Paint Colors - was Re: SFRD


Jim Betz
 

Hi all,

  Since I weather -everything- I don't fret very much about the color of
the paint and how close it is to the prototype.  Yes, of course I start
with a close match that captures the essence of the particular RR's
paint - but I'm not at all interested in getting it "perfect".

  When I weather - every car is done differently.  This one is heavier
and the next one lighter - this one has more dirt typical of the NE and
the next one has dirt representing the West coast.  Etc.
  One thing I almost always do is to hand touch up ("dry brush") on a
little paint on the details (such as ladders and grabs and couplers)
that is a few shades off of body color behind it ... to make the
details show up better.
  My final touch is to add what I call a "dusting coat" of a very thin
weathering color (not the same one on every car or group of cars).  And
after that, as needed, a dull coat to both lock everything done before
and to eliminate the shine of "newly painted".

  These are my methods.  YMMV.                        - Jim in the PNW

P.S. Since I'm now modeling the PNW - the shades of weathering colors are
     a little bit different than they were when I lived in Cowafornicatia -
     but only a little.  Darker/less "dusty".  I have decided to -not- model
     "one of the many days of rain" but rather to represent the sunny/partly
     cloudy days ... of which we have many.  *G*  The skies up here are
     simply amazing - think Dutch Masters and you pretty much have it.  Since
     my backdrops will be photos of the actual places - I'm also going to use
     cloud formations from the actual places.  Obvious - but still important.


Steve SANDIFER
 

What color would you paint this? Note there are two SFRD reefers in this photo. Jim’s statement is well taken.

 

 

J. Stephen Sandifer

 

From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Jim Betz
Sent: Friday, September 16, 2022 1:23 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: [RealSTMFC] Paint Colors - was Re: SFRD

 

Hi all,

  Since I weather -everything- I don't fret very much about the color of
the paint and how close it is to the prototype.  Yes, of course I start
with a close match that captures the essence of the particular RR's
paint - but I'm not at all interested in getting it "perfect".

  When I weather - every car is done differently.  This one is heavier
and the next one lighter - this one has more dirt typical of the NE and
the next one has dirt representing the West coast.  Etc.
  One thing I almost always do is to hand touch up ("dry brush") on a
little paint on the details (such as ladders and grabs and couplers)
that is a few shades off of body color behind it ... to make the
details show up better.
  My final touch is to add what I call a "dusting coat" of a very thin
weathering color (not the same one on every car or group of cars).  And
after that, as needed, a dull coat to both lock everything done before
and to eliminate the shine of "newly painted".

  These are my methods.  YMMV.                        - Jim in the PNW

P.S. Since I'm now modeling the PNW - the shades of weathering colors are
     a little bit different than they were when I lived in Cowafornicatia -
     but only a little.  Darker/less "dusty".  I have decided to -not- model
     "one of the many days of rain" but rather to represent the sunny/partly
     cloudy days ... of which we have many.  *G*  The skies up here are
     simply amazing - think Dutch Masters and you pretty much have it.  Since
     my backdrops will be photos of the actual places - I'm also going to use
     cloud formations from the actual places.  Obvious - but still important.


Paul Doggett
 

Steve 

The car to the right is very orange 🤔

Paul Doggett 


On 16 Sep 2022, at 19:32, Steve SANDIFER <steve.sandifer@...> wrote:



What color would you paint this? Note there are two SFRD reefers in this photo. Jim’s statement is well taken.

 

 

J. Stephen Sandifer

 

From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Jim Betz
Sent: Friday, September 16, 2022 1:23 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: [RealSTMFC] Paint Colors - was Re: SFRD

 

Hi all,

  Since I weather -everything- I don't fret very much about the color of
the paint and how close it is to the prototype.  Yes, of course I start
with a close match that captures the essence of the particular RR's
paint - but I'm not at all interested in getting it "perfect".

  When I weather - every car is done differently.  This one is heavier
and the next one lighter - this one has more dirt typical of the NE and
the next one has dirt representing the West coast.  Etc.
  One thing I almost always do is to hand touch up ("dry brush") on a
little paint on the details (such as ladders and grabs and couplers)
that is a few shades off of body color behind it ... to make the
details show up better.
  My final touch is to add what I call a "dusting coat" of a very thin
weathering color (not the same one on every car or group of cars).  And
after that, as needed, a dull coat to both lock everything done before
and to eliminate the shine of "newly painted".

