Smokebox Grey

Don Gilham

Don Gilham

Model railways, Photography, anything lazy
I can never match colour properly, so please does anyone have any ideas on a grey to match the smokebox/chimbley on US outline models ? (I know some were black but I do like the grey contrast)

Matt - preferably enamel ?

:)
 
They were mostly graphited, not painted, although some roads painted them heat reistant silver.
Graphiting's a hard look to get right - I haven't ever managed it really. Not all roads did it.
 
i dont know if you in the UK get Floquil paint -they have a great smokebox (graphite) ready

humbrol silver and matte black mixed about 2:1 or 3:1 has worked very well for me-add black the the silver-not the other way around
another color which isnbad and rather dark, is Testors model master gunmetal grey-i no longer use it as its thick and i dont like how it applies, and thinnning is properly is something i have yet to master after years of trying-but in the right application and well applied-its great -deep rich neutral grey-slight mini flake sparkle -very very dark

i have also seen as noted above-dark grey-no silver at all - on some UP bigboys, and bright silver also on UP as well as many other roads-all typically mainline-plain dark grey looks more modern to my eye , very sterile

simply as a matter of taste as opposed to authenticity-i prefer a very dark silver -almost looks weathered -

the thing to do is experiment using the humbrols ive mentioned-buy 2 pots of each, try mixes and then mix a batch -
 
As Steve Denver said, use a mix or go for a gun metal colour, be care full with some as they have big flakes in the metalic and so looks naff on a model, Tamiya paint can be like that. Perhaps it might be best to start with a gun metal colour and then you only have to adjust it very slightly to get that grey silver, perhaps also adding a very tiny amount of another colour to get that tint, you would be suprised what colours are used to make other colours. Perhaps adding a "drop" of yellow or orange would give it that tint. I have an MTH G1 Challenger and it has that nice grey/silver smokebox BUT it has a tint to it and I would reckon a drop of yellow would make the difference, not enough to see it whilst mixing but after it has dried you would see it.
Do some mixes and make a note of what you did, it's worth that tiny bit of effort to get it right.
Cheers
Rob
 
Hi,
Martyn Welch uses a combination of Humbrol Metalcote 'Gunmental' (which look like Balcklead), and 'natural wood' or 'leather' (both Humbrol) colour to modify it, to produce a dirty/slightly oily sheen, and/or general muck - think of fine coal dust to give you an idea. It looks very effective on the roof of railway vehicles.

The modification to that using a mid to light grey to significantly lighten the Humbrol gunmetal will produce a light grey with a half sheen, which is quite near. A final coat of Johnson's Klear will slight darken it so take that into account when mixing the paint to start with. The 'Klear' has a semi matt effect and will also reduce the metallic sheen at the same time.

All colour perception is different so what you like/think is correct is your choice. The lighter colours anyway soon dirtied up, Have a look at the following Durango & Silverton loco 481 at this link

http://michaeldmccaffery.com/RGS COUNTRY PHOTOS FOLDER/Number481.jpg < Link To http://michaeldmccaffery....20FOLDER/Number481.jpg

That is a large image by the way so lots of weathering can be seen
Though they use what is virtually a silver colour. but the effect will be close to a hard worked engine.

Finally if you can find the book 'The Art of Weathering' by Martyn Welch it is a very good read, Waterstones list it, and it is published by Wild Swan. No connection with hime or them by the way.
 
A superb book, I have to add! Nice bloke too, chatted to him at York show years ago - his Ruston shunter blew my mind, as good in the flesh as in the photos - he is a master.
 
Tamiya gunmetal X-10 produces a finish very close the the colour on Bachmann locos. Needs spraying though, wont work brushing it on. HEre are some examples.
plumb1.jpg


And with dirt and a matt varnish
fin640-18.jpg
 
For a realistic smokebox colour I use 'Pot Belly Black' I think in the UK it is referred to as 'Woodstove Black'.
Really good for live steam as it is heat resistant.
 
Having painted the smokebox of one of my locomotives silver, I have been told this was only done on oil-fired engines. Anyone else able to confirm that? Must get round to painting it a greyer shade, as we're a coal-fired line.
 
The smokebox on the Bachmann 2-4-2 baldwin is a dark grey metallic colour, probably called 'gunmetal' in the Humbrol range. A much better colour than the silver ends to the cylinders!
 
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