Model Railroading > ATSF Yellow

Hey guys, Who makes the most accurate ATSF Yellow for newly delivered locomotives, just like it just arrived from the factory.

A while ago, I asked the same question of a very knowledgeable club member who models nothing else - his anwer was "everyone" ! He says the variability in color due to different paint shops, length of exposure to the elements, repaints of damage and post-factory add-ons (like A/C's) - not to mention differences between model manufacturers makes a search of the "Holy Grail" not very meaningful - at least to him.

He uses UP Armor Yellow for added details, I have mixed reefer yellow with UP or CSX or EL Yellow to match eg Atlas U-boats when redoing the rear ends.

So,to me, it depends on what one is doing, if modeling see above, but maybe there is an "official" mix that someone else can advise.

Walt in Sausalito

This is one of those questions where that you will get a bunch of different answers. I have seen ATSF yellows that other people think look great and I think look like S*&T. I have tried a bunch of different yellows (when I modeled Santa Fe) and never really was happy. Lighting is also a big factor I have been happy with a yellow a home a taken it down to the club it looks like it has a green cast to it(Scalecoat reefer yellow). Once the loco's were out in service if you looked at a sting of loco's you might see 4-5 different yellows. When I do my Espee stuff I try to do the loco's with different grays (and weathering) so it does not look like a clone fleet. Also atsf yellow has always given me problems (more than any other color) when it comes to matching factory paint. ok I'm rambling... Joe

Basically...nobody...

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,1380881,1382296#msg-1382296

Anybody tried Floquil BNSF yellow? It's glossy and looks like a freshly painted Santa Fe yellow.

You might want to check with the Santa Fe Painting and Lettering Guide, published by the Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society (SFRHMS). You can buy it here: http://www.atsfrr.net/store/book1.htm.

Scott Maase
San Diego, CA

Yellow in general does not cover well and its highly affected by the color of the undercoat. If you have a white primer vs a grey primer the same yellow will look different.
Roger Beckett