Paint color question for a project.

[Jimmy_Braum]

Since The last time I asked for help deciding the color of a locomotive (Monongahela railroad Gp40 in primer gray), you guys were so helpful, I figured I'd ask again. I'm planning to start aproject for a friend- an Allegheny valley railroad SD45. my question is, can anyone identify a red that would be close enough

[mlehman]

Jimmy,

Is there a reference pic you could link to?

[BigDaddy]

mlehman

Is there a reference pic you could link to?

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?railroad=Allegheny%20Valley%20Railroad

Some look dark red, some look a tad maroonish.  I have no suggestions, but maybe someone looking at the pics will.

[gmpullman]

Just a stab in the dark, here, Jimmy.

If you look at the center RS-2 #212 near the top and the FA #582, middle picture at the bottom of this link, it might be pretty close. (Although there were huge variations in L-V paint jobs over the years)

http://www.anthraciterailroads.org/lvrr/modeling-the-lvrr/modeling-diesel-locomotives/diesel-color-schemes/

There is a discussion here about fading, lighting, dirt, camera settings and all the other things that affect color perception.

To me, that L-V Cornell red, when it is NEW looks pretty close.

I just wonder, if you contact them with a nicely-worded, polite email, if they wouldn't help you out with the paint color specs for their locomotives?

http://carloadexpress.com/

I would try an email to brian ortman, Manager of Maintenance of Equipment and make a polite inquiry.

http://carloadexpress.com/about-us/departments/

 

Might be worth a try...

Regards, Ed

[zstripe]

Scalecoat I  PRR Caboose Red, looks pretty close...have no way to see them side by side:

http://www.minutemanscalemodels.com/product-p/10141.htm

Take Care! 

Frank

EDIT: Come to think of it..that Allegany color, looks close to what I painted a couple of My older 1:1 trucks like in the late 80's. It was called Metallic Maroon, You had to get close to see the Metallic:

[doctorwayne]

Jimmy_Braum

....Allegheny valley railroad SD45. my question is, can anyone identify a red that would be close enough

When I saw this, I had to google for a look at an example, and thought this one might work best.
However, while the poster of that video did do the custom painting, he was loath to reveal the paint which he used or the source of the lettering.  This, despite being asked at least twice about the paint and once about the lettering.  Meanwhile he happily answered all sorts of other questions and thanked pretty-well everyone else for their accolades and kind comments.
I was all set to call him on it, as this was what it once once like in this hobby, where everything was a big trade secret and the hoi polloi had no need to know.  However, I was required to create an account in order to reply....I already have too many accounts to bother with people who don't wish to be accountable.

At first glance, I thought B&M Maroon, but it looks redder in other photos.  Cornell Red is, to my eye, a little too orange, but I think that Frank's suggestion of Scalecoat's PRR Caboose Red looks very close to AVR's red.

Wayne

[Jimmy_Braum]

Sorry guys, I thought I had posted a link in here for an example. Accidents happen right? I had some other people I asked s using NW red from scale coat, maybe I'll look at the PRR one. 

[mlehman]

Jimmy,

You have some links now to refer to, depends on which one is closest to what you want. Paint changes and the images taken vary depending on the circumstance, too. So if you're trying to match a certain color or unit, best to have something you can point to and say, "Like that one..."

[NittanyLion]

Scalecoat II 2012 Tuscan Red for AVR.

I'd asked the same thing a couple months ago and concluded this, about that particular color: 

For the AVR red, the red is quite dark [referring to Scalecoat II 2012].  I'll agree with the N&W/NS and PRR guys that its not even close to PRR Tuscan and is perfect for the N&W/NS business train.  It may be a shade or two dark for AVR, but...geez what a hard color to match.  In my mind's eye, they're fairly dark red, but in a lot of pictures they're RED!!! red.  Yeah, I know, light and all that.  But look at this: http://www.railpictures.net/photo/337486/  How often do you see four locomotives in the same paint color, of the same age, that live in the same region look so wildly different?  I think I may roll the dice and go for it anyhow.  Also, its a pretty good brick color.  A bit shiny, but Dullcote should handle that.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/13/p/256201/2877140.aspx

 

[dstarr]

The picture shows a railroady red/maroon color on the locomotive.  Under the fluorescent lights many of us use on our layouts, such reddish colors can look poorly, or in extreme cases, look terrible.  Fluorescent lamps have very little red in their light, it's mostly blue and green.  So reds lit by fluorescents often look quite bad.  To get it right, you need a paint chip from the prototype.  Be aware that color film, and color printing, alter the natural color balance, and both allow the processor to tweak the color balance until he gets something he likes.  Be aware that the most famous old time color film, Kodachrome made reds much stronger than they really are.  Most people liked the cheerful look a red heavy film gave, so a whole lotta old color pictures of trains will be redder than real life.  Plus a lotta rail photos were taken after school or after work, when the sun was low in the west and the sunlight was strongly red.  So get a real paint chip, or sample of the paint, if you can.  If you cannot, find a number of color pictures and compare them.  Do this under dayllight. 

   Then look at your color samples under layout light.  Do you like the look?  If not, you want to find a paint color that looks right under layout lighting, which may not look the same as your color samples under daylight. 

   Then, go shopping for paint.  With luck, you can find color sample chips for commercial paint, either at the store or on line.  Otherwise you have to buy a can or bottle and see what it looks like dry.  The final color of a paint depends upon what is under neath.  The same paint looks different applied over a bare black plastic shell than it does applied over primer, in your case a red primer.  Also, a shot of Dullcote softens a lot of red paints.  I get a nice B&M passenger maroon out of ordinary red rattlecan paint with a topcoat of Dullcote, which you want to do anyway to blend in the decals,   In fact that might work for you. Look at the color caps of a bunch of red rattlecans, try the one that looks best, and give it a shot of Dullcote.  

  

[Jimmy_Braum]

I went with scalecoat ll Tuscan red. It looks to be a perfect match for the job. ill post a photo when it's done.  Thanks for the advice everyone.