I am editing an old Jim Barrett Backshop sequence for re-release on the OGR YouTube channel. In the sequence, Jim mentions the old line of Poly S paints, which are no longer available. I want to update the video with correct information about today's paints.
What do you folks recommend as the appropriate 21st century substitute for Poly S paints?
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I have not had much luck with acrylics but a friend and professional painter recommends Vallejo paint. I might post a photo with his approval.
Pete
That's a tough one Rich. Tru-color is the go-to on good quality railroad colors, but they are solvent based.
I agree with Pete. Acrylics have always been tough for me too. They tended to gum up my airbrush very quickly. However, during my teen years I brush painted my share of Poly-S onto models.
Micromark in their Microlux paint line offers a few of the same Poly S RR colors by the same name. They are produced by Vallejo’s by using paint chips from Poly Scale.
Yes. I think the Poly S line may have been around a bit longer after Flouquil was discontinued. Poly S became part of the Testors Model Master line. When Flouquil disappeared. I tried True Color for a bit and eventually went to Scalecoat 1. Then they went under. I now use Tamiya Laquer. No RR colors per se. But they offer a lot of colors that are pretty close. Rubber Black is a good match for Grimy Black. I’m also in the camp that prefers to paint with solvents.
When I have painted with acrylics. I really like the Mission Model lines. A lot of military colors. But many will work for weathering. Vallejo’s also sprays well. I weathered my rails using the above mentioned Microlux Rail Brown and Grimy Black. With a little thinner they sprayed and covered well. A lot comes down for me as to what’s available locally. Tamiya is carried in a lot of hobby shops.
The only thing I don’t like about the Vallejo paint is that it is not as durable as the old Polly Scale/Model Masters paint. It will rub right off with water. Tamiya will come right off with alcohol. They both still have their uses though and offer some great colors.
I just tried some Rail Center acrylics I picked up at York. These are made by Ammo and they have some nice RR colors. Paint seems to behave a lot like Polly/MM.
I also had some good results recently with Badger acrylics.
For those of us over at the kid's table, who just need some nice paint work occasionally with minimal fuss, I find Vallejo paints applied with a brush to do well. This photo is of a Lionel ESE 4-6-4 dressed for Mercury service later in life. The silver boiler area was re-painted using a Vallejo gray (I do forget which one) and minimal masking and fuss, and a basic brush. Un-thinned paint. Not one brush mark (I had experimented before touching the Hudson).
I should have mentioned that I’m only concerned about brush paints, not air brush usage. In the context of the video, Jim is using a brush to touch up an old and worn Lionel boiler shell.
Rich, the Microlux paints come in 2 versions. They have a version already thinned for airbrushing and one designated for brush painting. They still don’t offer the complete line of Poly S colors. But they have the more popular ones.
FWIW, Benz Trains on YT recommends, and I've had luck using, black Sharpies for touching up older diecast boilers... 
Mitch
Why not go with a generic reference, such as 'a quality acrylic model paint', or such.
The way the brands come and go focused on the hobby market and its b-r-o-a-d color palettes (beyond railroad/flag colors) there's a reasonable chance you'll have to edit again if you 'pick a winner'.
BTW, our LHS paint gurus (not railroad-focused) say that, among the surviving paint sources serving the hobby market, Vallejo probably has the longest history having been associated with the film industry back in the early days of animation through the creation of cels. FWIW, of course.
Good luck picking the winner from among the eleventy-seven opinions that emerge in a TEHO forum!!
I appreciate all your help here, fellas. I know very little about paint for modeling, so your replies will enable me to include current info in the video.
I may also take @dkdkrd's advice and add a generic reference, too.
"Where oh where, is Polly S paint?...
Why did you go and leave me alone?
I searched the stores over, ain't nary a bottle...
Soon it wuz over and a pfsst... you wuz gone!"
erdnA
"Where oh where, is Polly S paint?...
Mine is in my shop on the shelf where I keep it ready to use.
@Rich Melvin posted:I appreciate all your help here, fellas. I know very little about paint for modeling, so your replies will enable me to include current info in the video.
I may also take @dkdkrd's advice and add a generic reference, too.
While I know nothing about painting, this was a great topic to follow just the same. Thank you Rich. I can't wait to see the video and try to understand painting. I usually make a mess.
@laming posted:"Where oh where, is Polly S paint?...
Why did you go and leave me alone?
I searched the stores over, ain't nary a bottle...
Soon it wuz over and a pfsst... you wuz gone!"
erdnA
Oh...that was GOOD!
I can hear the boys from Hee Haw singing that like it happened yesterday.
Andre!...
AWESOME!!
But, I'm afraid there's a bunch of folks in the hobby that have no idea what you and Rich are referring to...
For enlightenment...and entertainment, of course...
Now, with Andre's words in hand, get ready to sing the chorus!!!
KD
BTW...Rich, Andre...You need to get the straw hats, bibs, and tools of the trade hobby and insert a musical edit of Jim Barrett's Backwoods video! Ya think?? ...and keep a straight face doing it!!!
@D500 posted:For those of us over at the kid's table, who just need some nice paint work occasionally with minimal fuss, I find Vallejo paints applied with a brush to do well. This photo is of a Lionel ESE 4-6-4 dressed for Mercury service later in life. The silver boiler area was re-painted using a Vallejo gray (I do forget which one) and minimal masking and fuss, and a basic brush. Un-thinned paint. Not one brush mark (I had experimented before touching the Hudson).
As someone also over at the kid's table, that "not one brush mark" quality in particular really appeals to me! Glad to have the reference to Vellejo paints.
