hello, i am new to the forum and i was hoping someone out there could help me. i have 5 lionel 2400's (2 Chathams, 2 Maplewoods and 1 Hillside) and they are the green with yellow trim and gray tops. i am trying to match the colors to as close to original as possible. does anyone out there have a testors or krylon or other easy to find paint brand that matches those colors? i believe the green is pea green. but i could be wrong. any help is much appreciated, these trains were given to me 10 years ago by my grandfather and i have finally gotten around to restoring them to original condition. my uncle or grandfather had painted them silver and blue at some point... oh well haha.
also, if anyone out there has these cars, was the metal frame inside painted silver by lionel? also, does anyone suggest clear coating them after the decals are applied?
thanx,
Ben
benni311my uncle or grandfather had painted them silver and blue at some point
Not an expert on paint colors. Might try taking them by a local hobby store that carries the paints and see if they can match [might take a photo or see if they have a car to match colors by]. Good luck.
God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of the NRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified
I would try 2400 Maplewood Green & 2482 Roof Gray from Charles Wood Train Enamel.
Rob
Good advice from Rob, you cannot match Lionel colors with store bought paint. Yes the frames were silver and yes you need a Gloss clear coat to apply decals and a clear coat of your choich After they are DRY.
"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks
Charter Member- Tardis Train Crew (TTC) - Detroit3railers- Detroit Historical society Glancy Modular trains- Charter member BTTS
When Lionel moved to Michigan they reissued the 2400 series cars with Michigan cities. I'm not sure how closely the colors match the origionals, but when I aquired a set of the Michigan cars I wanted them to be pulled by postwar Alco diesel engines that would match the same color scheme. At the local hobby shop I looked at the Tamiya Color paint rack and came up with AS-23 LIGHT GREEN and AS-27 GUNSHIP GRAY2. The gray color is real close and the green is close enough for my eye. I used Woodland Scenics Gothic R.R. rub on letters and numbers that match the font style of the passenger cars. The yellow stripes I printed on adhesive backed paper on my inkjet printer. Finally I used Krylon matte finish to seal the numbers and provide an even flat finish that matches the origional. The results are more than adequate to my eye and I'm quite happy with the result.
I think your Postwar Alco look realy nice. Job well done.
thank you everyone for your help on my topic. i have the silver and blue, and almost all the original lionel paint stripped off the exterior of the bodies, and i will hopefully be painting them in the near future. i have a 2026 and a 2037 that i am trying to get cleaned, repaired and in good running condition for christmas. (which i have done numerous searches on here by the way lol) this is my first time venturing into the world of lionel, and i am trying to learn a lot. troubleshooting on those old steamers is definatly difficult. i will post some pictures of my process with the passenger cars soon, if theres anyone interested in that lol.
thanx again,
PS, Frank53, what locomotive do u have pulling your 2400's?
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