolate (can't remember offhand what the number is - sorry) for railsides and sleepers, whilst others use a mix of Humbrol Flat Earth with a small amount of flat black mixed into it before application. I tend to use Humbrol chocolate myself, but have used the Flat Earth/Flat Black mix as well, the Flat Earth/Flat Black mix can get close to the Railmatch Sleeper Grime when mixed properly.

 

Hope that helps

 

Edit: (After thinking about it and looking up a couple of Humbrol numbers)... Humbrol 29 Flat Earth with a bit of Humbrol 33 Flat Black to taste or til you eye tells you its about right colourwise will get you near as dammit to Railmatch sleeper grime. I generally paint railsides Humbrol 98 Chocolate then when ballasted, spray (airbrush) the sleepers and ballast with the Humbrol 29/33 mix and any overspray onto the rail sides just adds to the variation

 

Best

Matthew

Edited October 1, 2013 by WardRail

[RedgateModels]

I used Tamiya Red Brown acrylic spray on Summat Colliery's main tracks

 

 

I tried the NATO Brown but found it too light

[gordon s]

I'm a Humbrol Chocolate user, although I needed a fair amount so had my local paint shop mix some emulsion to the same colour and bought 1/2 litre pots at a fraction of the cost.

 

You can see pics of the track colour in my layout thread link below.  It has yet to be finally weathered, but you will get a feel for it..

[Derrick23]

Well thanks for the number of posts.

 

I will make some tests on humbrol 29 and 33, but I do also need a greater amount of the colour. I talked to my local paint dealer, but they can only make acrylic paints, which I do not like to spray. On the other hand it is only the tracks with this color, so it should be no point.

 

I tested till now humbrol 186 plus some flat black, works well too, but just tested for roof dirt!

[uax6]

I'm not sure you'll be able to get it in Germany, but the Humbrol track colour is a dead ringer for a British Standard colour, but i can't remember which one now! I'll have a poke about and see if i can find the tin I had mixed.

 

Andy G

[Graham Boak]

 Hunbrol used to do Track Colour, which I once bought for model tanks but soon learnt otherwise.  It hasn't been available for some time but is being re-released this year (if it hasn't been already).  No.173, but it isn't showing on their colour pages yet.

 

EDIT:  Yes it is. http://www.humbrol.com/shop/paints/enamel-paints/?page=15     160 German Red Brown might be a useful colour if you want a brighter rust.

Edited October 1, 2013 by Graham Boak

[petethemole]

I always used Track Colour for tank models; for oldish rust on steel it was ideal, even though it was a 'Railway Colour'. Tracks were always weathered over it to to suit the supposed environment of the model. I'm glad to hear it's coming back; it's a good colour for the weathering palette.

 

Pete

[MikeTrice]

If you look you will find formula for mixing some of the Humbrol colours such as track colour. These were published when the colour was initially withdrawn.

[petethemole]

Bought some Track Colour today but haven't got round to opening it yet.

[uax6]

Found it, the old humbrol track colour is a dead ringer for BS 436 Matt Brown.

 

Andy G

[Phil Parker]

On 30/09/2013 at 23:35, WardRail said:

Many people use Humbrol Chocolate (can't remember offhand what the number is - sorry) for railsides and sleepers,

 

I would assume most people (and neither of us have numbers to prove the point) would use 173 - Track colour. I know I use it by the gallon on pretty much everything!

[Alcanman]

I have been using Humbrol enamel track colour no 173 for many years and very happy with the results. 

 

 

[WardRail]

On 14/04/2020 at 20:37, Phil Parker said:

 

I would assume most people (and neither of us have numbers to prove the point) would use 173 - Track colour. I know I use it by the gallon on pretty much everything!

 

Should have read the rest of my post Phil (no offence intended !) Where I specified that Humbrol Chocolate is Flat 98 in their range.... I know heaps of bods out here in Australia that use that shade for  general railway grot on track sides and sleepers. Main reason for that is the perception out here that Track Colour is too rusty red, ok for fresh rust but not after a couple of days of weather and trains rolling over dropping oil and grot on it ! 