  These are my methods.  YMMV.                        - Jim in the PNW

P.S. Since I'm now modeling the PNW - the shades of weathering colors are
     a little bit different than they were when I lived in Cowafornicatia -
     but only a little.  Darker/less "dusty".  I have decided to -not- model
     "one of the many days of rain" but rather to represent the sunny/partly
     cloudy days ... of which we have many.  *G*  The skies up here are
     simply amazing - think Dutch Masters and you pretty much have it.  Since
     my backdrops will be photos of the actual places - I'm also going to use
     cloud formations from the actual places.  Obvious - but still important.

Attachments:


Jim Betz
 

  ... and a different number series - so I'm thinking it was painted a different
      base color.  And appears to be much cleaner - as in probably painted
      more recently than the car in the middle?
                                                                                          - Jim in the PNW


Chuck Cover
 

I agree with Jim 100%, that the color you choose to paint a freight car does NOT have to be an exact match to the original paint of the prototype.  We all weather our models, and between the original FCC and the weathering,…….this will represent how we want others to view our work.  I am always amazed at how much time we all spend discussing the exact color to paint a specific freight car model.  The look of every prototype car varies depending upon where the car has traveled and the time since it was originally painted.  Unless you are modeling cars as they come out of the paint shop, there is no need to exactly match the prototype color, if you can even figure out what that was.

 

Chuck Cover

Santa Fe, NM


Richard Townsend
 

I live in the PNW but don’t model it. As a PNW resident who leaves his car outside, however, I think a final wash of moss green would be appropriate for freight cars that spend a lot of time here.


Nelson Moyer
 

Maybe it was painted post 1955. Photo date isn’t given.

 

Nelson Moyer

 

From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Paul Doggett via groups.io
Sent: Friday, September 16, 2022 1:42 PM
To: main@realstmfc.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Paint Colors - was Re: SFRD

 

Steve 

 

The car to the right is very orange 🤔

 

Paul Doggett 



On 16 Sep 2022, at 19:32, Steve SANDIFER <steve.sandifer@...> wrote:



What color would you paint this? Note there are two SFRD reefers in this photo. Jim’s statement is well taken.

 

 

J. Stephen Sandifer

 

From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Jim Betz
Sent: Friday, September 16, 2022 1:23 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: [RealSTMFC] Paint Colors - was Re: SFRD

 

Hi all,

  Since I weather -everything- I don't fret very much about the color of
the paint and how close it is to the prototype.  Yes, of course I start
with a close match that captures the essence of the particular RR's
paint - but I'm not at all interested in getting it "perfect".

  When I weather - every car is done differently.  This one is heavier
and the next one lighter - this one has more dirt typical of the NE and
the next one has dirt representing the West coast.  Etc.
  One thing I almost always do is to hand touch up ("dry brush") on a
little paint on the details (such as ladders and grabs and couplers)
that is a few shades off of body color behind it ... to make the
details show up better.
  My final touch is to add what I call a "dusting coat" of a very thin
weathering color (not the same one on every car or group of cars).  And
after that, as needed, a dull coat to both lock everything done before
and to eliminate the shine of "newly painted".

  These are my methods.  YMMV.                        - Jim in the PNW

P.S. Since I'm now modeling the PNW - the shades of weathering colors are
     a little bit different than they were when I lived in Cowafornicatia -
     but only a little.  Darker/less "dusty".  I have decided to -not- model
     "one of the many days of rain" but rather to represent the sunny/partly
     cloudy days ... of which we have many.  *G*  The skies up here are
     simply amazing - think Dutch Masters and you pretty much have it.  Since
     my backdrops will be photos of the actual places - I'm also going to use
     cloud formations from the actual places.  Obvious - but still important.

Attachments:


Steve Haas
 

I live in the PNW but don’t model it. As a PNW resident who leaves his car outside, however, I think a final wash of moss green would be appropriate for freight cars that spend a lot of time here. <<<<<<
As the owner of a class A RV that has spent most of the past five years outdoors in the Pacific Northwest I can assure you there is a lot of merit to Richard's comments!

Best regards,


Steve

Steve Haas
Snoqualmie, WA