I got a really good deal on some older William's heavyweights, which of course don't exactly match any prototype used by the Reading, but they've got the two-tone scheme (with yellow stripes above and below the windows, for some reason.) I was mulling over if the yellow stripes should be painted over with the pullman green or the lighter green, but then it occurred to me that maybe I should be painting the whole window line pullman green as well. I intend these coaches to represent the King Coal in the late 40s.


Not my image, but similar to this.

I'm pretty sure that the two-tone scheme started in 1948 with the modernized (blimp) cars built for the Schuylkill and the King Coal consists.

That's what I thought.

I know the forum is mostly HO guys, but can anyone recommend a paint to match the Pullman green on this car? I'd like to just mask out the window bands and avoid repainting and relettering the entire set.

Ah the greens. I have been trying to figure this one out myself as I have a bunch of Blimp cars to paint. I do not believe that Pullman Green is correct for these cars. Pullman green is a dark olive color with a hint of yellow. Reading MU cars and heavyweights were painted this color. However the green on the two tone modernized cars and some two tone heavyweights comes across as lighter with almost a hint of blue in it. There were even a few MU's in this scheme.
I recently visited dining car 1189 at Strasburg The green on the body and inside the vestibules is most definitely not Pullman Green. It would be fair to assume that the color in the vestibules is unmolested by man and sunshine.
As for the window bands the Bethlehem Car Works recommends Southern Green. This seems about right.
Maybe some day someone at the RT&HS will unearth DuPont color specs for these cars.

I was under the impression that all the early diesels, passenger cars, and M.U.s were all the same olive type green, including the 2 tone cars. I was told the lighter green on the window bands is hunter green.

I airbrush exclusively with flotilla, and achieve excellent results. As for the Pullman green, I would probably start with a black coat to darken it down a bit. One coat of flat black, then one or two coats of floquil Pullman green. The lighter green would be tougher, but I think Floquil coach green over the black base coat would look good, and is what I am planning on using when I get my coaches built.
Don't forget that light plays a bit part in any color matching. Use what works best for you. Take a styrene sheet and primer it, and play with the colors until you find the ones you like best. For best results, observe your colors in light conditions that the model will most likely be seen in, I.e. the layout itself. Rarely will you ever see a coach from the side in bright white natural light, unless you are taking it to a model display exhibit or for competition purposes.