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Help needed

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Oke
  • Member since
    March 2008
  • 14 posts
Help needed
Posted by Oke on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 11:28 AM

Hi Everyone, need a little help over here in blighty please, firstly does anyone know which colour red Athearn use for their Canadian Pacific es4400s, tried athearn they couldent tell me believe it or not, And also is there another manufacture who make the Potash  Canpotex hoppers simalar to NARC (pwrs) that can be repainted etc.Have tried ordering a set from pwrs  but doesnt seem to have happened. Any help greatly appreiated

  • Member since
    April 2020
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Posted by Ringo58 on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 11:45 AM

Oke

Hi Everyone, need a little help over here in blighty please, firstly does anyone know which colour red Athearn use for their Canadian Pacific es4400s, tried athearn they couldent tell me believe it or not, And also is there another manufacture who make the Potash  Canpotex hoppers simalar to NARC (pwrs) that can be repainted etc.Have tried ordering a set from pwrs  but doesnt seem to have happened. Any help greatly appreiated

 

I can't help with the hoppers, but the paint should be easy. depending on how you chose to apply it. I would just google "canadian pacific red paint" and you should have many companies pop up. I personally reccomend ScaleCoat II. They sell it in rattle cans so its very easy to apply and looks great! I've painted 3 models using their paint and I like how easy it is to apply

Oke
  • Member since
    March 2008
  • 14 posts
Posted by Oke on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 11:53 AM

Thank you ringo, have googled but as yet cant find the same colour as the es 

 

  • Member since
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  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 12:00 PM

Oke
ave googled but as yet cant find the same colour

Are you using the colors displayed on your monitor to judge? If so, that is never accurate.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
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Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 12:02 PM

I just Googled "What paint matches Canadian Pacific red".  And found all sorts of articles, and painting tips, and threads from other forums on the subject.

Give it a try.

As for the hoppers, here's a link to an article describing the NCS cars.  

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/railproducts/product.aspx?id=67

Maybe you can use this info to look around for other 3 bay hoppers that might come close.

Mike.

  • Member since
    September 2003
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Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 12:12 PM

The OP will never find his answer on the Web, unless he finds someone who has done what he should do already.  Which is to take his Athearn locomotive to someone with a good calibrated spectrometer, ideally with the ability to scan in different types of light, and get the various metrics for 'matching' the color Athearn physically applied to that locomotive (and of course can't tell him the composition of without quizzing their manufacturer).  

I make a point of using light as close to the 'ambient' where the model will be used or viewed when conducting this sort of measurement.  That doesn't matter much in the 'present' case, but if you're intending to have paint mixed by formula to match, there can be formula differences based on the spectral response in different lights.  

Note that this is only really useful if matching that particular paint for a particular reason -- the usual one being to make matched units in a consist or a passenger train look reasonably close.  The actual effects of different paint batches, weathering, etc. will make 'actual' Canadian Pacific "red" a range of colors, not one perfect Pantone-style shade for all cases.

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Posted by snjroy on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 12:49 PM

Matching paint is a pain! 

I can't say I'm good at it, but this is what I do: I take a picture of the color with my cellphone camera, and matching it against craft paint colors at the craft store. The colors on the cap are pretty accurate... I sometimes have to buy 2 or 3 bottles, but that's not a problem for craft paint. At home, I will experiment by painting something like a coffee stirer, let it dry, and put it against the piece. I will add a bit of black to darken the color a bit. I'm happy if it's "close enough", especially if its only a small dent. The rest will be hidden with weathering. 

Simon

Oke
  • Member since
    March 2008
  • 14 posts
Posted by Oke on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 1:30 PM

Thank you Mike

Oke
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Posted by Oke on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 1:31 PM

Oke
  • Member since
    March 2008
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Posted by Oke on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 1:35 PM

Finding it hard to understand how this info isnt available with the R nD guys at Athearn, as all im trying to do is match the colour of their AC4400cwm so i can add ditch lights 

Oke
  • Member since
    March 2008
  • 14 posts
Posted by Oke on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 1:37 PM

Cheers Simon

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  • From: SE. WI.
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Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 1:39 PM

Overmod
he OP will never find his answer on the Web, unless he finds someone who has done what he should do already.

When I did the search, that I suggested to the OP, there were quite a few that have matched the red, with examples of different manufacturers.

As far as a dead on match for what Athearn used, if it's that critical, then your more scientific approach would be needed.

Mike.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 1:54 PM

Oke
as all im trying to do is match the colour of their AC4400cwm so i can add ditch lights 

So, that's all you need is just a little touch up after installing the ditch lights?  

I've watched many CP trains trackside, and I've seen small patched areas that the guys at the shop weren't too fussy about.

Maybe when Chris sees your thread, he'll have some ideas, and he will also know whats out there for hoppers that would be a close match to the NSC cars.

Mike.

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 2:14 PM

This is the only freight car I have had to color match. If you look carefully at the area around the reporting marks, you can see where I masked off the factory lettering.

When I assembled this car, I used different ladders, doors, and roofwalk than were in the kit. I used one of the kit doors to test Floquil colors I had on hand. I found three that were close, and mixed all three together. The results were acceptable.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

Oke
  • Member since
    March 2008
  • 14 posts
Posted by Oke on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 2:15 PM

Thanks, Yes thinking that as an option Mike, Regards tha hoppers just trying get a rake together as i want to model a potash unit train.

 

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 2:16 PM

Oke
All I'm trying to do is match the colour of their AC4400cwm so i can add ditch lights.

Pffft... just brush on a Vallejo colour that is close and then dry-brush to match.

Easy-Peasy.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Potomac Yard
  • 2,767 posts
Posted by NittanyLion on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 2:50 PM

I'd just slap some Guards Red on there and call it a day.

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  • From: Canada
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Posted by cv_acr on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 3:21 PM

Oke
And also is there another manufacture who make the Potash  Canpotex hoppers simalar to NARC (pwrs) that can be repainted etc.

 

No. No one else makes the same NSC model.

Atlas makes a sort of similar-sized ACF three-bay car, which they've offered in some of the potash company schemes from the NSC car as a stand-in, but the model car is a different prototype.

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