My models are not hand crafted gems; they are mostly out-of-the-box products from manufacturers such as Lionel. I add a few detail items and a better than average paint job.

Paint is the part of any model people tend to notice most. It is, in many ways, the most important aspect of any model. Look at any two identical models and the one with the better paint job will appear closer to scale and seem to have more detail. Paint makes the difference.

Incidentally, I read an article by someone claiming model paints do not hold up on outdoor structures. I have no idea what paint he used but I painted all my structures with Floquil products. They have been outside for eight years and look fine and, believe me, here in New Jersey we get every kind of weather.

THE DIFFERENCES IN PAINT

Model paints must have two qualities other paints lack: scale texture and prototypical color. Even if you went to your favorite real railroad and took home cans of the paint they use, you would be unable to use them. The colors would be too bright and the paint too thick. Model paints "scale down" the brightness and depth of color as well as the particles of pigment.

When you choose a model paint, you must also consider the entire painting "system". A "system" includes instructional materials, accurate color charts, finish removers, primers, surface preparations, barriers (or shields), thinners, colors, weathering stains and washes, final finishes such as flats and glosses, even brushes. Why a system? The components must be able to react chemically with one another. That is particularly important when painting items for outdoor use. Whatever system you choose should have enough components to meet your modeling needs.

Does that mean spending big bucks? No. A model's finish costs much less than what you spend on the model and detail parts.

How about using the big cans of spray paint I can buy at the auto parts store for $1.29? A few may work, but consider this: Most paint contains pigment (to color and protect the surface), resin or binder (to allow the pigment to stick to the surface and offer further protection), and a "vehicle" (the liquid, solvent, or thinner making the paint workable). Depending on how a manufacturer mixes those elements, a small can of model paint may be able to coat between two and six times the surface a big can of coarse pigment "bargain" paint covers.

What is more, a model paint will be chemically compatible with other products in its system, such as weathering finishes. Try finding those at the auto parts store.

What if I use one brand of model paint for color, another for the final finish, and a third for weathering? That might work for an indoor model, but try leaving the model outside for five years and tell me how it holds up. No, pick any scale paint manufacturer's system and stick with it. You'll be miles ahead.

I have relied most strongly on paints from the Floquil-Polly S Color Corporation. They offer very good instructional literature (most of it at no charge), accurate color charts, technical assistance by phone or mail, and consistent products. "Consistent" means if you buy two cans of the same color paint six months apart, the shades will still match.

Floquil's book, Painting Miniatures, is available at many hobby shops. It covers most areas I will discuss in this article but goes into greater depth. It also covers airbrushing. I find airbrushing unnecessary for applying basic colors to large scale models because it requires so much preparation, mixing, clean up, and allows only a small pattern of spray coverage. [An airbrush can be very valuable for weathering, though. It is an essential modeling tool.-Ed.]

WATER- VS. SOLVENT-BASED PAINTS

The first of two common questions about paint is, will the Environmental Protection Agency force manufacturers to discontinue solvent based paints? No. The EPA wants to be sure paint companies avoid polluting the environment during manufacture. Many companies already have installed special equipment to comply with federal regulations.

The other question is, are water based paints are as good as solvent based paints? Yes. Most hobby paints are enamels, even the flat colors. A true water based enamel is as good or better than a solvent based enamel but "true" is the operative word. Some manufacturers thin their water based paints with alcohol as well as water. Others, such as Polly S, are true water based acrylic enamels and work very well. An advantage of Polly S is its compatibility with Floquil solvent based paints.

If you prefer water based paints, thin Polly S with their Airbrush Thinner (#456008), spray it on, then protect it for outdoor use with an overspray of Floquil gloss or flat finish. (Water based paints do not come in spray cans because they would rust the metal.) I routinely use such finishes to protect all models, indoor or outdoor, since even the oils or chemicals from your fingers can mar a finish.

The big advantages of water based paints are safety and clean up. They have no dangerous fumes so require no special ventilation and they clean up with soap and water.

FLAT FINISHES

How flat should a finish be? That depends on your taste. I think the finish on many model trains is too flat. Look at the structures and rolling stock on a real railroad. Most began with a coat of gloss enamel so, even with heavy weathering and grime, they retain a little shine.

I represent that appearance with a final finish of Floquil Flat Finish (#130015). It leaves a slight sheen. When I want a brand new look, I use Floquil Crystal-Cote (#130004). It is very durable.

