Weathering Rolling Stock, a Continous thread

[TLOC]

There are some other facilities in the area that would make a good industry to model. If you go south on I35W at the SE intersection of NE 28th Street and 35W was a plant on a triangular shaped plot of land next to the old joint T&P/MKT line between Fort Worth and Whitesboro (now the UP Choctaw Sub Main 2). This plant constructed many types of cars over the years but I remember seeing covered hoppers more often than not. An old coworker of mine worked here painting railcars before we worked together.

If you go west along NE 28th Street from here at the point where you've crossed under the Fort Worth & Western and UP Choctaw Sub Main 1 (former FW&D main) but before you reach the UP Duncan Sub (former OKKT nee Rock Island) and BNSF Fort Worth Sub main (former Santa Fe) there is another triangular plot of land south of the street where tank bodies were constructed (and might still be). As far back as I can remember these bodies would be loaded on Trinity's flatbed trailers and hauled by their distinctive mint green Freightliner cabovers north to the Saginaw plant you showed above for assembly into finished cars.

Another Trinity plant that was a bustling place in the past but seems to be a ghost town now is their Irving Blvd. facility in Dallas just south of Mockingbird Yard. It's on a rectangular plot of land in the center of this image and a spur connects it to the yard lead at the NW corner of the property:

I don't know how other railcar manufacturers did things, but Trinity seemed to be very decentralized. There were always trucks moving around town with steel shapes, wheels, trucks, tank ends and other components delivering subassemblies from one plant to another. Even if you couldn't recognize the component it was hard to miss their trucks.

I don't think it would take much to model one of these facilities. You could leave the large structures off the edge of the layout or just imply them with background flat versions and keep the spur track and storage tracks leading to the main. At the edge of the facility along the fence you could line up trucks, wheels, and steel shapes. Of course you'll need some flatbed and lowboy trailers to fill in some of the space, and maybe an overhead crane on the spur track for unloading large components like the zoomed in version of the Irving Blvd plant seen here:

I love big Manufacturing facilities. FW has lots of good examples and when we drive through it seems to mostly Terry driving to Waco before we switch. Looking out the window has been interesting to say the least.. Much more modern then driving through St. Louis that because of its aging and closed factories has more character. For detail freaks, those last couple of the manufacturing yards will have them drooling

thanks for sharing

 

[TLOC]

Back to weathering tank cars. I had to strip down the car to remove the the fibers that became stuck because of my inattentiveness.

I hit this morning with a fade of 80% Isopropyl Alcohol and 20% sea gray from Tamiya. Lightly sprayed trying to use the airbrush to show the weathering lines. I used a smaller needle in a Badger Chrome at 16PSI.

Let me know what you think. You know the rules!

 

[CambriaArea51]

Painted the wheels, changed out the couplers and painted. Dull coat with Microlux clear flat. Weathering next. Two different lighting pics.

 

[TLOC]

Painted the wheels, changed out the couplers and painted. Dull coat with Microlux clear flat. Weathering next. Two different lighting pics.View attachment 159759View attachment 159758

What? No fibers…

Anxious to see what’s next with this

 

[TLOC]

Clear coat added

 

[CambriaArea51]

What? No fibers…

Anxious to see what’s next with this

Considering having 3 cats and a dog, I'm lucky it doesn't look like a hairy monster.

Tank car is coming along great.

I want to try Dan's method of applying rust with a makeup sponge to the top part of the tank. Gotta get some though.

 

[santafewillie]

FW has lots of good examples and when we drive through it seems to mostly Terry driving to Waco

The northern part of Ft Worth also seems to be endless railroad tracks. More so 35 years ago than now. I used to be able to see CRI&P (Rock Island), T&P, ATSF, SP, SSW (Cotton Belt), MP, FW&D, MKT (Katy), among others. I don't remember if UP was there, or just visiting on SP tracks. To this day, there are still over 100 trains a day that pass by Tower 55 near downtown.

 

[TLOC]

Considering having 3 cats and a dog, I'm lucky it doesn't look like a hairy monster.

Tank car is coming along great.

I want to try Dan's method of applying rust with a makeup sponge to the top part of the tank. Gotta get some though.

I watched that video a few days after it came out. He sure has his ways to do things. His explanations and demonstrations are excellent. I have communicated a few times with him via texts before Christmas as he offered advice, tips and specific materials as I learn to create graffiti.