@D500 posted:For those of us over at the kid's table, who just need some nice paint work occasionally with minimal fuss, I find Vallejo paints applied with a brush to do well. This photo is of a Lionel ESE 4-6-4 dressed for Mercury service later in life. The silver boiler area was re-painted using a Vallejo gray (I do forget which one) and minimal masking and fuss, and a basic brush. Un-thinned paint. Not one brush mark (I had experimented before touching the Hudson).
That's really impressive! No brush marks.
Bob
@RRDOC posted:That's really impressive! No brush marks.
Bob
...which is a significant reason why Vallejo was the paint of choice for the folks coloring cels in the making of animated films. Brush marks would have been a cel-to-cel bit of rather undesirable 'animation', I imagine.
But, yes indeedy!...that is a gorgeous brush-painted schnoz, for sure, for sure!!
Has anyone tried True Color paints? They have RR colors, marine colors, etc.
https://trucolorpaint.com/spray-cans/
They say it is a solvent based paint, and thinned already for air brush. Maybe there are some out there that have tried it. Good? Bad?
FYI
jeff
@Jeff B. Haertlein posted:Has anyone tried True Color paints? They have RR colors, marine colors, etc.
https://trucolorpaint.com/spray-cans/
They say it is a solvent based paint, and thinned already for air brush. Maybe there are some out there that have tried it. Good? Bad?
FYI
jeff
I have used it and pretty sure many more have. Lots of RR colors for sure. Its not the same as Floquil if you have experience with that and there is a bit of a learning curve. Mostly for me has been about finding an alternative to their wildly overpriced thinner. I think I have found it with slow dry lacquer thinner.
Pete
@D500 posted:For those of us over at the kid's table, who just need some nice paint work occasionally with minimal fuss, I find Vallejo paints applied with a brush to do well.
Thanks for the tip!
I've been wanting to tone down the electric reds Lionel has been putting on recent PRR tender decks.
I’ve had mixed results with Tru Color. If you do airbrush with it. I would still use a bit of thinner. You can use hardware store Acetone for cleanup. But I would use their designated thinner for spraying. I had some orange peel on a few projects but most projects turned out well. I mostly do weathering. I spray steamers while in motion on rollers. I may not of done the best job cleaning the valve gear. But it really didn’t stick that well as it rubbed off over time. But your dealing with un primed bare metal.
With any paint. I think you have to give it more than a few tries to draw a conclusion. There are a lot of variables with spray equipment, how far away you hold the brush, air pressure and thinning. I believe that’s why you see so many mixed results. I loved Flouquil paint. I don’t think you could get a bad outcome. I’ve tried them all. Including acrylics. I gave Tamiya Lacquer a try and it’s now my preferred go to paint. Their colors may have different names but most can be applied to my use.
In the past I have not had any luck using acrylics and have stayed away from them, Lacquers and enamels being my paints of choice. Recently I needed to use a paint that wouldn't attack a certain plastic. I was reading up on acrylics and came across someone who reccomended using Tamiya Acrylic Thinner. I gave it a try and was pleased with the results. I had no problem spraying the acrylic paint.
Lacquers and enamels are still my go to paints, but, now I am not afraid to use acrylics if and when the absolute need arises.
I think I read a few threads here that favorably discussed Model Master paints from Testors
The paint I will really miss is ScaleCoat II. I still have 3 or 4 unopened bottles.
Dick
I'm surprised Badger Modelflex paint has not yet been mentioned on this thread. I've been using for decades with good results. Plenty of RR colors available. For example, the pilot I sprayed the pilot and cylinders of this MTH RK K4s with Modleflex paint mixed to match the factory paint on the rest of the model. The pilot of the MTH RK M1a was also sprayed with the same mix. I realize acrylics are not the paint of choice for many on the forum, including those who I consider experts, but they are satisfactory enough for me.
my sympathies @Rich Melvin that almost all responders here have ignored the comment that you wrote WAY up earlier:
"I should have mentioned that I’m only concerned about brush paints, not air brush usage."-
- walt
@woodsyT posted:I think I read a few threads here that favorably discussed Model Master paints from Testors
Sadly Testors (now a Rustoleum brand) dropped the Model Master line a few years ago. Some hobby shops have some left over (new old stock). They still have the regular Testors line of paint. And one of the cheapest places to buy it is Menards.
Vallejo makes a line of air acrylics. I have not tried them, but many miniatures painters swear by them for brush painting, especially the "metals" colors. I do have extensive experience with brush painting Vallejo's model color line for painting miniatures. While I like their model color line they can be a bit uneven. One color may dry flat while another dries more satin. One color may provide good single coat coverage while another may require multiple coats. One smooth and another grainy.
Norm, In my experience Vallejo's model color is no less durable when applied on metal than most other acrylic paints. It is also no more durable then most acrylic paints either when applied on metal, and that is the rub. If you can do it properly, put down an appropriate primer before painting and then hit it with varnish after it has cured you have a much better chance of having it hold up. However if you are using acrylics for touch up you might not want to risk doing the priming and varnish sealing steps for fear of messing up the model.
I think Walt that even if Rich is looking for brush paints, those same paints usefulness as air brush paints is important. If you find a color that is absolutely perfect for one application method it would be nice to know you can also use it with the other application method.
Rich,
I sent you an e-mail with a pdf that you may find useful in your quest. Let me know what you thought of it.
Chris
I got the email and the pdf file, Chris. Thanks for sending it. I may be able to use it.
Closest I've found these days to Polly S is Mission Models paint.
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