On the other hand, you should finish figures with an ultra flat finish because of the non-reflective properties of skin and cloth. For that I use Floquil Figure-Flat (#330022).

How accurate is my judgment? In NMRA contests, judges score a model's finish separately from the categories of concept and construction. I usually receive the maximum number of points for finish. Of course, if you disagree, finish your own models accordingly.

WHAT TO PAINT

Unless you are a serious collector, most of your models will need some painting or finishing. Let's use an out-of-the-box freight car as an example.

I replace all plastic wheelsets with metal ones and, as you know, unpainted metal wheels stand out. But plastic wheels also need paint so I use my color chart to find the closest match for the predominant shade of the car. Then I paint the center part of each wheel that color. Real railroads rarely painted hardware a contrasting color (except for safety colors such as OSHA white or yellow) so I also paint the grab irons, roof walks, brakewheels, and any other unpainted black plastic or brass part with the same color. It helps to disassemble the car as much as possible first.

If I'm doing a boxcar, I paint the interior tan or white to represent wood or sheet metal sheathing. Next I paint and install any additional detail parts. Then I spray the entire car with a flat finish.

Note 1: Since you have no idea what brand of paint the car manufacturer used, always test spray an inconspicuous area first (such as an invisible interior wall), then wait several hours. If the finish blisters, skip the flat finish.

Note 2: Never spray flat finish on clear plastic, such as windows.

After the flat finish dries (about a week), add any weathering. We'll consider that later.

If you paint one car as I have described, I think you will agree the model will look far more real after very little effort.

Passenger cars require a similar treatment. Paint the interior a different color than the exterior, and the seats a third color. Use an ultra-flat finish on the seats. Nearly all plastic structures will benefit from a paint job or at least a flat finish. Generally, it is safe to follow the guidelines for passenger cars.

Locomotives have endless details requiring paint and cab interiors should almost always be a different color than the exterior. Various shades of gray and green were popular with most railroads.

PAINT SCHEMES

If you model a specific prototype, and if you have chosen an appropriate paint manufacturer, you usually can come up with the colors you want right out of the can or bottle. If you need an odd color, you will have to mix it.

If you model an imaginary railroad, you will need your own color scheme. The scheme for your own road's locomotives, cabooses, passenger cars, maintenance of way equipment, and any company owned freight equipment should be consistent. Otherwise your structures and rolling stock will appear mismatched and unrealistic. If you model a standard gauge railroad, where cars often interchange with those of other railroads, it is also appropriate to have cars from many railroads.

Narrow gauge railroads present more of a challenge because they seldom interchanged cars. The same company usually owned everything. You could follow the practice of some railroads and paint everything with a single color scheme. Or you could do as many others did and use various schemes, depending on the type of car and when it received its last paint job.

[Throughout most of its history, the D&RGW, for example, painted boxcars, gondolas, flatcars, and cabooses boxcar red, from the wheels up. All lettering was white. In later years, some of the caboose hardware, such as end rails and end steps, went from boxcar red to white to silver. Stock cars were completely black with white lettering. Reefers were yellow with boxcar red roofs, ends, and underbodies. Lettering on the car sides was black; so was some hardware. On the ends, the lettering was white. Passenger cars evolved from tuscan red to Pullman green. Both schemes had black underbodies and hardware and gold lettering.

[Structures varied. Some depots were cream with brown trim, some yellow with brown trim, some orange with brown trim. Water tank colors also differed. Other structures might be white, cream, yellow, orange, or boxcar red.

[Roof colors on rolling stock and structures varied depending on material.-Ed.]

If you happen to like a particular car's decoration, for instance a billboard reefer, here is a convenient explanation for its appearance on your railroad: Just as some farmers allow advertisers to paint their barns, a railroad may let a business paint a car...as long as the business pays for the paint job.

A good way to test a freelance paint scheme is to buy some cheap small scale cars. You may often find old, broken HO scale cars at swap meets for about a dollar apiece. Take the cars home, wash them, and paint them. No need to strip off the old paint or lettering, no need to spray them; just put on the color. If the colors look good, especially after a few weeks, throw out the cars. You're ready to take on the real thing.

One last thought: Good paint jobs come from experience and experience comes from bad paint jobs. But a bad mistake is never irreversible; just strip off the old paint and start again. Your model will be fine.

Next time, we'll start actually painting.