Colours for VIA Renaissance Coaches

I realize this topic might better be suited to a model railroading forum, but I posted it here as well because, well, this is where the VIA Rail fans congregate, and I suppose some of you guys could probably help me out.

I'm currently working on modifying a set of Hornby OO scale (as an HO substitute) Mark 4 coaches into VIA's Renaissance coaches. I've done my research, and I know what I need to do in terms of shell modifications, and I've got Rapido's LRC decals on the way to do the lettering/logos. I'm doing a full set of coach cars (1 "VIA 1", the rest comfort class), since I haven't yet figured the best way to model either the service cars or sleeper/diner/baggage cars.

Here's my question: What paints would best match the colours on these cars?

I need 3 different colours here:

1- The dark blue on the roof and trucks/underbody.

2- The light blue/green around the windows between the top and bottom yellow stripes.

3- The dark green/blue under the yellow stripe.


I'm doing my own scouting as well, but I'd appreciate anybody's input here. I will be sure to post photos on the forum when I eventually finish the cars, maybe even as I progress along, so you guys can have a gander.

Thanks.

Timberley good luck on the venture I actually tried this back in 2006 I had ordered some of the hornby cars off ebay and tried a modification as well I spliced the car in half both with and length to make it skinnier and shorter and did a heated melt to attach the four pieces back together again. It was a mess to say the least just did not look as prototypical as I hoped for, the car would need to be spliced in height as well for the windows to look of size and match behind my VIA P42, also the hornby trucks looked all odd and where a hassle. I was not willing to go any farther , even after all the work I had pulled off. I did have the exact color codes for the renaissance cars I had Jason sharon of Rapido trains ( good friend of mine) helped me with finding the colors, I 'll look an see if I still have them around but I moved since then so where they are now is a toss up. well good news is since that encounter I haven't given up however Ive taken a different approach this time after bugging Jason for some time he finally decided to put the LRC cars into mass plastic production. and stop selling the Resin kits. This got me on the path to 3D autocading ( as I use to do autocad) the renaissance cars for an accurate car. I found a few companies out there that will make a prototype plastic mold for me for $500-1200. and its good for a few 100 castings before the mold becomes warped (200 min.- 500 max.) so if all works out well for the sale of the LRC cars. I will go ahead and front the cash for the molding and production. Jason will be making the decals for me and when completed, Jason will possible ( if I convince him to) be selling it for me under the Rapido line. It will NOT be under the super continental line ( as there will be no interior, darkly tinted windows, no lighting on the inside ether) but just a regular yet well detailed exterior car. It will just be an option on there website as Rapido specialize in VIA equipment. Im not looking to go into mass production pass the 500 limit and all will be coaches in the first run. A few will be painted to look like the service cars. If successful I will do the sleeper afterwords. everything except the molding is being done in house, so no chance of them being sold @ Walthers. Not to say walthers cant purchase my mold and patent afterwords but that won't happen. This will definitely just stay a limited special run when completed. However currently Jason has slowed production of the LRC cars due to the economy and I have only done minimal drafting in the last few months on the renaissance cars for my hands are tied with prior engagements, but Im shooting for 2010 to have the first mold done.

let me stop ranting and say again i'll look for the color codes if there still around, good luck timberley.

Thanks buddah! I'd greatly appreciate any help you can offer. And to be honest, heck, Jason is good for responding personally even if you're not a personal friend. I suppose if it came to it I could even try him, although I know he's awefully busy these days, and for good reason!

I must say, it sounds like you were a lot more ambitious than I am. To be perfectly honest, I'm willing to sacrifice some accuracy to have a good looking car, with not too much work. I've got the cars, but I haven't had a chance to get to work on them, with finishing exams and everything around school right now. Later in May I should be able to get the real crunch on. My plans involve basically getting rid of the excess windows, and the second end doors. I'll do some step modifications, add Kadee's, marker lights, that sort of thing, and ultimately, repaint and decal them. I'm hoping that the paint and decal work will at least somewhat overwhelm any other inaccuracies.

Yes, I realize they will be oversized, and if I get super ambitious, I might try to alter that. But right now, I'm just trying for something that looks good and will substitute for my purposes (hence my hope to get the paint right). I'm not an advanced modeler by any means, so keeping this project simple is my main focus.

If you, or anyone else for that matter, do end up making any Ren cars, you can be sure that you've got at least one interested party here! Oh, and could you give Jason a bit of a nudge towards getting those LRC's coming along? I've got a set on order, and I don't think I've honestly ever been so excited about an upcoming product! (even if he has to scrap the locos for a while, get those coaches out soon please!!)

here some pics from rennaissance cars,If that can help

Thanks Montrealrail, those are some nice pictures! I do have plenty of pics myself, and have seen the cars first hand a number of times, but those pics are helpful as well.

