Sourcing appropriate paints in UK

[FowlmereRR]

Can any of you UK-based modellers suggest a UK source of appropriately coloured paints for US railroad projects? From all the articles and videos on MR, there appears to be a huge range available in the US, and many brands are quoted in the various tutorials, but not available here. The paints that are most widely available in UK are either for military modelling, wargamers or, for obvious reasons, oriented towards British railway schemes.

Thanks,

Bob

[Tinplate Toddler]

Microscale paints are sold in the UK via super-hobby.co.uk

[John Busby]

fowlmereRR

Humbrol Airfix Citadel Pheonix(spelling) rail match valajo in fact any brand of hobby paints  you can get from UK hobby shops will have paints you can use.

With the fantasy war games paints step one ignore the name look at the colour make your decision based on that.

RAF Trainer Yellow  West Australian railway translation WAGR yellow would also do as Railbox yellow I have seen several brown variations that could be Boxcar red colors humbrol brick red could be a boxcar red or WAGR red oxide.

Its a bit like the UK which green is Southern Railway green argument

Batches are different from the last how much weather has it had did the paint shop foreman say add a bit more X because he did not like the color ect is it just a fresh varnish job

There is plenty to choose from Boxcar red for example is a very generic term just about every railway has its own version of it so you could probably get away with something that looks like red oxide or even a spray red oxide primer, grey automotive primer can become wagon grey for anythig that needs to be grey.

The simple trick of satin finish on a colour that looks right for fresh paint and flat finish for a colour that looks a bit off and therefore has faded can go a long way for improving realism and if you really hate the finish and model modern railroads out with the graphette (spelling) for a cover up job

Just don't have a final full gloss finish that doesn't work for models for some reason

except for under decals before final finish.

regards John

 

 

 

[FlyingScotaman]

Thats a goo piece of advice thanks. I have has poor luck with Humbrol matt and satin coming up like gloss.

[John Busby]

hi flyingscotsman

I have similar problems with my paints I use many localy avalable brands some are only avalable in gloss or seem to have different ideas on what gloss, satin and flat are.

So my models get a final spray of clear finish in satin or flat depending on what finish I want.

regards John

[SeeYou190]

Vallejo should be available easiy in the UK, it is made in Spain.

They have everything you need. There are so many "Boxcar Red" colours in the Panzer Aces line it would make your head spin.

As suggested, ignore the colour names and look at the actual colours.

-Kevin

[Marc_Magnus]

These colors come from the military model community.

They are often quote as the best quality colors to be used.

Knowing the quality of modeling this community offer this a real acknowledgement of these colors.

Vallejo, MIG, AK colors systems will help you easily; they are acrylics paint, AK offer some enamels paint.

These paints family have a big range of colors; any basic color is declined in various variation; Vallejo offer around ten different  black colors.

Vallejo, MIG and AK colors offer family products like wash, special paint effect (rust is an example), varnish and glue.

Tamiya is also a good ressources of acrylic colors but need some practice to be used.

Tamiya also offer first rate quality family products; the plastic glue of Tamiya are also first rate products.

Model Master paint from Testors is also a line of enamel and acrylics colors you can also use; they are excellent paint too.

Vallejo              https://acrylicosvallejo.com/en/

MIG                  https://www.migjimenez.com/en/15-acrylic-colors

AK                    https://ak-interactive.com/

Tamiya              https://www.tamiya.com/english/products/archive.htm

Model Master     https://www.testors.com/product-catalog/testors-brands/model-master/

[FlyingScotaman]

G'day John, A coat of flat clear is a good shout. Fortunately for me I rarely paint things so the only recent venture was grey - which I got the shade spot-on - for the full width diaphragms that I added to my Walthers sleepers to match my 1938 MTH 20th Century cars, so although a tad glossy there's so little of it it doesn't really matter too much. Still if a modelling paint says matt it ought to be. I can get paint for my woodwork at home in eggshell, satin or gloss and it's always fine. It is also about 1/1000 of the cost by volume. Cheers

[SBX]

Mech Models, in Burton-on-Trent, sell Badger colour match paint for US outline check out:

 

https://mech-models.com/shop/ols/categories/paints-and-airbrushes

David

[FowlmereRR]

Thank you to everybody who has contributed suggestions and tips. I'll be following this up in due course.

Best regards, stay safe, keep modelling (as Mr Popp would say!)

Bob