Weathering Rolling Stock, a Continous thread

[TLOC]

Hello, I am back with another set of 3 cars to weather. These are Athearn RTR and come with metal wheels. They are very nice cars. I have never worked on or owned the RTR series of rolling stock from Athearn and I am impressed. Looking at doing 2 heavy rust per prototype pictures

and 1 using a picture as a guide but hard to describe if its super fading or …

As always your comments, questions and constructive criticism is very welcome. There is no rushing on these. The pictures are guides not absolutes. I am looking forward to these especially the faded rusty one.

After inspection, the trucks and wheelsets were taken off the cars and the the wheels taken off the trucks. All washed in 70% Isopropyl Alcohol and set aside to dry.

The Proto pictures are from the Railcarphotos.com website and the photograph is credited on the pictures themselves.

 

[TLOC]

After dinner and back at the bench!

Now that the wheelsets and trucks have dried it’s time to do the inside of the wheels, axles and trucks with full strength Vallejo Air Rust # 71.069

next up is the wheel faces at 100% Burnt Umber #71.040
the trucks will be lightly brushed with the same

While the wheel faces are still damp #740.1 Burnt Sienna X Dark will be brushed on.

Then on the truck faces #380.1 Red iron oxide XDark will be lightly brushed on after the faces have dried allowing some rust to show

After drying the wheel sets will be put back in the trucks, wheel threads cleaned and put away, if I like them. As you know I will adjust to what I like and a client approves.

There has been no air brushing.

enjoy the evening

 

[TLOC]

Late Wisconsin night to all. I no longer am a watcher of the television monitor but do watch You tube on my IPadPro or mirror it to the big TV monitor. Didn’t even do that tonight.

But I did go back and read the 12 pages of this thread. I really appreciate the great comments and super pictures and suggestions. PLEASE CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE.

 

[TLOC]

The cars and the all important boxes!

the one being worked on this morning

This guy will need a few applications I am feeling! Tamiya flat X-21 base brushed on, let dry and then brush off. Do until it looks right to me and then show the customer for his approval.

Yes, the stirrup step is missing. The only part of 9 cars that was detached when doing the inspection, but it was there and after weathering will be re-attached. Better to wait per past projects.

My real fun has begun with the weathering of the cars.

The wheelsets and trucks will be joined back together, posed for the pictures and then into hiding (I mean stored safely) until they are needed

Comments are welcome, but the choir knows that

 

[TLOC]

Hi. I received an email requesting a view of my workspace. Ok, but not in the picture is the paint booth about 30’ away to the left as I sit at the bench. The track above is my programming track. I do mainly paint prep, detail work, weathering and electronics here. Rarely I will build structures here but I have been the last 10 days. The rubber tile mats are not used here to allow my chair to easily roll.

3 overall shots

A lower level shot

 

[TLOC]

Trucks and wheelsets

Some touch up needed. That is partly why I post the pictures. Some paint chipping occurred on the inside of the wheels when I had to use the MicroMark truck tuner on the 6. These roll really great now.

The final dull cote has not yet been applied. The pictures I am using show the trucks as darker, more black a coloring. With a less rust color then what it seems I have.

Let me know but I think darker to match #1356

 

[TLOC]

 

[TLOC]

The latest. Not quite enough of a fade after 2 applications of the Tamiya flat base X-21.

Terry, looked at this on the bench before I took the picture. She said compared to the picture you are using you need to fade that green more!

New tactic and the good old when all else fails. Spray x-2 Tamiya White in a mix of 70% Isopropyl Alcohol to 20% paint 80% IPA and adjust if needed. It was lightly sprayed with the airbrush set at 16PSI. I put it in the dehydrator for 1 hour before taking a picture, maybe later.

I did brush on the x-21 flat base to the other 2 Athearn cars and they are were I want them.

Tomorrow is a travel day that unfortunately for my wallet has the car driving right passed Hiawatha Hobbies, one of my top 3 stores in the USA. When Terry and I set the travel day she said I could have 1 hour there! Bingo the list is done. I love this store and I know they like me and remember my wallet. Possibly a stop at the Walthers showroom that is open only on Thursday and Friday. But, I only buy the sale items because I get 20% off from my LHS. They no longer have the bargain table that Greg@mmr loved so much

 

[Smudge617]

The latest. Not quite enough of a fade after 2 applications of the Tamiya flat base X-21.
View attachment 151019 Terry, looked at this on the bench before I took the picture. She said compared to the picture you are using you need to fade that green more!

New tactic and the good old when all else fails. Spray x-2 Tamiya White in a mix of 70% Isopropyl Alcohol to 20% paint 80% IPA and adjust if needed. It was lightly sprayed with the airbrush set at 16PSI. I put it in the dehydrator for 1 hour before taking a picture, maybe later.

