OK, with all the recent (and past) discussion about what makes Pullman Green, the question comes to mind: what does imitation gold look like?

Southern Railway moved away from gold lettering on its cars in the mid 1930's, replacing it with a color called imitation gold. Since we are in the process of repainting our SR baggage express car No. 518 (blt 1939), this is a very timely question, and one which I hope has a much easier resolution (although I fear not :^( )

Any takers?

Stephen Syfrett
Thronateeska Heritage Center
Albany, GA

ssyfrett@bellsouth.net

One-Shot lettering paint has an imitation gold which is fairly close to what several railroads used when they got away from leaf.
It is available at most auto-type paint stores.

> OK, with all the recent (and past)
> discussion about what makes Pullman Green,
> the question comes to mind: what does
> imitation gold look like?

> Southern Railway moved away from gold
> lettering on its cars in the mid 1930's,
> replacing it with a color called imitation
> gold. Since we are in the process of
> repainting our SR baggage express car No.
> 518 (blt 1939), this is a very timely
> question, and one which I hope has a much
> easier resolution (although I fear not :^( )

> Any takers?

> Stephen Syfrett
> Thronateeska Heritage Center
> Albany, GA


wsflco@trainorders.com

Our local sign painting supply shop in San Diego has this color on the shelf.


Pacific Southwest Ry Museum
Jim@sdrm.org

> One-Shot lettering paint has an imitation
> gold which is fairly close to what several
> railroads used when they got away from leaf.
> It is available at most auto-type paint
> stores.
One-Shot and others are colors called "bulletin colors". These are standard colors that are used in the sign-painting industry, and are supposed to be identical from brand to brand, across the country. Of course, with all the fancy computer graphics going giant size these days, I'm sure this will become a "lost art", too.
I also suspect that there is a self-adhesive lettering film that is also available to match bulletin colors, and this has been used to make lettering via computer. Check with a good sign shop.


schwartzsj@juno.com

> One-Shot and others are colors called
> "bulletin colors". These are
> standard colors that are used in the
> sign-painting industry, and are supposed to
> be identical from brand to brand, across the
> country. Of course, with all the fancy
> computer graphics going giant size these
> days, I'm sure this will become a "lost
> art", too.
> I also suspect that there is a self-adhesive
> lettering film that is also available to
> match bulletin colors, and this has been
> used to make lettering via computer. Check
> with a good sign shop.

I have used both the One-Shot lettering enamels and the vinyl "decal" material, and the "imitation gold" of each is a close match. Anoteh name for this color (PRR name) is "Lettering Buff" (yes, I know what the obvious punny jokes are....). It is NOT "Dulux Gold", which is a Walthers model railroad name.

Another source for the One-Shot paints are large art supply stores. Pearl Paint on Canal St. in Manhattan carries the stuff.


hpincus@mindspring.com

> I have used both the One-Shot lettering
> enamels and the vinyl "decal"
> material, and the "imitation gold"
> of each is a close match. Anoteh name for
> this color (PRR name) is "Lettering
> Buff" (yes, I know what the obvious
> punny jokes are....). It is NOT "Dulux
> Gold", which is a Walthers model
> railroad name.

> Another source for the One-Shot paints are
> large art supply stores. Pearl Paint on
> Canal St. in Manhattan carries the stuff.

A sign painter tells me that the present One-Shot IG is not as good to use since lead was banned. . . . Does not cover as well or flow.

It is not a perfect match, but Caterpillar Yellow is pretty close.

Steve


SZuiderveen@aol.com

So imitation gold is a fairly bright shade of yellow as opposed to a more toned-down shade closer to non-metallic gold?

> Stephen Syfrett
> Thronateeska Heritage Center
> Albany, GA


ssyfrett@bellsouth.net

CGW Imitation Gold Duco 254-54388

Wabash Imitation Gold Duco 254-54292

B&M Gold Duco 254-54015

GN Imitation Gold Dulux 83-50931

L&N Gold Duco 254-35623

fltenwheeler@verizon.net

> Another source for the One-Shot paints are
> large art supply stores. Pearl Paint on
> Canal St. in Manhattan carries the stuff.

