I have used Scalecoat II at points when I couldn't find the color I needed. However using the needed thinner is quite smelly and a pain to clean from the brushes.
Given I'm in Montana, half the year I would need a fume hood for the airbrush during the colder months as painting outside is impossible. As to needing an airbrush for painting more than a few cars, I have brush painted in excess of 50 freight cars and engines over the years without any major problems. (I have had issues with certain brands of paint not covering like I'd expect but I don't use those brands. My fingers and hands have ended up a few different colors from the paints as well.) I have also had no complaints about brush strokes. I also have done detail painting that would have been almost impossible from an airbrush without lots of masking.
Scalecoat offers several shades of red, and since it's a slow-drying paint, it levels well when applied with a brush.Scalecoat I is supposedly for metal, but I airbrush it on plastic without any issues.Scalecoat II is safe for plastics, but it also uses the same chemical-based thinner (mostly naptha) as Scalecoat I. The main difference is in the proportions of the various chemicals used.
Companies which sell "airbrush ready" paints are ripping-off consumers with a paint useless for brushing, and give you less paint (the expensive component) and more thinner (the cheapest component). This is especially egregious for water-based paints, as even distilled water is available widely and at very affordable prices.If you're planning on painting more than a few freight cars, it may be worthwhile to invest in an airbrush. They're not difficult to use, and with a little practice on some scrap cardboard, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you can accomplish.
Wayne
One problem with that line: it is thinned for airbrushing and in my experience airbrush paints don't brush paint well.
Tru-color makes a Vermillion.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Got another one for my Forum friends: I am in need of a good match or mix for GN Vermillon Red. I have an Accurail GN boxcar that I need to modify to fit the prototype. (The sill is notched on the car while the prototype is solid.) I plan to weather the car as the paint would be fairly old for my timeframe so it doesn't have to be perfect. I prefer either Humbrol or Model Master colors. As usual, any information that can be provided would be most welcomed.