Southern Pacific Orange

Trying to match the colour for the Louis Marx Southern Pacific Crummy proved challenging.  I found a website that gave out the RGB number, but even this became difficult to match myself.

Salvation came in the form of our local art shop.  Browsing their range of paint tubes I came across Winsor & Newton’s Griffin Alkyd range.  Their Scarlet Lake (191 4603) was a spot on match.  There are a number of drawbacks; it dries matt, you can’t spray it and even with thinning it is the devil to minimise the brush marks.

That said it is possible to minimise the brush marks by taking the following steps;  Thinning with White Spirit, gently rub down between coats (after it has dried hard which I accelerate by putting in a very warm place) and when applying each subsequent coat brush on at 90° to the previous.

The detailing of the handrails etc is drawn on using a Faber – Castell Pitt artist pen.  These have a fibre tip and so don’t dig into the paint, don’t bleed into the paint and when dry are permanent.

To combat the matt finish I then varnished it with a clear gloss varnish.

Given that the monetary worth of the car is not great I feel that the above is a cost effective solution.  Although not a perfect replication of the original I think the result is very acceptable and better than a missing or blank end.

Louis Marx, Streamline, Stream Line, Steam Type, Electric Train, 4313, Pennsylvania 37956, Merchandise Service, 1427, Wabash, WAB 80982, Southern Pacific, 1235, Southern Pacific Lines, Transformer 1239, 50 watts, 110-120 Volts, 60 Cycles, New York

First attempt, not so good!

Louis Marx Southern Pacific Caboose 1235

Replacement end