Looking for paint color to match K-line PRR passenger cars

Have you tried the scale-coat paints from Minuteman Scale Models?  They aren't acrylic, but they have just about every RR color. https://www.minutemanscalemodels.com

-Eric Siegel

Thanks Eric. If I was doing a complete repaint it would be easier to select a paint color, but the O gauge/scale mfcr's paint their offerings in sligtly different shades. I will check your suggested resourse. 

You may want to try several colors on test sheets prior to making a decision.  I have a lot of PRR and nearly none of it matches.  K-Line's color on the heavyweights always seemed a hair darker than the streamlined cars.  K-Line's Tuscan Red tends to be more towards the brown side of the spectrum vs. the red side. 

Sadly this is prototypical as the PRR changed the formulation of Tuscan over time due to changes in the quality of paint pigments.

True-Color also makes excellent paints.  However, it has been said that Scale Coat makes a very good representation of the color.  It is a little redder than some of the others I've used such as Floquil.

Good luck!

Yes Jonathan, the PRR passenger colors did change from time to time. I found a chart on a google search and posted it on some thread, perhaps "what ...did on layout today" So my problem is matching that K-line version of Tuscan. Even if I find the exact color formula, the patches will be different than the aged paint on the car, but a little weathering might make that less obvious. Thanks for your reply.

I have a paint color scanner at the office that will color match the closest colors for up to 25 brands of paint or something like that.  I was surprised at how accurate it is.  If I get back to the office anytime soon, I can try it out and see what comes up.  Is this streamlined or heavyweight car?  I have both to see how close it will match.  I also have several manufacturers color samples at my office as well.

Jonathan, sorry I did not reply sooner. It's a heavyweight. Many thanks for the input and help.

BTW, the site I found is http://jbritton.pennsyrr.com/i...-to-match-prr-paints. There is a chart as I recall that indicates munsell numbers for color variations for the 1930s Tuscan Red; 1940s Tuscan Red a/k/a Light Tuscan; 1950sTuscan Red passenger enamel a/k/a medium Tuscan and Pullmanlight Tuscan post WWII; 1960s Tuscan Red a/k/a dark Tuscan.

Don't know about the heavyweights, but I have a pair of 21" cars in my string.  They are almost brown in comparison to my Scale Coat cars.  I would say your best hope is a paint matching plan - sometimes a Home Depot match can work.

My plan is to repaint them in Scalecoat, maybe with vinyl lettering.

@GG1 4877 posted:

I have a paint color scanner at the office that will color match the closest colors for up to 25 brands of paint or something like that.  I was surprised at how accurate it is.  If I get back to the office anytime soon, I can try it out and see what comes up.  Is this streamlined or heavyweight car?  I have both to see how close it will match.  I also have several manufacturers color samples at my office as well.

Any chance this ever happened? I've got a couple of cars I'd like to get to at least a close match with the K-Line PRR heavyweight paint color.

go to home depot or lowes

@Magicland posted:

Any chance this ever happened? I've got a couple of cars I'd like to get to at least a close match with the K-Line PRR heavyweight paint color.

This came and went out of my head like most of my train projects these days.  I will need to make a trip to my storage unit to get the car.  I need to head down there one weekend soon anyway as the standard gauge items from Christmas have yet to go back there yet.

@fastman posted:

go to home depot or lowes

Maybe they do by you, but here they don't sell model paint.

@Magicland posted:

Maybe they do by you, but here they don't sell model paint.

They don't "sell model paint", but they DO sell paint, and both stores have those "paint color scanners", which are able match ANY color.

@Hot Water posted:

They don't "sell model paint", but they DO sell paint, and both stores have those "paint color scanners", which are able match ANY color.

That's great if I want my kitchen or dining room to match the K-Line PRR cars, but it doesn't do a heck of a lot towards finding me a paint suitable for them which is close in color.

@Magicland posted:

That's great if I want my kitchen or dining room to match the K-Line PRR cars, but it doesn't do a heck of a lot towards finding me a paint suitable for them which is close in color.

Well,,,,,,,,if they can match a paint color for your kitchen or dining room that is an EXACT MATCH for your K-Line PRR passenger cars, why can't you spray that same paint on the cars?

I think a pint of spot on color is about three dollars.  One stop, correct color and you can get the project completed this month  If in five years you throw away 75%, you're still time and money ahead.  John

My Friend the acrylic paint at H.D. & Lowes is model paint just a different name and 75% cheaper.