If you may have noticed in my past posts, i am in a jump around period trying to decide which railroad i like the best. First it was UP then CSX, Then NS, then Conrail, Then BNSF, and finally i think i have found the right one. KCS, remember i am new to this railroad and to its availbe products. I was searching through my walthers catolouge (hope thats how ya spell it) and i noticed that KCS grey and red are not in there. PANIC!!! Are there really no manufacturers that make certain KCS colors or, to make me look stupid are they just flat grey and red? hope so maybe save me on the wait from walthers [ 01. February 2003, 04:39: Message edited by: Jake ]
Hi again Jake, not sure about current production HO KCS locos, but maybe browsing eBay every once in awhile would give you some options. Especially if there are units listed which are now out of production and hard to find in your local area. Good luck with the search. Bill
Well, I use Badger Model Flex paint, and I just checked the chart for you and didn't see the KCS new grey, so scratch them. If you can't find any, might try an email to the Kansas City Southern Historical Society. Try the link below. Some HS's even sell correct formula paint, or may even be able to suggest a close match. KCS HS Good luck!
I did some comapring between CSX ac4400 and KCS ac4400 prototypes and the grey seems to very close. Now i just have to watch out on ebay for a KCS or undec Ac4400. Thankx for all the help!
O and by the way does anyone here have half way new Athearn KCS ac4400 that they are willing to sell? [ 01. February 2003, 20:34: Message edited by: Jake ]
ok this is what i use for kcs and turns out to be a pretty close match, almost unnoticeable to tell difference. i use polly s #414134 undercoat light gray with 3 parts reefer white added. like i said it is almost undectectable between units. i have painted 5 or so using this and comes out real well.
Jake, bear in mind a few points. You only see a loco in its 'true' colour when its fresh from the paint shop and you are stood next to it in good light. Most views of trains are from a distance and the atmosphere 'fades' the colour a bit. Since we normally view our models from a scale half mile or more away this is why weathering models by no more than applying a very thin grey wash can make them look more real. Most locos aren't fresh out the shop for more than a day! Most pictures you see have colours that are subject to the vagaries of the film/camera/other processes used in their reproduction. I did a largescale loco that was to be KCS and just used grey car primer - compared to the photos I had, it looked OK. (I didn't actually put the KCS logo on it in the end, but that's another story). Mopac, do you mean 1 part gray and 3 parts white? Sounds like it would be kind of light (but I don't know how dark that 'light gray' is to begin ).
how do i post pictures? i was going to show you guys what the final product will turn out to look like but i'm not familier with UBB code
Jake, click the "RailImages" button at the top of the page, and follow the instructions for uploading pictures. Then you can add them to your posts. If you have any queries or difficulties, just holler
i guess i shoulda clarified what i do. i add 3 drops from a testors dropper to the bottle of paint, not much but it does do a subtle change. microscale recommends primer gray with a couple drops of railroad blue, but this seems to dark when i mixed it?
Jake, Testors Model Master enamel paint, "medium gray" is a dead on match for KCS gray. I can't speak for the red since the decals I used had all the red areas covered. I simply used flat black for the underframe. Here are several photos depicting a KCS locomotive I built last year: Hope you find these useful. RC
