# Matching American Flyer Postwar Colors



## Nuttin But Flyer

Has anyone had the chance to try to match American Flyer S-Scale postwar colors with those that are available today from local hardware and/or auto stores? I have a friend asking for the red, green and white for the Guilford Animated Station. Surely these same colors were probably used on other Flyer accessories. So if you had success with another similar colored accessory, please forward your color matching experiences. Actually, any experiences with color matching on any of the orginal Flyer colors would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps a chart of todays paints with a cross-section to the original color would be helpful to others in the group. Thanks


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## jackmack

Wow! I am looking forward to seeing answers to this one too.
Great question sir, and thanks for asking it.


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## Nuttin But Flyer

Just so this request is understood, I'm aware there are some vendors who can supply matching paint for these items. However, those are usually very expensive and of a small quantity...or you get more than you need for one small job eventually wasting the remainder of an expensive product. If there are experiences dealing with "off the shelf" brands easily found in hardware, hobby or home center stores, I want to hear your stories.


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## longle

I found Krylon Navy Blue to be a match for the 350 Royal Blue. The tender's been repainted, the loco has not.










Larry


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## tjcruiser

Consider automotive rattle can spray paint as an option, too. Autozone and the like. (Teledoc and I were swapping ideas here for Lionel prewar color options.)

TJ


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## longle

The thing to watch out for with automotive paints is that most of them are metallic so be careful.


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## Kwikster

longle said:


> The thing to watch out for with automotive paints is that most of them are metallic so be careful.


Not true, metallic colors are called out as such. There are a great many types of paint without that effect sold. Don't limit yourself to Krylon, check Duplicolor as well, you may find something uniquely suitable.


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## longle

Not sure I understand the reply, what's not true? Most automotive rattle cans at the likes of Autozone (as mentioned in the post I was responding to) and Advance Auto are metallic because most new car colors for the past decades have been metallic. A quick check of Autozone shows 95 out of 140 Dupli-Color rattle cans listed are metallic or pearl (something else you likely don't want to spray on your AFL stuff). So all I'm saying is to be careful, don't just match the color, read the label.

Larry


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## Nuttin But Flyer

So far we have gotten a few good suggestions to check for available paints and one good color suggestion for the Royal Blue, nice job BTW, looks wonderful. Keep those posts coming so they can be cross-referenced into a useable chart.


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## Nuttin But Flyer

BTW - If the specific paint you used has a manufacturer's number, please provide it as well as where it can be purchased and the approximate cost....thanks.


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## longle

For the gray base of accessory buildings I use Majic Steel Gray enamel (8-22476) from Tractor Supply.










Larry


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## Nuttin But Flyer

Thanks Larry -- going in the archives.


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## Nuttin But Flyer

TJ - Do you have a link to that Lionel color swap page? I could use some Lionel matching too....


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## tjcruiser

We had a thread with an old ebay link, here, but I don't think the link still works ...

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=4821

TJ


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## Nuttin But Flyer

Yeah, it doesn't seem to be working. Although it's good to know that it once was there. Someone else may have one to share. Thanks...


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## tjcruiser

Even if you find a color chart online, I'd be cautious of trying to pick samples/colors based upon internet/computer images. Always difficult to transmit true color via images.

Best bet is to try one of the color-match paint mfrs (Hobby Horse, etc.) and see if they might toss a hard-copy color chart your way.

Cheers,

TJ


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## Luke 221

Tamiya TS-9 "British Green" is a very close match to the green New Haven cars and the 631 T&P gondola


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## flyernut

My local auto parts store can match just about any color, flat, semi, gloss, satin, pearl, metallic, or whatever. The problems comes with the cost.. They can put any combo into a spray bomb, rattle can, but at $18 bucks minimum, for me it's just not that cost effective for just one color shot.


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## daveh219

I was looking for post war AF Royal Blue and went to Portlines and found an 8oz bottle for around 8 bucks...


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## longle

daveh219 said:


> I was looking for post war AF Royal Blue and went to Portlines and found an 8oz bottle for around 8 bucks...


If you go back to page 1 you'll see the Royal Blue where I repainted the tender with Krylon Navy Blue, a near perfect match and only about $4.


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## Nuttin But Flyer

daveh219, that's the whole purpose of finding these "copy-kat" colors so to speak, so that we don't have to spend so much for so little. Or find ourselves with more than we need only to have it dry up and go bad.


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## Luke 221

While not a Postwar Flyer color, I find that Vallejo "Panzer Aces" # 346 Splinter Blotches Green is a dead ringer for Penn Central Green.


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