BNSF reddish brown paint ??

[Catt]

Got 8 AZL Z scale ACF Center Flos I want to repaint and decal in the swoosh scheme,got the decals figured out but I need some help finding the correct colour in a water based acrylic if there is one.The reason for the water based acrylic are my wife with Bronchial Asthma and a cranky old Cockatiel that we are both rather found of.

If I can find a water base acrylic I can paint the cars in the basement without bothering either wife or bird.

[nkalanaga]

Have you looked at the Tamiya colors?  I looked through five years of BNSF calendars and found two picture of grain trains on sunny days.  In both cases, no two cars were the same shade of red/brown. 

Hull Red (XF-9) is too brown, and Dull Red (TS-33) is too red for my taste.  I use it for fresh NP.

The TS is a spray paint, but if it suits you, you can do like I do, just take it outside.  Put a wood or metal rod in one bolster hole, stick that on a handle (bigger piece of wood), and spray away.  All the fumes stay outside.

[Chris333]

It looks like a "mineral red" to me.

[nkalanaga]

Yes, I suspect it is a "mineral red", but it seems that every railroad, and paint company, has a different "mineral red".

Of course, judging by my calendar photos, that may not matter for, or too, BNSF.

[Catt]

I think you are right about the mineral red.Now to find a water based acrylic so I can spray in the basement.15 degrees F makes for lousy spraying weather especially since it is either raining or snowing.



Picture is a IM Trinity 5161 they don't make these in Z.

[nkalanaga]

That IM car looks quite close to Tamiya's "Dull Red", or Krylon's old "Ruddy Brown Primer", but neither are water based.

I doubt that you'll find water based paint in a spray can, if that's what you need.  I wait for a day when it's at least above freezing, warm the spray can inside before using it, then spray quickly.  I've been known to sit on the can to warm it faster...

If you have an airbrush, the June 2015 RMC had an article on making model paints from craft paints.  The author said the results were as good as Polly-Scale, but I haven't tried it.  If you can find the materials he used, which are supposedly available at Michael's and other good craft shops, you can have an unlimited supply of almost any color you like.

You might also find something in the military paints, from Model Master, Tamiya, or whatever other brands your local shop sells, for airbrushing.  I once found a perfect "Weyerheuser light green" to match a prepainted model in the fantasy paints, back when Polly-S was still around.  It was labeled "troll hide" or something like that!  The bottle is long since dried up, so I can't check the label.

[jnevis]

I'll check when I get home but Vallejo has a couple colors fairly close.  IIRC one is 982 Cavalry Brown, another is Red Leather (forget #)

[Spades]

Did you try :http://www.badgerairbrush.com/library/Paint%20Chart%20Images/Railroad%20Colors.gif

[Catt]

I am having a problem getting the data decals,seems my go to guys for those decals is no longer interested in doing Z for me.So I think I will just remove the circular BNSF logo and use the more modern swoosh decals and road numbers and just leave the cars in  BN green.

I know I can get the swoosh and road numbers in Z from another maker as I have already seen the proofs but he does not feel that he can do justice to the smaller data for Z.

Thanks for your assistance guyz it is appreciated.