Hello, I have a question for Chessie modelers out there who custom paint their own rolling stock. Has anyone found a close match to the yellow Atlas uses on their Chessie covered hoppers. I would like to find a Scale Coat II match. I picked up a bottle of their Chessie yellow, but it is to light. Almost a lemon yellow. I have used UP armour in the past in acrylics but wanted some advice prior to purchacing that color from ScaleCoat.
Thanks
Greg McCartney
You will have to mix the color. I usually weather my equipment, so an exact match isn’t that critical. Floequil railbox yellow is one of the closest, but I still add a dash of red or even orange to knock down that bright “lemon” color. The vermillion is a real problem to get right. If you notice P2K is almost red, Atlas is too orange. The prototype was kept fairly clean, but you will notice that the enchantment and vermilion tended to fade over time. Try to alter the Scalecoat II and if not exact slightly weather. They look more like the real thing this way.
Bob K.
I love those Chessie colours. They look great on any loco. Is the question of the correct colours the reason there seem to be so few Chessie models available? Is there a society or somehing that commisions special paint jobs?
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I use Accupaint for touch up painting on my Atlas Chessie engines and it matches.
I use scalecoat for my Chessie repaints.
One thing I do, is put a grey primer coat on first, then lay the yellow on in a very thin coat. This takes out the “lemon” hue.
The reasoning behind using scalecaot is simple.
Weaver (I’m a 2 rail O scaler) uses it on their Chessie items, and IMO, consistancy in a rolling stock fleet is more important than an entirely accurate color chip, that, under layout lighting may not look correct at all.
Again, IMO, creating a consistant illusion is far more important that an entirely accurate color, that may not look right under layout conditions.
(How many trains has anyone seen under flourscent, or even “cool-white” incandescent lighting? Most of us have seen them in daylight.)
To my eyes, the yellow Atlas uses on their Chessie rolling stock is visually pleasing. I think that is the problem I am having with the Scalecoat Chessie yellow. It is so bright and yellow that it is to stark and could be toned down a little even if it cause the color not to match a paint chip. Looking at pictures in the Chessie guide, I believe that the SC Chessie yellow is accrurate. Problem is on the model it makes the model to bright and flashy. Well once I get the blue on, that may change the whole perspective.
Greg McCartney
Greg,
Don’t forget to layout the long hood Chessie logo and mask for the cat’s ear that stays yellow. The decal is large enough that the ear masking only needs to be close.
I assume you’re doing an EMD, Microscale decals work great. The newer set has the proper size for the nose herald. Try using 3M fineline tape for the initial masking, the vinyl tape can be burnished over those door latches/ hindges with no creep under. The tricky masking is on the short hood between the vermilion and the blue top. The yellow/ orange(vermilion) break at the short hood determines the break around the cab and long hood. If you don’t get the break just right the paint job will look off.
Bob K.
Thanks for the tip Bob. Actually I am doing covered hoppers now. I had 4 old Mckean 2 bay hoppers I am painting for stand in HC44s. I thought this would be a good project to try the new scale coat 2 chessie yellow. I think however I am going to go back to Accupaint. I have used acrylics for the last 8 years or so. I was trying to find something comparable to what Atlas has used on their ACF covered hoppers. It is a darker yellow than what they have used on their locomotives.
Greg McCartney
Sorry, I forgot there are 2 scalecoats, I also use the acrylics. As my “paint shop” is in a basement that is heated by coal, I don’t need the explosion hazard. Tends to make a mess of the layout.
One other issue, is the locations that cars and locomotives were painted. There are subtle varaitions in hue at each location. Cumberland units seemed to be a little “lighter” than Huntington re-paints.
Cars actually seemed to be worse for “varaitions” that the locomotives. Plus, cars paint jobs seem to last longer, so weathering can make a car a little more easy on the eyes. I have just recently, saw a PC car in a train, in 2006!!!
In all honesty, Chessie didn’t last all that long. As a corporate image, it lasted from '72 to '87, so there was not really enough time to paint all those cars. There were even B&O-C&O-WM locomotives still running around when CSX came about.
Plus again, Chessie seemed to keep their stuff cleaner than most. Must have been that B&O and WM pride factor, as I remember hearing Cumberland shopmen commenting on “that junk from Hillbilly land (C&O)” looking so bad.
Now, imagine just how bright a un-weathered covered hopper looks in O scale!
That can actually hurt the eyes!
Bob K,
The short hood painting is one of the reasons I switched to O scale!
I would get a pile (5 or 7) of locos ready to paint, that way, I was not switching colors so often, and the masking was merely tedious,instead of completly insane!