A day for the blues (paint)

[OldEastRR]

Hey, somebody else wants to know about RR blues today! Here's mine: is CSX Blue the same as B&O Royal Blue same as NKP Blue? More or less ...

[wm3798]

It looks to me to be more in line with the C&O "enchantment" blue, which was used on the C&O-B&O merger engines with yellow block lettering.
Lee

[nickelplate759]

Hey, somebody else wants to know about RR blues today! Here's mine: is CSX Blue the same as B&O Royal Blue same as NKP Blue? More or less ...

I don't know is CSX blue the same as B&O Royal blue, but NKP blue is different.   It is the same as C&EI blue however.

[OldEastRR]

OK, do you mean NKP Blue is the same as C&EI blue? I'm looking for the NKP blue, not the other kinds.

[nickelplate759]

OK, do you mean NKP Blue is the same as C&EI blue? I'm looking for the NKP blue, not the other kinds.

Yes!



This was painted with Tru-Color  TCP-147 C&EI Early Blue.

[OldEastRR]

Great info! I'm doing a job making up NKP cars and had no idea what blue to use. How about the silver? As there's lots of different silvers what did you use in the picture?
You can see one of the cars I kitbashed in the weekend update from last week. (3/24)

Thanks!

[nickelplate759]

I used Tru-Color TCP-077 silver.

I actually liked the color of the old Poly Scale Stainless Steel better for stainless cars, but it was hard to spray (wanted to clog my airbrush), and it's out of production anyway.  The Tru-Color is much easier to use.   I suppose I could custom mix something closer to the old Poly Scale color, but I don't want to.

Note that C&EI changed their blue over the years.  It was the original one (hence "Early Blue"), used in their blue and orange scheme, that matched NKP. 

[thomasjmdavis]

Yes!



This was painted with Tru-Color  TCP-147 C&EI Early Blue.

George- thanks for this helpful bit of info.  One of the issues I have with paint companies is that, often as not, a color labeled for one railroad is actually applicable for several railroads- but they do not cross label them or provide charts (at least none I have found). 

Speaking of Tru-color paint.... how "smelly" is it?  I hear lots of good things about it- and they have several colors I could use- and seem to really do their homework on getting color right, but it is solvent based (acrylic, but solvent-acrylic) if I understand correctly.  When my kids were born 30 years ago I went to all water based paints (plus living in a northern part of the country where "well ventilated" means "really big heating bill" in 6-8 months out of the year). 

[peteski]

I used Tru-Color TCP-077 silver.

I actually liked the color of the old Poly Scale Stainless Steel better for stainless cars, but it was hard to spray (wanted to clog my airbrush), and it's out of production anyway.  The Tru-Color is much easier to use.   I suppose I could custom mix something closer to the old Poly Scale color, but I don't want to.

George, if you are looking for stainless steel color then I recommend you try TCP-355 Dark Aluminum.  It is darker, and has the warmer tone of stainless steel.  Actually they should have called it Stainless Steel.  TCP-077 is perfect as Platinum Mist (the color applied to Amtrak Diesels).  It is a cool, bluish silver (well, aluminum silver).

[nickelplate759]

Tru-Color paint is a little smelly compared to straight water-based paint, but not bad.  The primary smell I notice is the acetone that is one of its solvents.

The good news is that acetone is cheap, and perfect for cleaning up your equipment after painting.

[OldEastRR]

One last question, George: is that a brass car, or a fixed-up Rowa? I like the stand-alone grab irons.

[nickelplate759]

Rowa.  I added grabs and ladder rests on the roof.