 

Best

Matthew 

Edited April 17, 2020 by WardRail

[Phil Parker]

21 minutes ago, WardRail said:

 

Should have read the rest of my post Phil (no offence intended !) Where I specified that Humbrol Chocolate is Flat 98 in their range.... I know heaps of bods out here in Australia that use that shade for  general railway grot on track sides and sleepers. Main reason for that is the perception out here that Track Colour is too rusty red, ok for fresh rust but not after a couple of days of weather and trains rolling over dropping oil and grot on it ! 

 

 

 

Not sure what I missed in the rest of the post, apart from you being in Australia where track colours are likely to be different.

 

 

To me, for a British model, 98 is far too light. I'd happily use it for a dry-brush paint over 173, especially if the Track colour hadn't dried fully and they blended, but not on it's own.

[JohnR]

I dont know if its my screen, or the difference between a blob of colour and it being brushed on the track, but I'm struggling to see 173 track colour as "too rusty"

[Alcanman]

Track colour no 173 is most suitable for sleepers not rail as it is ,essentially, dark brown. I add a little rust no 62 and together the 2 colours give a fair representation of the colour of rail seen on BR.

 

I usually add a little grey to no 173 for sleepers. Generally, I find mixing colours works best.

[Harlequin]

This seems like a general modelling question, not relating to layout or track design. Maybe better in the "Modelling questions, Help and Tips" forum.

 

[WardRail]

On 17/04/2020 at 20:16, Phil Parker said:

 

To me, for a British model, 98 is far too light. I'd happily use it for a dry-brush paint over 173, especially if the Track colour hadn't dried fully and they blended (snip !) 

 

Try painting a patch of the colour, 98 is a lot darker than illustrated and 173 is lighter. In my case, the last time I used "track colour" by Humbrol, it was an Authentic in enamel (they dropped the authentic range ages ago, when they dropped lead out of the formula for their enamels) My 98 is all pre the dropping of lead. I roughly 30 tins of the original, leaded, 98 ages ago, after a military modelling mate of mine passed away and I got his paint collection. Have hardly bought a Humbrol enamel since. The Humbrols that included lead in their formula are still as viable as they ever were - especially if still sealed by the manufacturer. The original "Track Colour" was more of a rusty brick red.  I was assuming the current one was similar

 

Best

Matthew 

Edited April 18, 2020 by WardRail

[boxbrownie]

If you in Germany surely the NOCH sprays would be far easier to source?

 

Noch #61173 brown looks good, or source the same colour cheaper from Dupli-Color which make the Noch paints.

 

And finally a darker wash to give the “shadow” effect and depth.....

 

Not my original ideas, gained from this page http://railway.zone/post/weathering-c-track

 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by boxbrownie

[Phil Parker]

1 hour ago, WardRail said:

Try painting a patch of the colour, 98 is a lot darker than illustrated and 173 is lighter. In my case, the last time I used "track colour" by Humbrol, it was an Authentic in enamel (they dropped the authentic range ages ago, when they dropped lead out of the formula for their enamels) My 98 is all pre the dropping of lead. I roughly 30 tins of the original, leaded, 98 ages ago, after a military modelling mate of mine passed away and I got his paint collection. Have hardly bought a Humbrol enamel since. The Humbrols that included lead in their formula are still as viable as they ever were - especially if still sealed by the manufacturer. The original "Track Colour" was more of a rusty brick red.  I was assuming the current one was similar

 

The patches shown on screen are pretty accurate for the paint I'm using. The trouble is that if your experience of Humbrol is limited to decades old formulations, it's not that helpful to anyone using the current ones. That said, I have a pot of the old stuff (it smells different) and it's not very different from what we have now - nothing like a brick red. Of course, everyone's eyes are different which is why I've never cared about the "proper" scale colour. If it looks right, for me, it is right!