Large Scale Central

Floquil Replacements

Not sure if this has ever been posted or not. I have never been to concerned with exacting colors but with my STMA project I wanted to get it right and I knew there were formulas online to get the right colors using floquil paints. First is a list of prototype colors and the floquil paint mixes to get those colors; its found on railfonts website. prototype colors.

But what do you do when you don’t have Floquil paints. Model Railroad Hobbyist put out a PDF that gives you alternatives using Testors Model Master paints, Vallejo paints, and Model flex paints.

Just thought I’d share could be useful to someone

I’d love to see the chart.

However, your posted link goes to your C Drive and not something on LSC or elsewhere on the web.

I am embarking on a modeling journey using basswood kits and need a lot of different reds, greens, and yellows.

Thanks for thinking of us:-)

Cliff, try here… https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/34702

Also do a search for Floquil equivalent on MRH and there are a number of threads on the topic

Sorry about the bad link. I didn’t realize when I was clicking on the link that it was automatically downloading the PDF. Its available on Testors website. Lets see if this works. Floquil Alternatives

So if I did that right it should take you straight to a PDF download.

If not type in Google “Post Floquil” and it should bring up the testors link.

I get my railroad paints from P-B-L, Bill Peters has been in model railroading for 30 plus years and produces model in Sn3. Very high quality models and his price reflects it. He has a website and he does sell railroad colors, most of his colors are related to narrow gauge colors, but he does have some standard gauge colors. His paints are very high quality and I have used them for years, plus are very reasonable price, I think it’s about $6.00 a bottle. Website, https://www.p-b-l.com/

trainman

I have been using Scalecoat Paint.

https://www.minutemanscalemodels.com/category-s/127.htm

Chris Kieffer said:

I have been using Scalecoat Paint.

https://www.minutemanscalemodels.com/category-s/127.htm

i have thought about making the switch back to Scalecoat. I switched to Floquil because of the ease of clean up with acrylic as opposed to enamel especially in the airbrush. I just became quite fond of acrylic paint. But if its going to be a continued problem to get good railroad colors in acrylic I will switch back. Even with this posting I went to buy the necessary in just about every combination of the three brands and couldn’t find all of what I needed. i finally found Badgers Modelflex in all the colors I need to combine to make what I want. But I had to work at it because it seemed like so much of it wasn’t available.

As a general purpose airbrush paint I love Createx. But it is not in specific railroad colors. If I keep having problems I might be buying some and sitting down in St Maries and doing some color matching on the 1:1 model. At one time when I had this problem before right after the death of Floquil I thought seriously about making a go at creating Floquil colors by combining createx paints. Maybe this is something someone or many of us need to tackle. Honestly I do believe that createx is the very best readily available airbrush acrylic.

Just a quick note about Scalecoat, They have an extensive color selection but unlike Floquil, most of their paints are glossy unless listed as flat or matte. They are enamels and tend to much slower drying than Floquil. I have used them them quite a lot and like them.

I know a guy who uses Tru Color and really likes them.

https://trucolorpaint.com/products/

Chris,

I will second your tru color choice. they have expanded there rust color pallete, and now have a rail brown that is very close to floquil. I do have some scale coat on the shelf but not my first choice by far. the only issue, and one that is common today with almost all paints, is you can no longer go down to the hobby shop in most cases and get what you need regardless of brand. my LHS will order for me then is stuck whith five other bottles. so best thing is to figure out what you need and order a large batch ahead to minimize shipping cost and have when you need.

Al P.

I’ve been using Army Painter paints for weathering, and also for painting miniatures. It flows nicely and works well in an airbrush when thinned with their medium.

Devon,

My go to acrylic paints are Vallejo Model Air & Badger Model Flex. I really like both of them as airbrushing straight out of the bottle. The MRH paint guide has the good color matches, but the link to the Testors copy is a bit outdated and new colors have been added recently.

I premix my colors into the 20ml dropper bottles so they are ready of go. Yes it takes a bit of time to mix them up to get the correct color matches but I think it’s worth the mixing time instead of using enamel paints. I’m always trying to use acrylics as much as possible. The only thing that I have to watch out for with acrylic is the tip dry with the airbrush, but I think I have that covered well now by quick wipes with a q tip.

