Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

"Caterpillar" Yellow ??

3862 views
7 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    October 2006
  • 20 posts
"Caterpillar" Yellow ??
Posted by Rod Carr on Sunday, May 3, 2020 5:03 PM

I'm preparing two tracked side boom cranes for use at my SP&S Vancouver Car Repair facility.  Will employ dozers and side crane/winch attachments from Custom Finishing.  My paint locker is depleted and I'd like to stock up on the best match for the rich "yellow" that Caterpillar uses on its equipment. Can someone point me in the right direction?

  • Member since
    January 2020
  • 14 posts
Posted by NSNYSW74 on Sunday, May 3, 2020 5:10 PM

Rod Carr

I'm preparing two tracked side boom cranes for use at my SP&S Vancouver Car Repair facility.  Will employ dozers and side crane/winch attachments from Custom Finishing.  My paint locker is depleted and I'd like to stock up on the best match for the rich "yellow" that Caterpillar uses on its equipment. Can someone point me in the right direction?

 

Try to get a rattle can of Cat yellow at a auto parts store or Tractor Supply. If you know a body shop that mixes paint, see if they can come close. Smaller businesses sometimes do that. 

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Sunday, May 3, 2020 5:16 PM

My information on 'current' Cat yellow:

Pantone PMS 1235 C

Hex: 9ADBE8

RGB: 255 184 28

CMYK: 0 31 98 0

Sources on RyPN (going the other way) indicate that Cat Yellow is very close to the imitation-gold buff color used for car lettering... something I'm sure is in common model-paint lines.

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 10,582 posts
Posted by mlehman on Sunday, May 3, 2020 7:02 PM

NSNYSW74
Try to get a rattle can of Cat yellow at a auto parts store or Tractor Supply. If you know a body shop that mixes paint, see if they can come close.

Some RTR spray paint possibilities, some better for new equipment, some better for used after some sun fading:

Rust-Oleum® Stops Rust® Gloss Sunburst Yellow Protective Enamel Spray Paint - 12 oz, Model Number: 7747830
 
Rust-Oleum® Professional Gloss Safety Yellow Enamel Spray Paint - 15 oz, Model Number: 7543838
 
Rust-Oleum® Painter's Touch® 2X Ultra Cover® Gloss Golden Sunset General Purpose Spray Paint - 12 oz, Model Number: 299910
 
Rust-Oleum® Painter's Touch® 2X Ultra Cover® Gloss Marigold General Purpose Spray Paint - 12 oz, Model Number: 249862
 
Rust-Oleum® Painter's Touch® 2X Ultra Cover® Gloss Sun Yellow General Purpose Spray Paint - 12 oz
Model Number: 249092
 
 

 

 

 

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

  • Member since
    April 2013
  • 917 posts
Posted by Southgate on Sunday, May 3, 2020 10:02 PM

That you're modeling SP&S probably dates your era to before the color currently on Cat equipment was used. The earlier yellow was more like a chrome yellow. Dan

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, May 4, 2020 7:02 AM

GO TO CATERPILLAR!

They sell rattle cans of Caterpillar Yellow in their parts departments, and the color match is spot on!

Spray a little into a cup and use it just like any other paint.

Other paints can replicate the color, but the pigment load and sheen are much better in the genuine article.

I am not being tounge-in-cheek about this. Genuine Caterpillar spray paint cannot be beat.

Yes, they sell the older color too if you prefer, but it will not look right to 99.9% of your viewers.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Yorkton, Sk, Cnd
  • 441 posts
Posted by wvg_ca on Monday, May 4, 2020 8:01 AM

there were a couple of cat yellows....

jan 1932 to june 1979, used a hi way yellow, with solid black letters ..

after that, a slighly different , more modern yellow ..

cat # for 1932-1979 is 4C4201 for 12oz spray, non leaded, also available through lily industries

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, May 4, 2020 8:11 AM

wvg_ca
there were a couple of cat yellows.... jan 1932 to june 1979, used a hi way yellow, with solid black letters .. after that, a slighly different , more modern yellow ..

I have thought that the reason Caterpillar changed colors was because Komatsu equipment was the exact same color as the older Caterpillar Yellow. I think Michigan was painting their equipment the same color as well.

The really hard color to match: Euclid Green!

-Kevin

Living the dream.

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!