Best Paint to Match New Yor Central Light and Dark Grey

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’ve both brass and plastic models which need painting and I’d like to get as close to LifeLike/Walthers NYC Light/Dark Grey scheme as possible .

I would be grateful for advice on which manufactures paints are the closest to them.

Thanks

2

I painted a NYC P2b (ex-CUT) motor in the lightening stripes using Accupaint NYC light and dark gray. The colors are perfect!

3

Floquils colors are also very close, but as far as matching a Factory paint job, MMMMM, I’m sure you’ll be able to match perfectly, but good luck. I’m sure it will still look great. Any thing NYC looks great, wouldn’t you agree.

4

Just read on the feather river site tonight about a fairly new paint by scalecoat - they have NYC light gray - #65, dark gray - #66, and pacemaker red - #58. I am also repainting some heavyweight passenger cars, and will have to try them myself to see how close they are.

5

Thanks Lads, I appreciate the response.

6

Eddy,
The Accupaint and Scalecoat colors are both pretty fair representations of the original colors and will give you a good-looking NYC car. However, if you’re trying to match factory-painted cars or locomotives exactly, you’ll probably need to blend your own paint. I’d suggest starting with the brand you prefer and painting some of each color onto a test panel. Once the paints dry, adjust by adding black or white (go easy, especially with the black!). Repeat the process until you get what you want. I blend my own NYC colors, and I usually do whole jars at a time so that I have more on hand for the next car.
Terry

7

I painted a LL P2K E-7 in the original Lightning Stripe scheme (colors kind of reversed from the one we all know and love), as no decals or factory jobs I know of are available. I had to mix the paint to match the “normal” Lightning Stripe paint scheme on the other factory painted P2K E-7 I was using in the AA set. None of the factory paint would match. I ended up using customized bottles of Accupaint shaded correctly using the white and black method previously mentioned. Heed his admonishment about being careful as once you get it too light or dark you may as well start over with a new bottle. Your other option is just to consider that the prototype paint jobs faded considerably, as some of the original paint jobs lasted untill the PC merger in the late 60s. I have seen very few engines next to each other with the same color paint, unless of course they were just from the paint shop.

Paul
Dayton and Mad River RR