Micro-Mark Railroad Model Acrylic Paint Set – Color Guide and Usage Suggestions
Perfect for model railroad layouts, Item #29384, see below for mixtures for 50 additional popular model railroad colors.
This set of high-quality acrylic paints has been specially curated for model railroaders, featuring historically inspired and layout-ready tones that enhance realism and detail. Below is a description of each color and suggested uses in model railroading.
29387 – Engine Black 
A deep, rich black formulated for maximum coverage and realism. Ideal for steam locomotives, diesel bodies, coal tenders, underframes, and rolling stock wheels.
29388 – Reefer White 
A soft off-white with a hint of warmth. Perfect for reefer car sides, fencing, station signage, or as a highlight or topcoat on structures and vehicles.
29383 – Aged Concrete 
A weathered beige-gray that mimics old concrete. Use it for sidewalks, roads, station platforms, bridge supports, and any cement structure needing a worn, realistic look.
29382 – Undercoat Light Gray 
A clean, neutral gray perfect as a primer or undercoat. It prepares surfaces for brighter top colors and is suitable for buildings, rolling stock, and scale figures.
29381 – Light Sea Blue 
A pale, soft aqua-blue that adds a touch of color without overwhelming. Use it on water features, background skies, or as an accent color in industrial scenes.
29380 – Reefer Gray 
A neutral mid-tone gray with a faint blue tint. Great for reefer roofs, modern freight cars, industrial buildings, and retaining walls.
29379 – Steel Blue 
A cool, dark blue-gray shade ideal for industrial applications. Use this for steel bridges, handrails, factory rooftops, and water towers for a solid, weather-resistant appearance.
29378 – Dirt 
A muted, dusty brown with subtle gray tones. Excellent for dirt roads, hiking paths, track shoulders, and other worn-down terrain areas.
29377 – Earth 
A warm medium brown reminiscent of natural terrain. Use Earth for scenic base layers such as hillsides, embankments, and earthen structures. It blends well with other ground tones.
29376 – Reefer Yellow 
A bright and saturated yellow designed for refrigerated boxcars (reefers). Also great for signage, advertisements on cars, or any element needing a vibrant and eye-catching yellow.
29375 – Depot Buff 
A light yellow-tan tone, common in historical railroad architecture. Ideal for depot walls, trim, wood fencing, and older commercial or residential buildings near the tracks.
29374 – Signal Green 
A bright, safety-oriented green for operational signage and signaling. Best used on signal lights, switches, switch boxes, and other railroad control mechanisms.
29373 – Box Car Red 
A classic reddish-brown used extensively on boxcars throughout the 20th century. Apply this to boxcars, barns, freight depots, and weathered wood structures to evoke a utilitarian, rail-worn feel.
29372 – Tarnished Black 
A soft black with a slightly metallic, aged appearance. Excellent for locomotives, industrial equipment, undercarriages, and worn iron elements where a pure black would be too stark.
29371 – Caboose Red 
A deep, slightly muted red historically associated with cabooses and older freight equipment. Perfect for cabooses, depot trim, wooden structures, and older railcars that require a rich, vintage look.
29370 – Signal Red 
A bold, high-visibility red ideal for attention-grabbing elements. Use Signal Red for signal lights, crossing gates, warning signs, and emergency vehicles. It adds authentic detail to areas where visibility and safety are key.
These paints can also be blended to create additional custom colors for model railroad applications. For small batches, colors can be mixed by adding drops from the bottle to match the desired percentage ratios. For larger quantities, use precise measuring tools (such as syringes or graduated cups) to ensure accurate proportions in your mixtures.
Micro-Mark also sells empty 20 ml bottles with emitters to store your new mixtures Item #29441.
Here are some recipes for popular railroad colors and the mixture ratios using the 16 colors available in the set.