I did brush on the x-21 flat base to the other 2 Athearn cars and they are were I want them.

Tomorrow is a travel day that unfortunately for my wallet has the car driving right passed Hiawatha Hobbies, one of my top 3 stores in the USA. When Terry and I set the travel day she said I could have 1 hour there! Bingo the list is done. I love this store and I know they like me and remember my wallet. Possibly a stop at the Walthers showroom that is open only on Thursday and Friday. But, I only buy the sale items because I get 20% off from my LHS. They no longer have the bargain table that Greg@mmr loved so much

I love seeing the transformation you achieve with your weathering.

 

[CambriaArea51]

I used craft enamel paint (gray) thinned with water to fade this Conrail car. Maybe a green or white thinned to give you a faded look.

 

[TLOC]

I love seeing the transformation you achieve with your weathering.

Thanks Chris, I appreciate the comment. It doesn’t take much before you have a change. That’s why less is more, easier to add but tough to take off once applied. It’s also the matching that is giving me fits on this guy. I have done greens before but much darker green then this 2 bay hopper.

 

[TLOC]

I used craft enamel paint (gray) thinned with water to fade this Conrail car. Maybe a green or white thinned to give you a faded look.View attachment 151052View attachment 151053

Tom, That looks super. Thanks for showing it and the spray suggestion.

I mixed 80% IPA with 20% Tamiya x-2 white and sprayed it. I will post pictures later. Generally the x-21 flat base does the fade for me but this green is stubborn. After 2 applications of the flat base I had to spray it. I still want a good green showing but definitely on the lighter side.

 

[Alcomotive]

Tom it's all good! Looking great! Just popped in as I had a minute. I will pop in later on in the coffee shop. Have a good afternoon.

James

 

[TLOC]

Tom it's all good! Looking great! Just popped in as I had a minute. I will pop in later on in the coffee shop. Have a good afternoon.

James

Thanks James, be well

 

[Vince-RA]

This is an old beater craigslist pickup so I'm not too concerned about it one way or another. I sprayed it with Model Master flat clear lacquer first, then used chalks for the rust and a bit of coal dust. Not as easy as y'all make it look but I'm pretty pleased for my first attempt. Constructive feedback welcomed!

The observant will notice that in fact the "before" picture is the unweathered side of the car, but my actual before pictures turned out poorly so this will have to do

 

[TLOC]

Vince-RA welcome aboard to the continous thread. Sorry, I stayed away as I was working on other thing. We have all been there on first attempts and I deleted the pictures of my 1st attempts. You shared yours, kudos to you!

Glad you used a flat clear to give some grip for the chalks. I missed that my 1st time. But chalks and Pan Pastels are very forgiving.

I find the camera to be very helpful as I weather, paint or build a structure. That lens seems to catch the stuff my eye misses.

IMO, It looks good overall. Maybe a bit thinner rust lines across the ribs and rivets. But I have never found a great way other then taking that brush and stroke it as steady as possible. The chalks I have had issues with. I could not get them applied in a straight line and they were tough to hi-lite with. Try a thinner brush with the chalks as that has helped me using Pan Pastels. Over all though the fade looks good and the rust color looks good.There are also some good effects on the discharge chutes. The biggest thing is you have started weathering with now the first time behind you.

I am still learning this! Find a way to steady your brush. Often I will prop up on a sandbag my right hand to steady it. Not really the hand but near the wrist. Maybe I can have the wife take a picture. If the brush is already steady it may not be needed for you.

Keep going and remember if you don’t like it, start again. If you like/love it, that is all that matters.

enjoy the day

 

[Vince-RA]

Thanks for the kind words, and the advice! I have another side of this one and a few other old wrecks of cars I will keep practicing on. A smaller brush is definitely a good idea.

 

[TLOC]

I love seeing the transformation you achieve with your weathering.

It amazes me! Thank you

 

[TLOC]

Thanks for the kind words, and the advice! I have another side of this one and a few other old wrecks of cars I will keep practicing on. A smaller brush is definitely a good idea.

Best way to work is on the older stuff. I had 4 Athearn Blue Box 40’ Baby Hi Cubes from the 70’s and I practiced on those. 2 of them were in the background of a car I was trying to sell. Guy on FB asked if I would sell them and I sent him more pictures. These were my practice cars and he made an offer I couldn’t refuse. I still practice on the baby hicubes I have remaining. You never know.

you are heading in the right direction! Have fun

 

[CambriaArea51]

Best way to work is on the older stuff.

Those $2-4 tyco cars that are in a box at a show is what I used to practice on. Didn't matter if they had trucks on the car. I still have some that I use to try different techniques on before trying on a good car.