Thanks for sharing

 

[TLOC]

The northern part of Ft Worth also seems to be endless railroad tracks. More so 35 years ago than now. I used to be able to see CRI&P (Rock Island), T&P, ATSF, SP, SSW (Cotton Belt), MP, FW&D, MKT (Katy), among others. I don't remember if UP was there, or just visiting on SP tracks. To this day, there are still over 100 trains a day that pass by Tower 55 near downtown.

I have a FB friend who has offered a few times to take me around Fort Worth specifically on the BNSF that he is a manager for.

Such an interesting Railroad town

 

[RCH]

The northern part of Ft Worth also seems to be endless railroad tracks. More so 35 years ago than now. I used to be able to see CRI&P (Rock Island), T&P, ATSF, SP, SSW (Cotton Belt), MP, FW&D, MKT (Katy), among others. I don't remember if UP was there, or just visiting on SP tracks. To this day, there are still over 100 trains a day that pass by Tower 55 near downtown.

Don't forget the Frisco! Their main line from Tulsa stopped in Carrollton where they picked up the Rock Island (now owned by DART) at Tower 77 to Irving. Originally the plan was to use the Cotton Belt from here into Fort Worth and they might have for a time. Fun fact: Frisco's telegraph lines actually did run along the Cotton Belt to Fort Worth.

From Tower 77 the Frisco ran across the Burlington-Rock Island to Fort Worth, then continued on the Rock Island north up to Tower 60 where the rail swept across the FW&D and Santa Fe then ran parallel to the Cotton Belt's old alignment into Buttermilk Flats (near the old steam generating station north of the courthouse). After the Cotton Belt curved away to the south the Frisco continued on southwesterly to their 8th Avenue Yard.

The last remains of the sweeping Frisco main line curving across the Santa Fe and FW&D mains is a spur to a recycling plant. The Cotton Belt relocated their terminal from Buttermilk Flats to the area just north of Tower 55 near where the large Ben E. Keith distribution facility is located today. Their alignment from Hodge Yard curved into and shared the FW&D main across the Trinity River. From there a switch comes off the FW&D main and a track called the Gauntlet continues down to Tower 55. This was a hand-throw switch until UP and BNSF reconstructed the Tower 55 area in 2015 and now it is CTC.

Although the FW&D main from Hodge Curve at the south end of North Yard is now used and controlled by UP, BNSF still switches those legacy industries on the line and uses the same to interchange cars with the UP at Davidson Yard west of Fort Worth. As a brand new switchman I was force-assigned to that industry job since with all the other railroads you had to deal with it was an easy way to get fired. It was an easy jump to the interchange job with the UP which I'd work when my seniority would allow. Learning that territory and the other railroad's rules ended up being very helpful later on when I became an engineer.

I could talk about this stuff all day, so please forgive my indulgence and continue with the weathering! Fort Worth is chock full of cool industries, more so in the past, but they can still be found with a little digging.

 

[AirbrushNo5]

Clear coat added

View attachment 159761

Nice….

 

[TLOC]

The northern part of Ft Worth also seems to be endless railroad tracks. More so 35 years ago than now. I used to be able to see CRI&P (Rock Island), T&P, ATSF, SP, SSW (Cotton Belt), MP, FW&D, MKT (Katy), among others. I don't remember if UP was there, or just visiting on SP tracks. To this day, there are still over 100 trains a day that pass by Tower 55 near downtown.

I have a FB friend who has offered a few times to take me around Fort Worth specifically on the BNSF that he is a manager for.

Such an interesting Railroad town

Don't forget the Frisco! Their main line from Tulsa stopped in Carrollton where they picked up the Rock Island (now owned by DART) at Tower 77 to Irving. Originally the plan was to use the Cotton Belt from here into Fort Worth and they might have for a time. Fun fact: Frisco's telegraph lines actually did run along the Cotton Belt to Fort Worth.

From Tower 77 the Frisco ran across the Burlington-Rock Island to Fort Worth, then continued on the Rock Island north up to Tower 60 where the rail swept across the FW&D and Santa Fe then ran parallel to the Cotton Belt's old alignment into Buttermilk Flats (near the old steam generating station north of the courthouse). After the Cotton Belt curved away to the south the Frisco continued on southwesterly to their 8th Avenue Yard.

The last remains of the sweeping Frisco main line curving across the Santa Fe and FW&D mains is a spur to a recycling plant. The Cotton Belt relocated their terminal from Buttermilk Flats to the area just north of Tower 55 near where the large Ben E. Keith distribution facility is located today. Their alignment from Hodge Yard curved into and shared the FW&D main across the Trinity River. From there a switch comes off the FW&D main and a track called the Gauntlet continues down to Tower 55. This was a hand-throw switch until UP and BNSF reconstructed the Tower 55 area in 2015 and now it is CTC.

