Best color matches for Polar Express???

I would take a sample car over to Home Depot or Lowes and get them to mix up a quart that computer matches exactly.   Depending on the type of paint, buy some thinner and air brush paint on.  You if can also use a brush with lots of thin layers, but I think the air brush will give you better results.

pmilazzo posted:

I would take a sample car over to Home Depot or Lowes and get them to mix up a quart that computer matches exactly.   Depending on the type of paint, buy some thinner and air brush paint on.  You if can also use a brush with lots of thin layers, but I think the air brush will give you better results.

 

Thanks. Is it latex paint they color match and mix? How well does latex paint work in the narrow nozzle of an airbrush? How thin a coat can you spray using latex paint? Does it adhere to a plastic shell? Do you need to roughen up or scuff the finish of an engine that's factory painted before repainting with latex?

Don't waste your money on a quart, get one of the half pint samples that Home Depot has.  They will match the color, then you can thin it (a lot) with distilled water, and run it through your air brush.  Yeah, the pigment is larger, but shouldn't bother.  Keep records, so you can repeat.

Surprised by sparse number of replies. Being a popular set, I though more forum members might have repainted cars with P.E. paint schemes such as the PRR jordan spreader snowplow I plan to repaint  for Polar Express once I learn of good, close P.E. color matches..

I know some people have created custom made P.E. items and hoping they'd share with folks exactly what colors they found were best matches to Lionel's Polar Express cars. Hopefully more reponses will be forthcoming???

Did former member "Michigan & Ohio Lines" Keith paint his PE cars? Or, did he just do those wonderful modifications to them?

He may have some info for you.

You can also go to an Autobody Paint Supply shop and they can match anything and put it in a rattle can. (spray can). It will most likely be a lacquer base, although some auto paints are actually acrylic/water based these days. 

PRR / PE project info by Emile and Keith.

Polar Railroad Snow Plow

Here's a mod that I liked. Almost a recipe for the blue color. It looks really close. Airbrush acrylic.

Can't help on the font. Maybe AMCDave could provide an educated guess. Shoot him an email.

Dtrainmaster posted:

PRR / PE project info by Emile and Keith.

Polar Railroad Snow Plow

 

This was the thread I was thinking of.  I knew he'd answered my question awhile ago.  The relevant paint info, shamelessly lifted from the thread, is as follows:

"The PE Blue is a custom mix of Floquil paints, but Keith had done the groundwork and his formula was a perfect match:

Polar Express Blue Formula (See below for Polar Railroad Blue)

• 4 parts Reefer Gray

• 1 part CSX Blue(GLOSS)

• slowly add Reefer White-not quite 1 part

The Maroon color is:  Krylon Fusion 2425 Satin Burgundy 

For the striping on the plow blades I chose Floquil CN Yellow #12

I finished the Snow Plow with a clear coat (50/50 mix of Floquil Crystal Cote and Flat.)"