Weathering Rolling Stock, a Continous thread


TLOC

Well-Known Member
Hello fellow modelers with interests in painting and weathering. This will be my new spot. Instead of starting a new thread for each weathering project, they will be here. Pictures of rolling stock will be here. At this time I do not do locomotives.

I encourage you to give Constructive Criticism and hope you show some of YOUR work with descriptions of what you did, what you used, etc…

I am not showing any of the 51 pulpwood cars I have weathered since October, 2021. I have kept 16. As I have taken on a project for a modeler of 15 pulp wood cars with no loads. You may get sick of seeing pulp cars!

Pictures from recent past projects:
D1A2D106-B752-4245-9191-713BF1274A71.jpeg

a few gondolas
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TomO
 
Tom, this was a great idea to start this Thread. Weathering has become a second hobby created within Model Railroading. I enjoy the weathering work of others and doing some of my own and I hope this Thread becomes as popular as I believe it will be in the future.

Here's a box car that I weathered using oils.

IMG_0401-1.JPG

I like using oils since when wet they can be removed without any effort. I first ran the streaks down the sides of the car using a brush that was loaded with thinner and just a dap of oil paint. When they streaks dried, I used a wet brush and dabbed the rust spots on the car and waited for them to dry. Once almost dry, I used a brush wet with thinner to touch the rust spots and then draw the brush straight down the sides of the car. Rust was dabbed along the lower section of the car using again a wet brush and little paint.

If I did it over again I would make the rust spots smaller in most areas. The car is a Walther's Mainline that was on sale for $10.99.-Greg


Soo Line 4436.jpg
A rust bucket SOO Line locomotive ready for the junk yard. I used both oils and Pan Pastels to weather this Proto-2000 locomotive.-Greg

T
 
Tom, this was a great idea to start this Thread. Weathering has become a second hobby created within Model Railroading. I enjoy the weathering work of others and doing some of my own and I hope this Thread becomes as popular as I believe it will be in the future.

Here's a box car that I weathered using oils.

View attachment 141786
I like using oils since when wet they can be removed without any effort. I first ran the streaks down the sides of the car using a brush that was loaded with thinner and just a dap of oil paint. When they streaks dried, I used a wet brush and dabbed the rust spots on the car and waited for them to dry. Once almost dry, I used a brush wet with thinner to touch the rust spots and then draw the brush straight down the sides of the car. Rust was dabbed along the lower section of the car using again a wet brush and little paint.

If I did it over again I would make the rust spots smaller in most areas. The car is a Walther's Mainline that was on sale for $10.99.-Greg


View attachment 141788
A rust bucket SOO Line locomotive ready for the junk yard. I used both oils and Pan Pastels to weather this Proto-2000 locomotive.-Greg

T
Greg thanks for joining in. I need to get better with Arcylic first before I try oils. If I stop buying rolling stock I have around 40 more cars to keep me busy for March.

I appreciate the pictures and the how to… that’s what I am looking for

TomO
 
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Hi

My last gondola got a bit of a reaction on the Facebook page HO scale shelf modeler. Many thought I had overdone it beyond being realistic. The ends had lots of suggestions, the sides, the floor and the load got great comments. Thankfully Arcylic is very forgiving.

from this
8AFE6AB0-16BE-40F8-9240-643993309C05.jpeg
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To this after some rework
DE0AC650-3089-4AF6-8BD3-0248C316750E.jpeg
22BAF60E-BBBD-4163-9BCF-D29DF2C863BD.jpeg

Today I had a Facebook friend send me some reference pictures he took for me today 2/28/2022, in Edson Alberta Canada. Here they are:
D7F010A7-CDE9-4269-AE74-7CA6AD22AA4C.jpeg
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E4DCA8E9-00A4-4863-B27A-C0B477CBF5DA.jpeg

These pictures show exactly the type of help I was asking for on FB and the type of sharing we can do here at modelrailroadforums.com.

I have more gondolas to work on but the prototypes are heavily used but not abused with dings, dents and rust.