I’m also a big fan of the cheap acrylic craft paints for weathering as well.

Vallejo sells railroad specific colors under the Micro-Mark label. It’s the same paint but just relabeled and in bigger bottles.

The real reason I like Vallejo paints is that I can find them locally. I have a local game store that sells Vallejo paints if you buy 5 or more you get 10% off, 10 or more 15% off.

FWIW I am a tru-color user. So far I’m happy with it. I find it a bit pricy… They seem (or at least claim) to sell prototype accurate colors, if that’s what you need. I also use some random external latex paint sometimes for large areas. Rooster turned me on to the Sherman-Williams vintage colors collection [link]. I used a color from that collection on my old Mik “Mackenzie’s Mercantile” building…

Craig Townsend said:

Devon,

My go to acrylic paints are Vallejo Model Air & Badger Model Flex. I really like both of them as airbrushing straight out of the bottle. The MRH paint guide has the good color matches, but the link to the Testors copy is a bit outdated and new colors have been added recently.

I premix my colors into the 20ml dropper bottles so they are ready of go. Yes it takes a bit of time to mix them up to get the correct color matches but I think it’s worth the mixing time instead of using enamel paints. I’m always trying to use acrylics as much as possible. The only thing that I have to watch out for with acrylic is the tip dry with the airbrush, but I think I have that covered well now by quick wipes with a q tip.

I’m also a big fan of the cheap acrylic craft paints for weathering as well.

Vallejo sells railroad specific colors under the Micro-Mark label. It’s the same paint but just relabeled and in bigger bottles.

The real reason I like Vallejo paints is that I can find them locally. I have a local game store that sells Vallejo paints if you buy 5 or more you get 10% off, 10 or more 15% off.

I am having trouble getting the colors I need for the formulas I have. Model Masters, Badger, and Vallejo all had one or more of the colors I needed back ordered or out of stock at just about any place I looked. I have used both Vallejo and Badger paints and like them. I did finally get the Badger modelflex paints I need on Ebay. Like you I plan on mixing large quantities at one time so I have them all premixed for this project (three locos and a caboose).

As far as all around best acrylic paint for airbrush use I will still stand by my claim of Createx. I have some ideas on how to mix what I need with some close colors. If I can then i will get large quantities of it and mix plenty. What i really like about Createx is I use the transparent paints usually over a white base. What it allows with transparent paints is for some cool layering and adds depth to paint.

Tru Color has the same issue to me as Scale Coat. Its an enamel and not an acrylic. Call me picky but I like the water clean up. But I am not that picky. If I can’t EASILY get what I need from Badger or Createx I will switch back to enamel. And I just looked and Tru Color appears to have the same colors that the formula I am using that used Floquil uses.

I did just look and I can get all the colors or very close matches to what I need in True color. So if I can’t get what I need with the Badger then i will make the switch.

Just go with the K.I.S.S. method - Keep It STEAM, Stupid! Black is pretty easy to find…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

Craig’s paint is also useful if you don’t like the color of your wife’s pants!

Bob Cope said:

Cliff, try here… https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/34702

Also do a search for Floquil equivalent on MRH and there are a number of threads on the topic

Cliff who?

Devon …never mind …

Chris Kieffer said:

Craig’s paint is also useful if you don’t like the color of your wife’s pants!

Hey, that comment hurts… The doghouse was pretty warm last night. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

Chris Kieffer said:

Just go with the K.I.S.S. method - Keep It STEAM, Stupid! Black is pretty easy to find…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

Although, if one happens to model what is called the Early Rail period,

https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/fb584yc9195

Style book for locomotive painting detail, volume 1
Type of resource
Mixed material
Imprint
Philadelphia (Pa.)
Date created
[ca. 1880-1925]

https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/jw230zc7560

Style book for locomotive painting detail, volume 2
Type of resource
Mixed material
Imprint
Philadelphia (Pa.)
Date created
[ca. 1880-1925]

(https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

Water base paints are what I would call house paint and I think they do a good job, but fine model painting requires enamel, or lacquer based paints to get a top quality job.

trainman