Weathering Rolling Stock, a Continous thread

[TLOC]

If the car is weighted out of the box and runs fine empty adding a load won't hurt. If the car is light, depending on the load weight you may or may not have to add weight. A couple examples, the gondola (Atlas) fine empty, the load just adds weight. The Intermountain flatcar is light out of the box a load that is heavy is good. A light load as in these boxes need weight to be added.View attachment 153194View attachment 153195View attachment 153196

Oh how true you write Tom.

The Scaletrains bulkhead shown in pictures above has a bit more heft the NMRA recommends and IMO that’s great. I have an unshown bulkhead from Athearn that is so light it’s ridiculous.

I do 1 ounce per 10 scale feet.

Other then gondolas of real scrap metal shavings I do not worrying about the loads over weighing the car. More weight the better in rolling stock!

 

[TLOC]

I Like this, but there seems very little contrast between the roof itself and the hatches, considering as you say, the hatches would be replaced, but not the roof, then again, it could just be my screen.

It’s not your

screen. I went back and made some adjustments

 

[TLOC]

This shows taken pictures of the real thing is never a waste. "clean" cars come from the shops and are hardly ever seen. Besides a little dirt (weathering) makes everything more realistic. Specially tankcars with their liquids spoiled, make a great weathering project.
But it all starts with looking. Taking photo's help a lot

I use a site called railcarphotos.com. U have to sign up to search, but much of the current photos are available without signing up for free.

I now live in an area away from the railroads and the yard in Madison, Wi. of the WSOR has no overpasses. Where it does go under an overpass is a 6 lane highway, so no picture taking from there. So I now have to rely on the internet.

 

[TLOC]

Tom


Tom, when you use real metal waste as a load, does that mean you do not use any weight for the cars?

No, I still weigh the car to 1 oz per 10 scale feet before any load is added. What I do for real metal scrap is bring the base up higher and use less metal shavings. I can tolerate 1 ounce or 1.5 over the 1 oz per 10 scale feet but not 2 or 3. Too tough on the truck frames holding the wheelsets

I just took these pictures of a load, you may need to zoom in. Just scrap styrene to bring the base up higher. They were taken with the IPadPro

 

[TLOC]

Tom one thing you could do is have different color hatches (replaced) from other units. Also the walkways get replaced. In this video ( start at 3:00) and at about 3:40 there's a car with a walkway section replaced.

Watched this again so thanks again Tom for sharing this

 

[Smudge617]

It’s not your View attachment 153226screen. I have gone back and made some adjustments

Yeah, I like this, just right I would say.

 

[CambriaArea51]

Watched this again so thanks again Tom for sharing this

When there's nothing on tv at night (and that's a lot) I watch train videos. When I was doing the grain train I watched many videos on CSX grain trains, CSX grain express, and CSX phosphate trains to see how the cars were used, weathered, repaired and repainted.

 

[TLOC]

Looking for a laugh anywhere I can find it

 

[mara plutoni]

I use a site called railcarphotos.com. U have to sign up to search, but much of the current photos are available without signing up for free.

I now live in an area away from the railroads and the yard in Madison, Wi. of the WSOR has no overpasses. Where it does go under an overpass is a 6 lane highway, so no picture taking from there. So I now have to rely on the internet.

I bet I live further away from any American RR... Long live the internet. Apart from that I do have a magazine that comes monthly and a lot of excelent books. And from now on I have all your knowledge here in the forum.

 

[TLOC]

Yeah, I like this, just right I would say.

Thanks

 

[TLOC]

I am in the back stretch of a weathering commission. I like them and James has approved these 4 of the 9.

Next is a batch of 4 that he has to ok. He either has about 20 photos or 70! I had some issues with the internet while trying to send these to him today. Here though is a group picture he has not seen yet.

one more to go

The granddaughter has her last Miracle League of Dane County Special Needs softball game of the season tonight under the lights in 45f degree weather. Should be fun if the kids don’t all freeze. Afterwards the celebratory dinner that she picked the Hibachi Place as she loves watching the chef prepare the meal and put on the show. Yes, I will get the check! So no more weathering for me today.

TomO

 

[CambriaArea51]

Ten cars left, 8 will go to the grain train and 2 to the phosphate train. The 2 AEX and the Grain Express cars will get gloss coat over the decals then all get a dull coat before weathering.

 

[TLOC]

Here is the 9th 2Bay hopper I weathered for Alcomotive (James). All 9 mailed out this morning with tracking and insurance.

USPS insurance has doubled so far in 2022. But the day I don’t buy it, I’d have trouble. Generally the 1 or 2 cars I do the normal priority mail insurance included will cover. However anything over 2 cars I do the insurance to be safe

This was a fun project.

