The Technical Files - More on Scale Coat Paint

Scalecoat from the 1970s

The Iron Horse introduced "Iron Horse Paint" in June, 1967 according to their ad in Model Railroader that month. It needed no primer and would not chip or scratch. The original formula was tough; an enamel that was to be baked at about 200 degrees. In fact, I've baked the paint at over 300 degrees and I regularly solder to brass models that I've already painted - out of necessity - with no real damage to the surrounding pant. The formula included both Xylene and Toluene therefore it was not meant for plastic models. However in 1967 model railroad world, plastic models needing paint were not so common.  The primary purpose of the paint was to cover model locomotives of zamac and brass and other models made of wood..   

The ad announced 15 colors (including 3 "Locomotive" colors); Locomotive Black, Oxide Red, Graphite & Oil, and Black, White, Tuscan Red, Caboose Red, Reefer Yellow, Reefer Orange, Pullman Green,  Coach Olive,  Southern Green, M & W Gray and Roof Brown. A 2oz bottle sold for a Dollar and you could get a bottle of thinner of the same size for 4 bits.

Nov. 1967

In less than 6 months the name of the paint was changed to Scalecoat and the company was rename Scalecoat Model Railroad Paint (SMRP). The first ad had invited dealer inquiries and apparently M.K. Walthers took the Que. The Nov. MR announced their exclusive distributorship of the product. From then on the paint was always distributed by Walthers.

The list of colors began to expand after Walthers took distributorship. In 1968 SMRP added 3 colors per the Oct ad; Santa Fe Blue, Union Pacific Yellow, Sliver. In April '68 they added the "Glacier Park" Green for Great Northern and included it as one of the 5 locomotive colors - along with Southern Green.

The line then looked like this; Locomotive Black, Oxide Red, Graphite & Oil, Southern Green, Great Northern Green, and Black, White, Tuscan Red, Caboose Red, Box Car Red, Reefer Yellow, Reefer Orange, Pullman Green,  Coach Olive, M & W Gray, Roof Brown, Santa Fe Blue, Union Pacific Yellow, Silver.  They offered a new 8oz size of Thinner. Up to this point only a standard 2oz bottle was available.

October 1968

 

April 1969

The final additions by the SMRP were the Flat and Gloss Glazes. The Nov. 1969 ad was the last version by that company. There may have been repeats of this ad in the Jan. or Feb. 1970 magazine issues - there are no Scalecoat ads in those issues of Railroad Model Craftsman - but I don't have the other magazines to verify.

 

Nov. 1969

When Quality Craft Models (QCM) obtained SMRP sometime between Nov. 1969 and April 1970 the paint line consisted of  20 colors. This included 5 locomotive colors; Locomotive Black, Oxide Red, Graphite & Oil, Southern Green, G.N. Green and Black, White, Tuscan Red, Caboose Red, Box Car Red, Reefer Yellow, Reefer Orange, Pullman Green,  Coach Olive, M & W Gray, Roof Brown, Santa Fe Blue, Union Pacific Yellow, Silver, Santa Fe Red.

April 1970

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 1970 MR was the first advertised notice that I've been able to find where Scalecoat had been obtained by QCM. Quality Craft Models immediately issued a color chart and instruction card for using the paint.

Quality Craft Models was established in May or June 1965. Their business was finely milled basswood craftsman kits in . Their ad in June 1966 MR announced the company's first anniversary with a big sale. At that point their address was a P.O. box in Villa Vista, Pennsylvania. Quality Craft Models often advertised Scalecoat Paint as a Subdivision of QCM in their ads but when Scalecoat published an ad (about every other month) they rarely made mention of QCM. Both were owned by the Weavers from 156 Wheatley Road, Northampton, PA and they would own Scalecoat for the next 45 years.

By the end of 1970 QCM added 12 new colors plus a sanding sealer. After all, their business was primarily wooden kits. Presumably they also offered the thinner for the Sanding Sealer at that time..

This was the line up; Locomotive Black, Oxide Red, Graphite & Oil, Black, White, Tuscan Red, Caboose Red, Box Car Red, Reefer Yellow, Reefer Orange, Pullman Green,  Coach Olive,  Southern Green, M & W Gray, Roof Brown, Santa Fe Blue, Union Pacific Yellow, Sliver, Great Northern Green, Santa Fe Red, Illinois Central Orange, SP Dark Gray, SP Scarlet, SP Daylight Orange, SP Daylight Red, UP Harbor Mist Gray, UP Dark Gray, PC Green, CNW Yellow, CNW Green, Baltimore & Ohio Royal Blue, Burlington Northern Green.

Toluene was part of the formula

 

 

It appears Toluol (Toluene) was part of the reducer formula through most of the '70s. The bottle on the right - visible in the top photo was not yet part of the product line in 1970.

Undoubtedly, government regulations were part of the reason it was finally omitted but even though the paint continued to be advertised for brass and wood only the removal of Toluene helped make it more usable on plastics. Of course baking as part of the process was not comparable with plastic models. 

After 1970 ads for Scalecoat became more infrequent  Next time we will attempt to determine when the colors began to be number and  when other auxiliary product were introduced..