Model Railroading > DT&I paint question

I'm trying with no luck in locating a color that comes close the the DT&I orange. I have been to their web site with no luck. Does anyone model them other than me? Thanks Steve (UP6553)

The website Dti.railfan.net did a comparison of a number if options.

CSXT8888 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The website Dti.railfan.net did a comparison of a
> number if options.


I've been there and a lot of their links lead nowhere..

http://dti.railfan.net/

Here's the link to the painting guide - http://dti.railfan.net/Paint_Colors/DTI_Orange.html

I tested it, and it works. Just don't try to ask which match is correct. There are a lot of differing opinions on which shade is the correct shade.


Cass Telles
"Slow-Approach-Slow" - 'Go by way of the B&O'
Railroads of NW Ohio
http://www.trainweb.org/rrnwoh
My photostream on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctelles/

hartrick24 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm trying with no luck in locating a color that
> comes close the the DT&I orange. I have been to
> their web site with no luck. Does anyone model
> them other than me? Thanks Steve (UP6553)


Ask Jim Hediger at MR, he WILL know.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Jim doesn't work there anymore... He retired, though he will occasionally do something independently for MR.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/14 10:57 by wabash2800.

>>Does anyone model them other than me?

Yes, I have quite a few DT&I items on my PennCentral 1974-era railroad. The variation of colors is indeed a problem. The Athearn GP35s and SD38 came in a too-bright orange color. The Atlas GP40/40-2's are close, in my opinion, but their GP38's are off for some reason.

The easiest way to tone down the Athearn units is with subtle weathering to make it appear that they are lighter in color because of dead/weathering paint.

The SP Daylight Red is pretty close and the ATSF Red/Yellow is alright, but now of course the solvent-based Floquil is hard-to-find.

Layout lighting is definitely a factor; I use halogen and/or LED track lights and the mixture of colors isn't really that apparent. If you want to do a contest quality model that will be viewed by itself, perhaps the DT&I 'in color' book would be a good reference, but of course that is complicated by the different transparency films the contributors used.

The answer is....sigh...I suppose there isn't a definitive answer other than to find a color that has the appearance you want. Not much help here....

I have a bunch of DT&I models as well.

Here is the thing paint it to match your eye and personal taste.

A room with 20 DT&I modelers will result in at least 15 different response whether or not it is right or wrong color. Hell a unit painted to match a color chip off a DT&I
loco or paint swatch from DT&I will get you at least 10 responses of "That's dead wrong!' Too bright, too orange, too red, too dark, should I go on?

The DT&I modelers I've met are all nice guys but just don't ask their opinion on color. It will never be a done deal even if Mr Hediger says its correct, you have the original
formula in writing or god shows up and says it to be. Someone will say it's wrong.

Just my opinion from 20 years of dealing with and painting DT&I units. Oh yeah one more thing the part about lighting is very important, the model will look drastically different
in fluorescent, LED, halogen and natural sunlight, this is why I usually tell people to match a unit to their lighting conditions.

Kris

Thank you to all of the members that helped me. I went to ebay and bought some of the paints that were suggested. Now a friend will give me trial airbrush lessons… Steve (UP6553)

southern pacific daylight orange looks great. ive used this before with modeling dt&i gp38s