We use several brands of paint to decorate our models, as we often find that one brand does not have all the colors we need. Because of the nature of "special mix" colors to match prototype railroad paint schemes, the paint we use usually runs between $50.00 to $60.00 per GALLON. A run of 500 HO boxcars will use most of a gallon of paint; N scale cars will use about 60% of a gallon. Plus you use up some paint in clean-up and preparation.

Some special mix colors can run up to $100.00 per gallon, and we advise against wanting a special mix color unless we are painting a large number of cars. Often the minimum quantity we can buy of a special color is 5 gallons (@ $100.00 per GALLON).

Paint manufacturers will not guarantee paint color match from batch to batch. Often, manufacturers find that the EPA or some other government agency bans certain paint pigments, and the substitute pigments can in no way match the earlier colors. We try the best we can to match colors, but over a few years time you will see a "shift" in colors...this is often beyond our control for the above cited reasons.

If the car to be decorated is not entirely one base color (say for example the roof and ends are a different color than the sides), then the second color is spray painted using a metal mask. The cost of such a mask depends on the complexity of the design to be masked. For an average freight car, the mask runs $150.00 to $175.00. For a locomotive, where complex shapes and angles are involved, it can run up to $300.00 or more per mask. It is not unusual for a complex paint scheme to require 6 or 8 different masks for the paint job...costing over $2000.00 just for the masks. The masking is done by hand, using a small airbrush, typical of what an artist or modeler would use at home. It is a slow and tedious job.

Years ago, models were printed using rubber printing plates into which the design of the lettering had been etched. Today, we use a process called "pad printing", where a soft silicone RTV head picks up the image from a photo-etched steel plate and prints it onto the car or locomotive body. Some modelers think that we use decals to letter our models, but we do not. On rare occasions we may use a decal to letter the nose of a locomotive where several colors or a complex design is needed, but normally all our models are pad printed.

Pad printing is also a very tedious job. The air temperature and humidity can affect the day's production run. Setting up can take several hours to get a job to run "right". A normal day's production run on a pad printing machine (including set up time) would be about 500 cars for a one-color print job.

The artwork needed to produce the etched printing plates has to be very acurrately laid out. If the artwork is incorrect then the printing will be incorrectly placed on the model.

Today we use Macintosh computers to prepare the artwork for the cars. If you have a special herald or logo you need used on your car, we will need a good black and white copy of it at least 3X final size to scan into our computer, clean up and digitize for the printing plate film.

Artwork for a given model can take many hours to complete. The next process is making a film positive from which the plates are made. Thus, we prefer not to quote on artwork and have the customer prepare it and give it to us "camera ready". (Camera ready means that we do not have to do anything except make the film positives).

Questions about artwork requirments?
Ask our Art Department

Many factors affect the time needed to produce a custom-decorated car. Normally we work at least 2 to 3 months ahead in scheduling our own products. If the customer wishes us to use the car body from another model manufacturer (Athearn, Atlas, MDC), then we have to add in the time it takes to get the bodies from that supplier. This may take one month or several months, depending on their production schedule.

The following is only a guideline. An exact price cannot be quoted until we know what car body will be used, the quantity to be produced, and at least a sketch of the proposed paint scheme and lettering.

On runs of less than 2,000 cars (minimum order is 500 HO scale cars or 300 N scale cars) figure that your cost will be 80 percent of the retail price of that car. This price includes the basic car, with one of our stock colors, and one color printing on both sides of the car body. We will consider doing as few as 300 HO or 200 N cars at a slightly higher price.

Printing of end numbers on the car body is 35cents extra per car. Second or third print colors on the car sides are 50 cents per color per car. Paint masking of small areas (for doors, sides, etc> using existing paint masks costs 50 cents extra per car.

Custom paint masks will be quoted once we determine what is needed. Custom colors for either painting or printing will be quoted once we determine what is needed.

Different car numbers:
A run of 500 cars can be split into 125 cars per car number. (A run of 1,000 cars can be split 8 ways.) Add 50 cents extra per car for change of car numbers.

 

"B":
The following charges apply to all orders:
(1) A one-time charge of $150.00 for making all films, printing plates, set-ups, etc. The printing plates are your property, and may be used in the future for re-runs, but they remain in our possession. If in the future you want exactly the same car re-run, but with different car numbers, the above charge will be reduced to $75.00 for the re-run.

(2) Price is FOB Tucson AZ. That means you pay all freight charges from Tucson to your delivery address. We normally use UPS. We need a street address for UPS delivery (not a post office box).

"C": Payment policy:
We require a 50% deposit with your order, with the balance due and payable when the cars are ready to ship to you. We reserve the right to ship and bill for 5% over/under the quantity ordered. Written quotes are valid for 90 days. However, if we are decorating a body supplied by another manufacturer such as Athearn, Atlas or MDC, we are not re- sponsible if they increase their prices. Any increase would be passed on to you. However, once we receive your deposit check, then the price is "locked in" to what we have quoted, unless you change the specifications or in- structions to us.

We can supply undecorated cars to customers in quantities of not less than 300 cars for their own custom painting and decorating at a special discount price. We will quote on receipt of your inquiry, as prices can vary from car to car.

(1) Undecorated cars are supplied in bulk, with all required parts packed in bulk, along with Con-Cor boxes, in- struction sheets, etc. We will supply 2% extra card bodies at no charge to allow for set-up or breakage. No other claims will be allowed. (We can also supply cars painted in a basic color or colors but without imprinting, please contact us for a quote with your needs.

(2) Label on box must clearly indicate that they are "Con-Cor" cars which have been custom decorated by the "ABC Company".

 

Please address all inquiries on custom decorated cars to our Tucson AZ plant:

Con-Cor International
8101 E. Research Court Tucson, AZ. 85710
Phone: 520-721-8939
FAX: 520-721-8940

E-Mail: jconway@con-cor.com