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Superior Fast Freight trailer color?

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  • Member since
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  • From: Maricopa, AZ
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Superior Fast Freight trailer color?
Posted by DanRaitz on Thursday, January 21, 2021 11:26 AM

Hey All, I'm trying to match the color for a 40' trailer for Superior Fast Freight.  The Microscale Decal sheet reccomends "Jade Green", but the photo I have shows a more blue color.  What other color would you guys reccomend? 

See attached photo, taken near Fresno, CA in July 1985.

 

 

 

Guys, with a little editing in Photoshop, I concentrated on the sky color and brightness and got the colors closer to natural.  Got the trailer to move closer towards that Jade Green, what do you think?

 

If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy .... Red Green
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Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, January 21, 2021 1:22 PM

I'd try what is reccomended, the jade green, and not depend too much on a photo.

Get the green, do a test panel on a piece of white styrene.  Let it dry thoroughly.

Mike.

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  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, January 21, 2021 2:32 PM

Looking at the color of the sky in that photo, I would think that the ambient light was not the best to produce colors accurately.

Can you locate another photograph?

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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  • From: California
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Posted by HO-Velo on Thursday, January 21, 2021 4:19 PM

Instructions for Mircoscale decal set for Superior Fast Freight mentions trailer color closely approximates Floquil Jade Green.  Oops, sorry, U already know that.

Regards, Peter  P.S. sent U a P.M.

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, January 21, 2021 5:28 PM
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Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, January 21, 2021 5:45 PM

Overmod
The same picture, on another forum, shows a more jadelike color:

The OP's picture had a sky that had magenta in it.  There is probably a way in photoshop type software to filter that out and get a better idea.  I'd go with jade and some weathering.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by PC101 on Thursday, January 21, 2021 6:27 PM

If any body has the book ''PIGGYBACK COLOR GUIDE VOLUME 2: I TO X by JAMES KINKAID'', look at page #79 top photo taked December 1983 on Tehachapi Loop. Maybe not pure Jade, but has a tint of blue in it. The sun is high and to the rear of the trailer.

  • Member since
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  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
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Posted by gmpullman on Thursday, January 21, 2021 9:45 PM

Hello,

When I saw the color on the Superior trailer my mind immediately recalled the old "Dark Teal" color that was popular with Sears-Roebuck back in the '60s and '70s:

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ertl-sears-1970s-transtar-truck-1794709468

To my eye it is a bit darker and perhaps a touch of blue added to the Microscale recommendation of "Jade" green (AKA Century green to the New York Central).

 Century_green by Edmund, on Flickr

Microscale does a great job with their research but I have found some of their documentation, and they admit this, as simply a starting point or suggestion.

 Century_green_RBL by Edmund, on Flickr

I can't say my lighting or camera white balance is perfect but IMHO the Jade/Century green seems to be a bit on the light side. IF you use it as a starting point I would plan on adding a drop or two of dark gray and perhaps a drop of blue to your mix.

HOWEVER (there's always a however):

Take a look at this photo (the paint may be sun-bleached and faded)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rwmods/14047423983/in/photolist-PBNKdG-oGFMUC-rwB48b-npjHKe

 That almost looks like sky blue, or Robin's egg blue?

My 2 Cents Good Luck, Ed

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, January 21, 2021 10:56 PM

If you want to start a great load of discussion and different references for the color and perhaps paint codes used on the equipment, go to RyPN and sic this question on user NVPete (see the thread on Reading paint color for an idea where this will then go...)

  • Member since
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  • From: Maricopa, AZ
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Posted by DanRaitz on Friday, January 22, 2021 9:34 AM

While doing the editing work I noticed that there was a unauthorized passenger. Surprise 

If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy .... Red Green
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Posted by NittanyLion on Friday, January 22, 2021 11:07 AM

That fellow hiding in there really speaks to how dark the photo is.

Now, I'm assuming that the color didn't change over the years.  Athearn did a different trailer and this is the color they chose:

I also came across this:

At first, I thought that it would be more of a teal, but it looks like a slightly darker jade green to me.

  • Member since
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Posted by DanRaitz on Friday, January 22, 2021 11:46 AM

NittanyLion

 

I also came across this:

At first, I thought that it would be more of a teal, but it looks like a slightly darker jade green to me.

 

That's making me think a 60's Ford Turquoise might work best.

 

If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy .... Red Green
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: Maricopa, AZ
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Posted by DanRaitz on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 5:49 PM

Guys, I've decided to go with Tamiya TS-41 Coral Blue.  What do you think?

 

 

 

If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy .... Red Green
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Posted by PC101 on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 6:53 PM

Looks excellent to my eye.

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Posted by nealknows on Thursday, February 18, 2021 7:29 AM

Looks great! Excellent work!

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