Full Version: Reefer yellow? Which paint to choose?
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Hi,

As some of you know, I'm actually in the process of rebuilding my fleet of reefers circa 1952. I have about 23 cars on the benchwork and I've been experimenting with "yellow reefer" without success.

My first try was with Model Master Yellow Reefer 4879 (flat acrylic). They are the color supposed to replace the Floquil/Pollyscale lines. It looks like lemon to me... It's a very bright yellow. I'm not sure it is exactly the right color.

Then I tried a generc Model Master Enamel Deep Yellow. It was a little bit too orangey.

Then I simply tried to match existing cars I had on hand or from pictures in book and only. This led me astray. Processed colors can be completely off depending lighting condition and weathering.

The same happened with orange reefer...

So now I'm looking for suggestion about decent Yellow Reefer and Orange Reefer. It can be straight from the bottle, or a custom mix, acrylic or enamel. As long as I can source it, I'll be happy.

Best regards!

Matt
The car below was built from a Branchline (now Atlas) kit. One of two, originally lettered billboard-style for American beer, I simply wiped-off all of the lettering, using methyl hydrate on a rag. The car was modified slightly (I don't care for plastic grabirons and sill steps), and while the other car was painted to match a Northern Pacific prototype, this one ended up as part of the Grand Valley's motley roster of disparate GVEX (Grand Valley Export Ltd.) refrigerator cars.

[Image: 100_7104.jpg]

The yellow paint is Pollyscale Railbox Yellow, with a few drops of either Caboose Red or Soo Line Red added. It mostly, sorta, kinda matches the other cars in the fleet, but I wasn't overly concerned about an exact match, since the other cars, some of which are shown below, were painted at different times and with various Pollyscale yellows mixed with varying amounts of, well, various reds...

This is a somewhat re-detailed Roundhouse (MDC) kit...

[Image: NewYearsChallengePhotos181.jpg]

...and this one was built from an undecorated Rapido kit...

[Image: Latest%20rolling%20stock....%20012.jpg]

...and four of these Tyco cars...

[Image: 2013PHOTOS-DUFFCHALLENGE2002_zps8a1e3b10.jpg]

...were converted into these...

[Image: 2013PHOTOS-DUFFCHALLENGE2057.jpg]

I also have a couple of older Athearn cars painted and lettered for Fruit Growers Express. I don't recall at all what yellow was used, or if, or how, it was modified. About all I can tell you is that it was either Pollyscale or Floquil, and I tried to match it to an on-line photo that a friend had sent to me. It was of a wooden car in a museum, but who can say if the colour on my screen was true-to-life or matched the yellow color, missing its "u", in that U.S. museum....

[Image: freshfoe-toes096.jpg]

[Image: freshfoe-toes095.jpg]

Looking at the pictures, I do think that the wooden FGEX car needs some more weathering, though....it looks too much like a museum relic.

Wayne
Thanks Wayne... I understand I shouldn't concern myself too much with an exact color. Once again, nice kitbashed and improved cars.

Matt