Thanks for reminding me of where I saw the F unit paint mix. That sent me digging into my paint files, and I found another set of mixes published in the September 1999 issue of Model Railroading,
p. 52-54. The only one I used is Modelflex CB&Q gray for blackbirds. It’s too dark for graybacks. I can’t speak to the accuracy of any of these mixes.
Grayback Gray
For Floquil, Polly Scale, Scalecoat, and Scalecoat II, use this mixing formula:
9 parts Gray
1 part White
1 part Black
This formula applies to Floquil, Polly Scale, Scalecoat, and Scalecoat II as follows:
Floquil
Engine Black
Reefer White
Reefer Gray
Polly Scale
Steam Power Black
Reefer White
Reefer Gray
Scalecoat
Black
White
MOW Gray
Scalecoat II
Black
White
MOW Gray
For Modelflex, use CB&Q Gray (no mixing required)
For Accupaint, use this mixing formula:
1 part Stencil White
1 part Stencil Black
47 parts D&H Gray
Remember, don’t use Modelflex on F units despite this recommendation. Also note that Imitation Aluminum isn’t on the list.
Nelson Moyer
From: CBQ@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CBQ@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, March 06, 2017 9:21 AM
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Painting question for a friend
I have a couple of factory painted CB&Q Stewart F-units. They apparently used at least two shades of gray in different production runs - one looks fairly close to me, but maybe a little bit
too dark and the other is way too dark.
The Model Railroader magazine Paint Shop article that Nelson is probably remembering was in the February 1986 issue. In it, George Drury used Floquil paints, with a mixture of 9 parts Reefer
White and 1 part Reefer Gray, to which he added a few drops of Caboose Red "to warm the color but not enough to turn it pink." The photo of his completed models that accompanied the article looks pretty good to my eyes, but as we've discussed here before,
so much depends on lighting conditions.