Although the FW&D main from Hodge Curve at the south end of North Yard is now used and controlled by UP, BNSF still switches those legacy industries on the line and uses the same to interchange cars with the UP at Davidson Yard west of Fort Worth. As a brand new switchman I was force-assigned to that industry job since with all the other railroads you had to deal with it was an easy way to get fired. It was an easy jump to the interchange job with the UP which I'd work when my seniority would allow. Learning that territory and the other railroad's rules ended up being very helpful later on when I became an engineer.

I could talk about this stuff all day, so please forgive my indulgence and continue with the weathering! Fort Worth is chock full of cool industries, more so in the past, but they can still be found with a little digging.

RCH, it’s my thread. No problem with this discussion on FW trains past or present. Continue on…

 

[TLOC]

I posted this car on FAcebook.

All airbrush work

Fade was done with gray Arcylic as noted previously Sea gray 20% to 80% Isopropyl Alcohol (99% strength)

rust around the dome and ladders is a feel right mix of black, earth brown and 99% Isopropyl Alcohol

kick up is burnt umber 50/50 mix

wheels and wheelsets are straight Vallejo Air burnt umber held in a wheelset holder and sprayed axles, wheel faces and backside

underbody is sea gray mixed 60% paint and 40% Isopropyl Alcohol

The car sold in the first hour

The second car I showed last week is on the bench and faded by airbrush using a mix of Tamiya white and a few drops of black thinned with Isopropyl Alcohol. The balance of the weathering will be Vallejo Air brushed on as washes.

 

[RCH]

Here's that UP local hauling cars out to the Trinity tank facility from my vantage point at the Sunnyside sand plant:

Later on I found myself waiting on Amtrak next to the Trinity spot and pull tracks where these strange and unfortunately spotless tank cars were tied down:

In the spirit of this thread I wish they had been dirty!

To that point I think you're onto something with the white. There is air in tank cars and as the temperature cools at night there is often a difference between the temperature of the air inside the tank and outside. This causes condensation to collect on the tank where the air is (this also happens on covered hoppers and you can see where the top of the load is in the car based on where the condensation ends). The condensation eventually runs down the side of the car leaving streaks. If you've ever done strenuous work outdoors in the summer you might have left salty sweat stains in your clothes as the moisture evaporates and the dissolved minerals remain. The same thing happens when the condensation evaporates on railcars. It shows up prominently on black cars like tanks and carbon black cars. Over enough time the process wears away the paint and rust forms. I would say to keep that in mind if you want to do the makeup sponge rust technique. It will guide your placement of the rust. I would also point out that this is a process, so a car needs to have enough age for this process to result in rust. The load also informs how this process works since an ethanol load will retain heat much less than beef tallow or an elevated temperature load like asphalt or molten sulfur.

 

[CambriaArea51]

Tom- Nice job on the tank car, looks great.

RCH- Thanks for the info, that helps knowing which tank car condensate more than others.

 

[santafewillie]

Tom O - Thanks for your blessing to continue this discussion. RCH has been quite informative as he has been explaining some unknown stuff about the area that I railfaned in for over 40 years.

Don't forget the Frisco! Their main line from Tulsa stopped in Carrollton where they picked up the Rock Island (now owned by DART) at Tower 77

I worked alongside the Frisco main line less than a mile SW of Tower 77 and the triangle; although the tower was gone by the time I started working there. In the days before UP scooped up the MKT, and SSW, and BN absorbed SLSF, railfanning at the triangle was most interesting. Early on, congestion spilled over to the vehicle traffic on Belt Line Road and the I-35E frontage roads. That whole triangle actually occupied less than a whole acre, but it still exists. The Cotton Belt line east is now leased by DG&NE, and leads to the KCS yard in Wylie (among other places). The line west of I-35E is used by FWWR to reach Ft Worth. The MKT line was purchased by DART and mostly supplanted by their light rail, with the section north from Carrollton to Denton leased to DCTA commuter rail. Some of the old MKT line still exists to serve local rail customers. The Frisco line that ran alongside the business that I worked at is still a very busy line for BN and now BNSF headed to Whitesboro. I spent many hours staring out the windows watching traffic on that line. It was there that I first saw Frisco crews do a "flying switch" (many times) to service industries on the other side of the tracks. That ended in 1980 when BN took over.
Today, my primary area for watching is the Alliance to OKC stretch on the BNSF. I have probably seen you there unknowingly.

