I recently picked up an older westside model 44ton diesel and I’m trying to color match what was used on SSL #6.Did GE have any off the self colors or was it up to the RR to pick?
http://web.me.com/gino.dicarlo/ginospage/SSL/ssl_diesel.html
Not sure if you are going to find a document with the paint #. Looks pretty much like a standrd blue and yellow. You might want to look at the Floquil paint chips that are on line and see what is commercially available.
It appears tha #6 is a 44 tonner, and #7 is a 45 tonner(the smaller one with the side rods).
Jim
I think you are asking how to match paint color to the photos posted on web.me.com. You have to look at commercially available paint, say Floquil and Poly Scale, or perhaps automotive touch up lacquer in spray cans. You want to get color chips, small bits of cardboard painted with the paint you intend to use. Color chips are much more accurate color wise than color printing or color photographs. If the paint maker doesn’t offer color chips, make your own by applying several coats of the paint to a bit of card board.
Then compare the color chips with your photos. Do this under layout lighting conditions. There is a tremendous difference in color under sunlight and color under fluorescent lamps.
With luck, you will find ready mixed paints close enough to your prototype to do the job. If not, you have to mix your own. Start with a close enough color. Then add white,. or black, or blue or yellow or green or maybe a little of all three until you get close enough. Make a color chip of the mixture you like to make sure the color match is to your liking when the paint is dry.
You don’t have to knock yourself out color matching. The eye cannot distinguish between paints with a small difference in color. If the colors are close, the eye will call it the same.
Matching paint color exactly is one of the hardest things a professional painter has to do. That being said you have several options A: find the color on Testors site aka Flowquil I am guessing maybe B&M Blue or the D&H Avon blue just a wild guess and spray the new loco and see how close you come. I would not suggest trying to tint the color to get a better match a gram or tow the wrong way and the paint color is garbage. If the color really doesn’t match 100% but is pretty close you have to take into account weathering and the age of the unit. Not very likely both would have been put into service exactly the same time and weather up equally.
Option B; paint both locomotives the same color if the match is that important to you thats the only true way you can guarantee a perfect match without knowing the exact color the first one was painted in.
Thanks for the input.I know I’ll be painting panels of different shades of blue,just putting feelers out.