Paint Colour

[Matchless]

Hi

 

Can anyone help please; I am getting a bit confused about the correct colour used on doors and other fixtures and fittings seen on various Midland Railway and LMS station buildings etc. I was led to believe that the colour was 'Crimson Lake' however, I have now been told the propieter of my local model shop that it was Midland Red and sold me a bottle of 'Midland Railway Red' by RailMatch. When applied, the colour doesn't look quite right, being a bit 'light and pinky" compared to photos and other references I've seen. Can anyone shed any light on this please?

 

Dave

[Miss Prism]

I know little about MR/LMS structure colours, but you might find this page useful.

[Il Grifone]

Midland and LMS (and BR) red is in fact Crimson Lake. After WW II it became Maroon. A synthetic pigment, but is actually the same colour (cf GWR Middle Chrome Green and BR Brunswick Green). However Crimson is translucent and the final appearance depends on the undercoat, the number of coats of colour and varnish. I find a red oxide/rust/bauxite undercoat gives good results, though others may disagree.

 

My jar of Railmatch MR Red appears exactly the same as my tin of Phoenix LMS Crimson Lake*. Take care to clean any paint from the jar threads after use or it will be very difficult to remove the lid next time (guess how I know!). The paint also contains lead so care is needed here too.

 

*Both match a Dublo Duchess, but I have seen this described as the wrong shade. (Looks OK to me - Possibly a scale effect?)

 

BR(M) structure colours involved Maroon and Cream, but I'm not sure pre-nationalisation. I'll see what I can find, unless beaten to it

 

EDIT As I said beaten to it! The MR appears brown and stone/cream. Structures were painted with pigment mixed into white lead - prone to inexactitude in mixing ('handfuls' of pigment!) and fading once applied.

 

Note the bottom three pictures are BR(M) colours

[Matchless]

Thanks for the help, I think I have got my head around it now. Refering to the last photo on that page there seems to be two colours in use: The "All Stations to..." and "Waiting & Ladies Room" signs appear to be the slightly darker and matt finish Crimson Lake and the "Telephone" sign and the clock stand appears to be the later BR(M) gloss red.

 

Having visited the K&WVR recently I did notice that some of thieir 'original' signs were slightly darker than some of the freshly painted signs and other fixtures. So I guess Matt Crimson Lake (Crimson Lake only appears to be available in matt) is the colour I am looking for.

 

Thanks.

[Il Grifone]

I would agree there are two shades of maroon, but the signs in the bottom three pictures are all BR pattern.

The colours used by preserved lines are as suspect as any other model*. Even if the signs are original BR (possibly not, as it would be asking to have them stolen seeing the prices they make at auction) the colour would have changed in their 50 plus years of life, especially as reds are not the most stable pigments.

 

* The colours as perceived today are a mixture of guesswork**, memory and surviving colour panels, which unless very carefully preserved, will have changed with the years. (I apologise if I'm wrong on any count here.)

 

** For example, what colour is a wagon described as "Red"? Red oxide? Scarlet? Brick red? ??? (One Manufacturer's interpretation of B.Q.C. livery - supposedly 'red oxide' - was pink.)