 

[TLOC]

Here's that UP local hauling cars out to the Trinity tank facility from my vantage point at the Sunnyside sand plant:

Later on I found myself waiting on Amtrak next to the Trinity spot and pull tracks where these strange and unfortunately spotless tank cars were tied down:

In the spirit of this thread I wish they had been dirty!

To that point I think you're onto something with the white. There is air in tank cars and as the temperature cools at night there is often a difference between the temperature of the air inside the tank and outside. This causes condensation to collect on the tank where the air is (this also happens on covered hoppers and you can see where the top of the load is in the car based on where the condensation ends). The condensation eventually runs down the side of the car leaving streaks. If you've ever done strenuous work outdoors in the summer you might have left salty sweat stains in your clothes as the moisture evaporates and the dissolved minerals remain. The same thing happens when the condensation evaporates on railcars. It shows up prominently on black cars like tanks and carbon black cars. Over enough time the process wears away the paint and rust forms. I would say to keep that in mind if you want to do the makeup sponge rust technique. It will guide your placement of the rust. I would also point out that this is a process, so a car needs to have enough age for this process to result in rust. The load also informs how this process works since an ethanol load will retain heat much less than beef tallow or an elevated temperature load like asphalt or molten sulfur.

RCH,

yes in the spirit of the thread those should be dirty tank cars!!! But, being by the repair facility you are forgiven for not having Trinity arrange a parade of dirty cars for you before they get maintained and New paint added. Besides that silliness, THANK YOU for sharing. I appreciate the information about the condensation on the cars. I have seen quite a few pictures of cars built in the early 2000’s but the picture being shot in 2008 or 2009 with a sheen of rust and the whiteness on them. Never imagined it was partly from a normal process of the car. Thank you.

 

[Espeefan]

I posted this car on FAcebook.

All airbrush work

Fade was done with gray Arcylic as noted previously Sea gray 20% to 80% Isopropyl Alcohol (99% strength)

rust around the dome and ladders is a feel right mix of black, earth brown and 99% Isopropyl Alcohol

kick up is burnt umber 50/50 mix

wheels and wheelsets are straight Vallejo Air burnt umber held in a wheelset holder and sprayed axles, wheel faces and backside

underbody is sea gray mixed 60% paint and 40% Isopropyl Alcohol

View attachment 159853View attachment 159854View attachment 159855View attachment 159856View attachment 159857View attachment 159858View attachment 159859View attachment 159860

The car sold in the first hour

The second car I showed last week is on the bench and faded by airbrush using a mix of Tamiya white and a few drops of black thinned with Isopropyl Alcohol. The balance of the weathering will be Vallejo Air brushed on as washes.

I like this one! It looks very plausible. The biggest problem I run into with tank cars is making sure streaking doesn't look too much like brush strokes. I almost always have to go back over them with some thinner to tone them down. The airbrush solves that nicely. Next, since I have older tankers, I'm going to be adding chipping effects and rust spots. If you aren't familiar with them I always look at what the military modelers are doing. They take weathering to an insane level. I found this video on YouTube, and I'm going to try his methods on some of the black tank cars I have.

 

[TLOC]

Tom- Nice job on the tank car, looks great.

RCH- Thanks for the info, that helps knowing which tank car condensate more than others.

Thank you Tom. I was very unsure about even posting the car for sale as I thought the whiteness of the car was too scrambled…I always feel weathering should flow top to bottom but I have a former Railroad guy who tells me no. The movement of the cars moves the wetness on the car sides all around. Dirt gets on that wetness and will dry and it’s not a straight flow down the car. Rust generally flows allow lines, line the body panels joints and I try to stick to that unless I have a picture proving differently

 

[TLOC]

I like this one! It looks very plausible. The biggest problem I run into with tank cars is making sure streaking doesn't look too much like brush strokes. I almost always have to go back over them with some thinner to tone them down. The airbrush solves that nicely. Next, since I have older tankers, I'm going to be adding chipping effects and rust spots. If you aren't familiar with them I always look at what the military modelers are doing. They take weathering to an insane level. I found this video on YouTube, and I'm going to try his methods on some of the black tank cars I have.

Alan, thank you. I appreciate the comments.

I have not seen this video before and have added it to the collection to review today. The voice sounds familiar but definitely not his content. Thanks for sharing it.

My favorite military weathering modeler is Panzermeister36 who also does the occasional HO scale rail car. I know he has been mentioned in this thread before. I have been impressed for many years by the military You Tube scale model weathering content providers. Even many of the ones with terrible videios display awesome work.