TomO
 
Hello fellow modelers with interests in painting and weathering. This will be my new spot. Instead of starting a new thread for each weathering project, they will be here. Pictures of rolling stock will be here. At this time I do not do locomotives.

I encourage you to give Constructive Criticism and hope you show some of YOUR work with descriptions of what you did, what you used, etc…

I am not showing any of the 51 pulpwood cars I have weathered since October, 2021. I have kept 16. As I have taken on a project for a modeler of 15 pulp wood cars with no loads. You may get sick of seeing pulp cars!

Pictures from recent past projects:
View attachment 141781
a few gondolas
View attachment 141783View attachment 141784View attachment 141782

TomO
Hello,
I've been following your work. Your weathering is very realistic and I enjoy following along with your processes. One thing that is catching my eye is the loads you have in the gondolas. Would you discuss the loads you have made for the gondolas?
Thanks
Jim Ford
 
Hello,
I've been following your work. Your weathering is very realistic and I enjoy following along with your processes. One thing that is catching my eye is the loads you have in the gondolas. Would you discuss the loads you have made for the gondolas?
Thanks
Jim Ford
Sure thing and thank you.The last steel scrap load I built the pictures of the build were terrible so those are deleted.

1. I determine the load. You say, No s..t Sherlock! But, I build pipe, aluminum billets, steel scrap architectural shapes, steel coil and real steel shavings for metal scrap loads for gondolas and some of those for flat cars

2. for the steel scrap load, I take a sheet of Evergreen .060 thick sheet #9060 for the gondola loads built the past week and cut it to fit into the loading bay of the gondola minus a couple scale feet.

(other thicknesses will work but I have 20 sheets left from a tilt-up wall panel warehouse build that I over purchased)

To test fit I put the still unpainted piece into the gondola bay, when I turn the gondola over the styrene strip should fall out
D01E0B27-5261-4247-976A-61B93CAEAF71.jpeg

3. I then cut some, or use scraps I have of .250x.250 #199 solid strips also from Evergreen and glue 7 pieces on the underside of the scrap load base. 1 piece the length down the middle and 3 pieces on each side making the sheet balanced when in the gondola

4. I then will sloppily hand paint the unseen underneath portion with black arcylic. The upper base itself gets a dark umber #71.040 of Vallejo Air or #302 dark rust from the Panzer Aces line from Vallejo. I prefer to hand brush Vallejo Air as it dries my airbrush tip way too often. This layer is full strength no dilution with water. I also will use Hull Red from Tamiya but cut 50% with Isopropyl Alcohol and I will use the airbrush for that. I hadn’t picked up an airbrush since the late 70’s until last week when I started practicing. In the picture above that is Tamiya Hull Red after practice. I have 8 more bases created using 4 Vallejo and 4 of the Tamiya. I may not be the best but I am efficient
7D61AB8C-2ABC-484A-A885-433535C56B7B.jpeg

5. my steel scrap shavings were sent to me by a Facebook friend in Ohio. The local metal shops in my area would not even sell me a coffee pail full as I did offer to pay. I set them out for a week or so after putting them in a emptied and cleaned peanut butter jar filled with 70oz Isopropyl alcohol shaken every day for a week.
D988E85E-76F4-457D-9FA5-8E70541994F8.jpeg



This removes the oils. Setting them out will oxidize some thus getting a bit of real rust.

6. next I take Elmers glue-all and thickly apply to the scrap load base. I then sprinkle on the steel shaving about one layer thick. With a 1”x2”x 5”stick, Ipress with the end of the stick the steel plate shaving hoping to get the pieces to adhere. I use a 1x2x12” long as an edge piece and push that against the load getting even edging. I did experiment today using Mod Podge instead of the Elmers glue-all. 1 load with the verdict still out
24F8D4D7-6E84-4D7B-B733-AA78C7E91A09.jpeg
But it is much more expensive then the Elmers Glue-all I buy in the gallon

7. I continue applying layers of steel shavings until I get the shape and look of a load just peaking out above the gondola sides but instead of full strength the glue is applied 50/50 water to glue, just like gluing down ballast. I do soak it as I do not want the shavings coming off. This dries for 48+ hours depending on your environmental conditions.

