Below is the logo for our local model train club. For some time, I have wanted to paint one or more railroad cars this color, make decals for the logo, and decorate them as if they "belonged" to our club railroad. Now that I (for the first time in many years) actually have a workshop that will allow me to do that, I want to move this dream toward reality. But if I were to go to the hobby shop, is there a color that is close to this, or will I need to experiment with mixing colors (and I'd rather not if I can avoid it)?
If you are making decals, try using an editing software and sample the color using that tool. The icon will probably look like an eydropper. It should give you some code like a hexadecimal. Use that information when designing the decals. I would say the closest green 'railroad' color is Southern Sylvan Green or maybe Pullman green. The Keystone logo makes me think the red is PRR-inspired. I'm not sure what shade of red is, but I would expect that color to be in the logo decal, not the body of the car you are painting, which saved you some work. The PRR-ness of you logo makes me think WW2 era, or at least pre-dieselization. Most cars of that time period would have been some kind of oxide red. The only time you would be using any of your colors may be in the logo on the car side. Data-only cars wouldn't even have that, just the railroad name in paint (which would probably have been white). Passenger service cars would be the most likely place where you see this green color. I think it would pair well with Pullman Green, and your lettering would probably be Dulux. Some facilities and signage might be these colors as well, but those could be again addressed with decals.
Yeah, sorry I wasn't clear (not even close, as I re-read my post). Our club layout (O-scale) is modelled after the town in which it resides (Massillon, Ohio) and most of the trains that run there are trains that you might see today, or in years past. But, what I have in mind is to match the green color, paint an entire car the green color (I already have a hopper car for this purpose), and apply decals for the rest of the logo, car information, etc. So, it's the green that I most want to match. The red and yellow would be matched on the decal by my printer. I appreciate any and all suggestions to aid in selecting something close. Something in the PRR family or Pullman green could easily have been in the minds of club members when they designed thus as Massillon still has a standing PRR station (now in use as a flower shop, I think). Again, thanks, and my apologies for not being clearer the first time. Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk
TCP-322 CHICAGO, NORTH SHORE & MILWAUKEE (CNS&M) GREEN Railroad, Matte (Sprayable), Flat (Brushable) and Spray Can Paint Products | Tru-Color Paint I use this color, this is what my eyes see with your green. Randy
When I look at that paint "chip" on Tru-color's webpage, it looks black to me. I have three colors (two Tru-color, and one Createx) that look close to me. I'll post a picture of the comparison in a day or two when my swatches dry.
That is one of my options. Here are three colors with a few brush strokes of each to see what they look like dry and next to the color I want to match. The REA green is really close and the Createx is pretty good as well. The Createx is water based, thinner, and it's shade deepens as you add coats. None of them seem to cover well with a brush so I may have to experiment to see which I like best through my airbrush. Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk
I like both of your choices too. I have never used any CreateX products, but does your bottle say 'transparent green' on it? That may be why its not getting good coverage. While TruColor is probably more expensive, I would trust it for painting train cars. I don't mind spraying thicker paint, so your description of CreateX as thin puts me off it a bit. I would sample each in your airbrush, but I have a feeling TCP will give better results. If the CreateX paint requires more coats to get to the same opacity, you are going to spend more time painting and may end up burying small details like rivets with too many coats.
You could take it to a paint store, have them scan it and get a Panatone value for the color, then give that to decal manufacturer.
Don't shoot the messenger, but all of the colors look pretty close the colors used on old Oliver tractors. Someone who's into old tractors might be able to point you in the right direction. File:Oliver Super 99 tractor - Flickr - dave 7.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Createx paints are designed for airbrush painting, unthinned or thinned, with a .5mm tip. The "Tranparent" paint series is described as "semi-opaque out of the bottle" and, rather than show a single swatch or paint chip, Createx shows a range of colors that can be obtained using an airbrush by varying the concentration, airflow, and number of coats. Createx does have other paint series, including "opaque," "florescent," and "pearlized," but none of those include a green that matches. I've used them before on model rockets with some success, though I am admittedly, and novice at airbrushing. The interesting thing about Createx paints is that, because they are water based, they can be cleaned up with water, even on your finished product, UNTIL you apply heat. Once you hit it with a hair dryer, the paint becomes permanent. Also interesting, Tru-color is actually an ink rather than a paint in terms of chemistry. That means that while there is a limit to how thin you can make paint before the paint particles (which are suspended in a volatile evaporating medium) get too far apart, there is almost no practical limit to how much you can thin ink. I have no idea if that information is useful, but I thought it was interesting.
Thanks for that. But, my plan is to make the decals myself. I have before, though it's much easier to do on light colors than dark ones so I expect to experiment a bit.