One Shot is available in Dick Blick Stores in several locations and on line from Dick Blick. Yes, that is their name, and I believe they are headquartered in Illinois. They have lots of goodies catalogued that are often useful in previously unsuspected ways.

Bob Kutella


68trolley@comcast.net

> So imitation gold is a fairly bright shade
> of yellow as opposed to a more toned-down
> shade closer to non-metallic gold?

No, not a bright yellow at all. The One Shot paint which we have used for many years is almost a pure yellow ochre pigment I suspect. Its perception can take on various hues depending on the background color of the car or equipment. Maybe tan, buff, cream, yellowy clay, but not bright yellow.

Confused? For instance many think the lines separating the orange and green on the classic GN scheme were imitation gold, but in that case they were painted Bright Yellow.

Bob Kutella


68trolley@comcast.net

> A sign painter tells me that the present
> One-Shot IG is not as good to use since lead
> was banned. . . .

Actually, I believe that sign painters enamels are not included in the ban on using lead pigments. Some One Shot I bought a few months ago still has the warning that it contains lead based pigments. In my use it flows well, but if you have an old can or one which has been open a long time, one old sign painters trick is to use kerosene to thin it out. This really makes it flow better, and perhaps slower to dry.

Bob Kutella


68trolley@comcast.net

If you saw "imitation gold" by itself you would probably call it a tan or buff. When placed against a Pullman-green or black background, the eye interprets it as yellow or gold. My guess is that the color was chosen to look like gold leaf in sunlight. Which it does, much more so than metallic-gold paints that amateurs often use when they misinterpret the "imitation gold" specification.

This is just one of the many bits of artistry and craft that are hidden in old paint jobs, and which go completely unnoticed until you analyze and try to duplicate these lettering styles.

Aarne Frobom
The Steam Railroading Institute
P. O. Box 665
Owosso, MI 48867-0665

> If you saw "imitation gold" by
> itself you would probably call it a tan or
> buff. When placed against a Pullman-green or
> black background, the eye interprets it as
> yellow or gold. My guess is that the color
> was chosen to look like gold leaf in
> sunlight. Which it does, much more so than
> metallic-gold paints that amateurs often use
> when they misinterpret the "imitation
> gold" specification.

> This is just one of the many bits of
> artistry and craft that are hidden in old
> paint jobs, and which go completely
> unnoticed until you analyze and try to
> duplicate these lettering styles.

> Aarne Frobom
> The Steam Railroading Institute
> P. O. Box 665
> Owosso, MI 48867-0665

That's why I'm a "lettering buff"!!!

> OK, with all the recent (and past)
> discussion about what makes Pullman Green,
> the question comes to mind: what does
> imitation gold look like?

> Southern Railway moved away from gold
> lettering on its cars in the mid 1930's,
> replacing it with a color called imitation
> gold. Since we are in the process of
> repainting our SR baggage express car No.
> 518 (blt 1939), this is a very timely
> question, and one which I hope has a much
> easier resolution (although I fear not :^( )

> Any takers?

> Stephen Syfrett
> Thronateeska Heritage Center
> Albany, GA

Recommened by a friend in the graphic arts department at UC Berkeley:

5522U Imron
5238D Dulux

These should readily cross refrence, particularly the Imron number.

In my experiance, Dulux (or Delux) gold and Imitation gold are two different approches to the same problem, replacing gold leaf with paint.

Leaf (gold, aluminum, or whatever) is very thin layers of foil, applied to using varnish or other glue, while imitation gold is a metalic paint, and dulux gold is a yellow paint.

I suspect that there may be local variations in color and name use.

Randy Hees

http://www.spcrr.org
hees@ix.netcom.com