Now I am into trees!

 

[TLOC]

Ten cars left, 8 will go to the grain train and 2 to the phosphate train. The 2 AEX and the Grain Express cars will get gloss cost over the decals then all get a dull coat before weathering.View attachment 153602View attachment 153603View attachment 153604

Those are nice cars Tom. What clear sprays are you using? For the gloss? For the dull?

thanks

 

[CambriaArea51]

Those are nice cars Tom. What clear sprays are you using? For the gloss? For the dull?

thanks

I'm at the tail end of my Model master gloss and dull. Then I'll be trying Microlux dull coat and Vallejo gloss.

 

[TLOC]

I'm at the tail end of my Model master gloss and dull. Then I'll be trying Microlux dull coat and Vallejo gloss.

Thanks. I will look at the Model Master. I have been using VMS gloss and VMS matte varnishes since August. No issues and much less smell then Testors dull cote that has gotten hard to find in the spray can.

 

[TLOC]

Hey, I am so far into a 48+ hour break from weathering.

I have been today working on 5 trees, deciduous 9” high and dead! Few leaves and those will be brown.

I won’t actually start on the next unexpected group of cars until sometime tomorrow and then just to apply a light matte clear coat. Maybe I can get the wheels and trucks done. That depends how the candle wax sets up for the trunks of the 5 trees. The trees are for the wife of a acquaintance for his birthday present in December.

The rolling stock are for a FB friend who would like to take them to Trainfest in November. He purchased a couple of my Centerbeams this Summer when I was selling them on Facebook. He already has 10 of my pulp cars.

5 Walthers Centerbeam 72’ cars. These cars are done very well for the Mainline series of cars from Walthers. IMO they just a shade below the Atlas Centerbeams. I am hoping the Centerbeams coming from Rapido are a couple steps above the Atlas cars. I have pre-ordered some for myself

There will be some pin washes, oil washes and touches of solid rust spots with streaks. The fade will be different for me. Normally I use Tamiya’s X-21 base but with Centerbeams I found previously there isn’t much surface to fade. I will use the airbrush to fade these cars with a similar body color loaded with some off white.

These will not be rustbuckets as none of the pictures I have been researching the past couple months are heavily weathered. So, I am calling these mostly medium to spots of heavy weathering.

Stay tuned as I work on these over the next few weeks. As always constructive criticism is encouraged

 

[Snowman]

I am in the back stretch of a weathering commission. I like them and James has approved these 4 of the 9.
View attachment 153497

Next is a batch of 4 that he has to ok. He either has about 20 photos or 70! I had some issues with the internet while trying to send these to him today. Here though is a group picture he has not seen yet.
View attachment 153498View attachment 153499
one more to go

The granddaughter has her last Miracle League of Dane County Special Needs softball game of the season tonight under the lights in 45f degree weather. Should be fun if the kids don’t all freeze. Afterwards the celebratory dinner that she picked the Hibachi Place as she loves watching the chef prepare the meal and put on the show. Yes, I will get the check! So no more weathering for me today.

TomO

You have gift. A real eye for it, and a talent for it both. Seriously.

<Applause>

 

[Snowman]

Here is the 9th 2Bay hopper I weathered for Alcomotive (James). All 9 mailed out this morning with tracking and insurance.
View attachment 153791View attachment 153792View attachment 153793View attachment 153794View attachment 153795View attachment 153796View attachment 153797View attachment 153798
USPS insurance has doubled so far in 2022. But the day I don’t buy it, I’d have trouble. Generally the 1 or 2 cars I do the normal priority mail insurance included will cover. However anything over 2 cars I do the insurance to be safe

This was a fun project.

Now I am into trees!

I've been lucky, and buying up some pricey golf clubs and shafts from ebay. Even got one a week back which was packaged in a VERY strong rolled cardboard tube about 5" dia. When I finally opened it and realized which one it was, I found a note attached to the clubhead itself: "Thanks for buying! Arigato!, which is Japanese for "Thank You!"

I hadn't even noticed it came from Japan. DHL treated me well, as I had not even thought about insuring it.
Of course, when what you really want is the particular item itself, insurance compensation (a consolation prize if it never arrives) still leaves you feeling pretty deflated. Or maybe that's just me.

I have ever...or only once that I remember...paid for something that never arrived. A Herb Alpert LP, and I think I lost all of seven dollars.

That said, had everything I recently ordered NOT arrived (I'm still waiting on a couple of them), and particularly the driver/wood shafts, I'd have been crushed. Really crushed, as they were so hard to find. But they did.

 

[TLOC]

You have gift. A real eye for it, and a talent for it both. Seriously.

<Applause>

Thank you. Learning as I go and getting helpful suggestions along the way.