Model Railroading > Railroad Color paints

I have not been painting locos and stuff for a bit. I know the older Railroad Colors by Floquil is a thing of the past. What is the next best product now? For airbrushing of course.

Posted from iPhone

Try tru-color paint. They produce hundreds of RR colors and can be air or brush panted (for small details).

http://trucolorpaint.com


Mr. MRL

Ya! Looks good. Do you order direct from them ? I am far from any decent hobby shop. The Train Shop is the closest one at 65 miles.

I personally have not ordered direct, not sure if you can. I'm in So Cal, several area shops stock them.

They list shops that carry their paints, you could try contacting one or more to see if they could ship...
http://trucolorpaint.com/find-a-retail-store/

I'd try Railmaster Hobbies in Bellflower, CA. Great shop, been there several times. They should be able to ship Tru-color paints out for you.
http://www.railmasterhobbies.com

I've used their BNSF Heritage Green and Orange colors, along with MRL blue. They are near spot on matches for prototype color. I believe they are acetone based(?), dry very quickly with a nice semi-gloss shine prepped for decals.

Mr. MRL



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/15 19:30 by MrMRL.

I have always preferred Scalecoat & they're still in business. Mix it 50/50 with Scalecoat thinner and airbrush at about 15 to 20 psi. Dries to a beautiful gloss for easy decaling and covers great. Great stuff.

I second the scalecoat tru color can be hard to spray

I have always ordered Tru Color direct via phone call and credit card
with no issues. I have not air brushed Tru Color a lot, but what I have
used has been OK to my eye.
zr190

I'll triple dog dare ya on the Scalecoat, #I direct paint for brass and #II is plastic compatible for air brushing. True color is very nice also but you'll need a surface prep (prime coat) for brass because it does not stick.

Ed

SPED Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'll triple dog dare ya on the Scalecoat, #I
> direct paint for brass and #II is plastic
> compatible for air brushing. True color is very
> nice also but you'll need a surface prep (prime
> coat) for brass because it does not stick.
>
> Ed

Ed

Thanks for the heads up on the primer requirements for Tru Color on brass.

Regards
Russ

Posted from Android

Walthers now carries the Tru Color line of paints. Not all colors show up on their website but if the LHS orders a color it seems to come through.

Posted from Windows Phone OS 7

SPED Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'll triple dog dare ya on the Scalecoat, #I
> direct paint for brass and #II is plastic
> compatible for air brushing. True color is very
> nice also but you'll need a surface prep (prime
> coat) for brass because it does not stick.
>
> Ed

It does if you gently bead or grit blast the brass first. Repainted a tender with Tru Color after taking this step, and the stuff is darn near bullet proof.

Tru-Color vs Scalecoat. Both paints have excellent qualities. Yes, Scalecoat does not need priming on brass, while Tru-Color does. I use primer before I paint anyway, both on brass and plastic, so that is not an issue. I also set my brass models in a vinegar bath overnight which provides for a mild etch. That said, while each is a high quality paint, I prefer Tru Color due to it's ease of application. Also, Scalecoat has a very strong odor which pretty much always gives me a headache, even with a respirator mask. I use Allclad grey base coat which provides a very smooth and glossy coat on both brass and plastic surfaces. Of course, there are many other primers you could use as well. I use a hair dryer for about 5 minutes and apply the next coat. I don't try masking until the model has dried for 24 hours. I now use Tru Color masking tape which is very easy on surfaces.

As for Tru Color, I recommend thinning it before use. (I thin 75/25% paint/thinner) I had been using acetone to thin it with ok results. I recently bought the Tru Color thinner and am using it now. I may be imagining this, but it seems the paint is going on smoother now. I still clean my airbrush with acetone, but I now only thin with Tru Color thinner. It is spendy, but worth the results for a more professional look.

I also like the Tru Color varieties of paint, including passenger car interior colors. I do a lot of interior painting and this stuff is pretty much spot on. Also, the smaller bottles the paint comes in is perfect for the one car projects I do.

How is True Color for Santa Fe colors of Blue, Yellow and Red? Also suggestion on Silver for Santa Fe?

One of the negatives I've heard about TruColor paint is that it dries very fast & can easily clog an airbrush if you're not moving fast enough. Anyone experience this?

226speed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How is True Color for Santa Fe colors of Blue,
> Yellow and Red? Also suggestion on Silver for
> Santa Fe?

You had to post that question here, when you know I am just a few miles away, and have all 4 colors (even the silver) sitting in the hobby room? :-)

Posted from Android

jburek Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One of the negatives I've heard about TruColor
> paint is that it dries very fast & can easily clog
> an airbrush if you're not moving fast enough.
> Anyone experience this?


I only use a medium tip and be sure to thin with the Tru Color thinner.

Definitely use TruColor thinner to thin TruColor paints. I usually thin down the TruColor until it is the consistency of 0% milk.

For cleaning, use any old lacquer thinner to clean up your airbrush.

Cheers,
Harry