8. With everything secured down, the glue dried, and it fits, REMOVE IT. It is steel after all, so a magnet works and now you know why I cut the base a few scale feet shorter.
B6BE6D94-69F7-4C11-AC36-D842DD980C8C.jpeg

I now create a wash of Vallejo Air dark umber and dab it on with a brush. Pay particular attention where the glue might be seen, it is white unless you tinted it first. Let dry, do it again until YOU are satisfied.
74BF3F72-E11E-4F72-9996-FBD6E17C9A43.jpeg


Harder to write then do. Multiples help to quicken. I am not a airbrusher yet but it would speed up the painting portions.

Doing architectural scrap pieces is similar except each piece I glued separately using Aileen’s tacky Glue
7FF11774-5ADB-448E-8C8A-F3CFD02382F7.jpeg
Does your railroad cover scrap loads? If so let me know what successfully works for you. I have tried wedding veil tulle like modelers have used for chain link fencing. Nope, crummy look, looks like tullel!

Sorry this is so wordy but the pictures of each process didn’t work out. Thanks for tuning in

TomO
 
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Hello,
I've been following your work. Your weathering is very realistic and I enjoy following along with your processes. One thing that is catching my eye is the loads you have in the gondolas. Would you discuss the loads you have made for the gondolas?
Thanks
Jim Ford
I did a small (not truthful) write up with some pictures.

Thank you for the compliment

TomO
ED1EB9B8-0971-4170-A9D1-BA695A61BE22.jpeg
 
That's one of the few types of weathering I have NOT yet attempted, because of the fact that it involves holding a hot soldering iron within a fraction of an inch of the car body. With my tremors, that would end in disaster! o_O
I tried but plastic melts and that happened practicing, so I figure I don’t need dents

TomO
 
I tried but plastic melts and that happened practicing, so I figure I don’t need dents

TomO
Put the wagon on the table on its side, not in your hand, then get something to rest both hands on, one to hold the iron, the other to steady your wrist, and I agree practise on rubbish, I melted a metal piece by accident, if I come a cross it, I’ll show it. I used a knife I warmed rather than a soldering iron successful, not on rolling stock so far I used a cheap trailer to give the tyre a flat, not quite the same but the same ballpark?
 

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as bought, been on the layout a while so dusty
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a watered greymostly to the bogie
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playing with red/pink and blue semi transparent letting the original colour show through, working towards getting a faded look.
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The grey used on the bogie now extended to cover the whole
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starting to add some coal dust, dirt

I chose not to do the horizontal lines often resulting from the emptying of the wagon, but those lines usually occur.

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blacking up with a vengeance, moving handles are usually painted white to save you time looking for them, the inside also get a ‘wet’ coal dusting
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the other side, thinned colours carefully added over the lettering so as not to lose it by being too heavy handed
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The other side
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a fine light dusting with powders
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the angle allowing the loco to hide the crappy coupling.

on the layout in natural sunlight giving excellent shadows
 
Tom: Just thought that I would add one of two of my rust bucket SOO Line cabooses.

IMG_0453.JPG
This is a BB SOO caboose that I used oils and acrylic paints to do heavy weathering. I changed the font and style of the SOO LINE on the caboose's side panels and change the cabooses number to "4". I like the larger, all capital letters of the name SOO LINE. Alcohol removed the original lettering with ease.

IMG_0452.JPG
Hidden, I added a flashing warning strobe to the underside of the rear roof. The heavy rust along the top edge and roof areas is an acrylic paint with a over-painting of oil for rust streaks.

I had a professional do a rust bucket SOO caboose for me and after seeing his rust bucket, I decided to do one caboose of my own weathering work. I like working with the combination of acrylic paint and oils since the acrylics are applied first, dry fast and then the oils can be applied over the acrylics. Oil paint can be removed with thinner when wet.

IMG_0449.JPG

A matching SOO locomotive that has seen better days!!!-Greg

Later....

Excuse me for the messy work area!!!

Greg
 



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