My real hope was to get info maybe from anyone who had tried painting them before, and might know what model paints work best. But thanks again, the last two shots are fantastic end views, and will definitely be a help modelling!

It's a kind of cars I want to get,but,I have to look in European maerial,but I don't really know with kind of car I should buy to do thems

I get a F40 of VIA in the painting,to be the 6400 only the decals to put on,but I have to wait,cause Microscale get a general defect on a decals livery,son we will be refund by the company itself,who they send some replacement decals...
,and that can only lokk great with some "Renaissances" cars two or 3 will be great..

on this pic,we can see easyly the shape of the sides of the cars,I get an Idea with some "Corail" cars,but it's not exactly the same model..

hello friends ....

hey timberley I looked through my HO paraphernalia over the weekend and I could not find the list of color codes I had written down. The box of HO material is at Home in a few weeks , (currently Im in Toronto) those items are in my files that are in Chicago. When I get back I will gladly send them to you. the only thing I have here is the color code for the P42 locomotive. PS: I did contact Jason and little while ago and told him if anything I'm begging for the release of the LRC coaches at least. However he does keep him self extra busy. I wish I had the time to model like I wanted to. I would have already brought out a first run of the renaissance cars. I like unusual things in the form of rollingstock. Im also doing a 3D cad of the Chicago SouthShore line cars but that's years away at best. then some of Amtraks experimental rolling stock ( flexliner & X2000) after that I'm done and will focus on railroading instead of building cars.

Thanks again buddah! I'll greatly appreciate any info you can send along my way. And don't worry, the painting stage of my project is still a little ways off. I'm very much in the same boat of never having the time I want to spend modeling. But life has its priorities. Again, good luck with your Ren project, lets hope it comes to fruition! Also, if you do ever do a Flexliner (IC 3 I believe?), you could stick VIA logos on it as they tested it briefly.



Thanks to all for the Renaissance photos, they're quite helpful. I do have plenty of my own, and have seen the cars up close, but every extra one helps!

I think it's time to try this out on the Scale Model Railroading forum.

I will try to find out the color codes for renaissance car,I know someone in Montreal that he know almost every code,I will ask him and tell the color codes later..

Hello all... I haven't made it back to Chicago but it seems that our excitement and anticipation with the LRC paid off I asked for an update on the LRC status in the next rapido telegraph. Seems he was on the same wave length I was, because Jason delivered some wonderful test same shots. telegraph #17 if you don't have it let me know and i'll post them. Now I definitely have to continue work on my Renaissance equipment run.

Ah yes, the LRC! That completely made my day when I received the new Telegraph, one I had been anticipating for some time (Canadian Model Trains sent an update out saying that Jason would have test shots in the new Telegraph a week back).

While obviously the models still have some tweaking to be done, the test shots look fantastic! I feel like I've been waiting forever for the LRCs (the coaches at least), and I know many out there have been waiting much longer than I!

It's sad seeing a Renaissance train without some kind of dome and observation cars. There's an interesting kitbashing project.

A possible candidate for a plausible add-on to a Renaissance consist is the SBB-CFF-FFS Panorama car offered in HO by ROCO;


Imagine this car in Renaissance paint? It's Euro, it would fit right in with the consist and it would look pretty sharp in VIA Renaissance paint. There's your sub for a Dome car, I'm still trying to imagine what the tail of the train would look like.

D/

Hello all!

I just finished painting and decaling the first of my ex-Hornby Mk4 Renaissance coaches. And overall, I am quite pleased with the results. I will try to put up pictures in the next few days for you guys to take a look at, and see what you think.

Cheers!

Okay, here we are:

First, let me just summarize what I have done so far, and what I still intend to do: (this started as a Hornby, OO scale, Mk 4 coach)
-Removed/filled extra windows and door
-separated steps from trucks, and mounted on body. Also removed those ghastly couplers!
-painted in VIA Rail colours: -light blue= Humbrol mid-blue (matte)
-green = Humbrol Brunswick Green (gloss)
-dark blue = Testors dark blue.
-decals are Rapido trains LRC decals (note that this first coach is lettered as a VIA 1 "Club" car)

I still need to:
-add marker lights at ends, modify diaphragms/end doors
-add Kadee couplers.
-I may attempt to paint the interior, but we'll see.

Remember, this is a fairly basic job, no fancy frame mods or cutting and splicing of the body.

With that said, here are a couple of photos:






Not the greatest photos yet, I know, but the project still isn't quite done yet anyways.

I have three more (coach varaiants) to model yet, and that will come later (after this one gets truly finished). I'm generally pleased, although unfortunately it looks pretty awful behind my P42 I mean the paint scheme looks great with it, but the coach is just too big (it is OO after all). I did find it looks alright behind an F40, and of course looks just fine on it's own. So we'll see what it's fate is in the long run.

And that's it for me, until I have more progress done to report on!

Cheers!