Model Railroading > SP Scarlet Red Match

Hi Everyone,

I'm in the process of renumber some SP tunnel motors and I need to do some touch up painting. What is the best paint match to the SP Scarlet Red Athearn uses? Also, I want to thank DRGWGUY and Harry Wong for the advice on using 90% alcohol to remove the factory numbering. I worked great!!!

The last question I have is what kind of clear coat should I use on the areas I had to touch with paint and redecaled to get it to blend in the factory clear coat from Athearn? A dull finish or a gloss finish?

Thanks!!!
Mike

If you go to the search function, type in "SP scarlet red match" I know this has been discussed and I think Harry gave us a name to use.

According to what I have, it says for freshly painted scarlet = Model Master Ford Engine Red. For faded scarlet = Model Master marker red.

Here's my source thanks to a previous post by Harry:
http://www.trainweb.org/mavmrrdigest/grafx/ColorGuide.pdf

Thanks for the chart. This answers alot of my questions.

Mike

If you don't mind a little extra time, I'd tape the windows and gloss coat the areas you stripped, plus a good area(.5 - 1 inch) around the area. You're obviously modeling SP, so once the decals are reset, and hit w/ gloss again( to seal them), I'd hit the entire loco w/ dullcote, or similiar, to give it the 'dullness' that we all know SP had. I'm speaking of course about the paint, not the railroad. This should deal with any issues of 'different' gloss coats. If you want to keep them "new" then I couldn't really tell you.......sorry.

Hope this helps,
Rick
http://www.fourrocksmodelworks.com

drgwguy Wrote:
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> I'd hit the entire loco w/ dullcote, or similiar,
> to give it the 'dullness' that we all know SP had.

Like these?

http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd45r_photos/7407_sp-sd45r-bob_dengler.jpg
http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd45r_photos/7470_sp-sd45r-bob_dengler.jpg
http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd45t-2r_photos/6836sl_sp-sd45t-2r-rob_sarberenyi.jpg
http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd45r_photos/7430_sp-sd45r-bob_dengler.jpg
http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd45r_photos/7434_sp-sd45r-bob_dengler.jpg

;-)

PE - Shiny, happy, diesels...

SP_8299 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> drgwguy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > I'd hit the entire loco w/ dullcote, or
> similiar,
> > to give it the 'dullness' that we all know SP
> had.
>
> Like these?
>
> http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd45r_photos/740
> 7_sp-sd45r-bob_dengler.jpg
> http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd45r_photos/747
> 0_sp-sd45r-bob_dengler.jpg
> http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd45t-2r_photos/
> 6836sl_sp-sd45t-2r-rob_sarberenyi.jpg
> http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd45r_photos/743
> 0_sp-sd45r-bob_dengler.jpg
> http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd45r_photos/743
> 4_sp-sd45r-bob_dengler.jpg
>
> ;-)
>
> PE - Shiny, happy, diesels...


Again, I'm NOT bashing the SP, but how many times I have seen a nice, shiney, new, clean loco EVER, I can count on one hand. For me, those were all the MK rebuilds that received the 'Speed Lettering'. I NEVER said that they don't exist, nor made any kind of assumption to the poster's era...........I was simply going off of what I saw.

Rick
http://www.fourrocksmodelworks.com

I model the Rock Island's Golden State Route in the 1970s so, my SP power is going to be somewhat "cleaner" compared the Rock power I have.

Thanks again,
Mike

I'd still suggest the extra step, and tape off your windows, then reapply the coat to the whole unit after decaling. Again, you can then, always add a little dullcote if you'd like......


Rick

A bit of "satin" finish works fine for cleaner Espee power. I recall the solid sets of GP35Rs running around on the Sunset Route back in 1980, and those units were practically paste waxed every weekend by the boys at Tucson!

Cheers,
Harry

Yup...I've seen photos of the GP35Rs in their heyday, and you're right, the Tucson boys took care of them. IIRC, they even had a stained glass window with an image of a GP35R and "Home of the 6300s" at their shop! Heck, even though I saw the GP35Rs later in their careers, they looked pretty decent. When it's all said and done, most of the SP power I was exposed to in the 90s didn't look that bad.

The main units I can really recall being shabby in the 90s were many members of the T-2 fleet, with units from the 8230-class SD40T-2 batch...ironically the newest ones...being among the worst offenders. Those and members of the SD40R and SD45R fleets, and many SW1500s, were in dire need of TLC, some of which got it in the form of Speed Lettering. Regardless, like Harry said, a good satin finish is my preferred clear coat of choice for Espee and just about anything else. Not too shiny, not too flat, and an excellent base for any further weathering you may desire. Accu+Paint makes an excellent one, if you can find it, but Model Master and others have clear satins in their lineups.

PE

tracktime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A bit of "satin" finish works fine for cleaner
> Espee power. I recall the solid sets of GP35Rs
> running around on the Sunset Route back in 1980,
> and those units were practically paste waxed every
> weekend by the boys at Tucson!
>
> Cheers,
> Harry

Units that weren't subject to the grunge-making tunnels of Donner and the Cascades always looked considerably fresher.

grahamline Wrote:
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> Units that weren't subject to the grunge-making
> tunnels of Donner and the Cascades always looked
> considerably fresher.

The tunnels on Tehachapi didn't do much for locomotive cleannesses either.

Local power did stay cleaner or power assigned east of El Paso was clean, but for your mountain haulers SD40/45 U30/30C, well they look rough.