Weathering Rolling Stock, a Continous thread


I've been doing some toning down of weathered boxcars I picked up a few years ago. Most are fine for enhancing, but 3 of them weren't to my taste so I decided to try tame it.

This is what they looked like originally...

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Using 99% IPA and a plentiful supply of cotton buds, along with patience, nice music and some fruit juice, I managed to get rid of the worst of the weathering...

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I've pretty much wrecked the IC car (the other side is worse!), but I have suitable decals in stock to refinish this as a Rock Island example, which will be my first boxcar repaint.

The UP car I'm pleased with, Im going to weather it further

The white car I'm happiest with, and strangely was the hardest to do. I'll give it a very light weathering and call it done
I liked the original, set I would then have added some orange brown
luckily i like the second too :)
and they are your wagons.
 
Different metals rust a specific colour, here are sone examples,this is why I personally like the brown and Katanga brown tones
 

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Examples I used for these
 

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These are pictures I took of someones work, who was advertising on evil bay, because they were so nice I took copies for reference
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if I could have used the info to find where he published on line I would have joined in a flash
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I suspect the wet look on the bogies is a copper toned paint, and I suspect he does batches and relies heavily on air brush rather than hand paint, and perhaps chalky pencils for the white writing the SR wagon has brush strokes on the lettering,a the R I P I suspect is a white gel pen.

the action of photographing the screen has obviously caused light sync issues but I think you get the idea
 
That's european rust, much different than US rust. The difference is we don't keep it that long, so only mild rust. 🙃

Nice job Jaz. Is that the rust stuff you posted before.
Same or similar re added to compare the the real rust.I should have thought to throw them up at the time rather than in effect double posting,
by the way if I add anything you think off topic feel free to ask me to remove.
 
I have no issues with some one posting another’s work providing per the Forum rules you credit the modeler and the photo. Of course as long as it fits with the “weathering rolling stock, a continous thread”.

JazA you’re fine but credit next time. They look good and illustrate the point you were making. If they need to be pulled Administration will let you know.
 
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My rust streaks are starting to show a marginal sign of improvement.

Time to pull a new throwaway car out, I've pretty much destroyed this one.

Good thing is I've bought plenty.
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Mike,

CambriaArea51 is spot on. Just turn a brush on edge. While I use a flat brush what I use is called a Grainer. I have 2 or 3 different widths. AND, I still get wavy lines.

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You are making good progress. As for blending the colors for rust, experiment. It’s a matter of practicing blending, use of the brushes, what effect you are looking for and the color of the base car.

I would take the blue practice car and learn how to strip it. Isopropyl Alcohol 99% is my preference. But, mineral spirits work, paint thinners and other things do work but again it’s experimenting till you find what works for you.

Some will tell you to save each layer of finish by using a clear coat either Matt, satin or gloss. Powders, chalks and Pan Pastels may diminish/desolve after the clear coat. A combo of base color for rust, (like Tamiya, Vallejo, Army Painter and others) sealed and then the lighter rust streaking with the powders of choice.

I am not trying to deflect your efforts. But Tom, JazA, me (TomO) and many others often say the same thing experiment. That’s not a throw away response. It does come down to that. When I use Pan Pastels I hard blend the PP into the surface of the car. Meaning I vigorously work that brush hard. I soft blend with the fluffy make up brushes shown the other day. Tom (CambriaArea51) doesn’t blend like I do. Smudge617 isn’t showing his work enough but he’s been working at this. It is fun when it looks good, it is frustrating when you don’t think it does or it isn’t. Post those pictures as JazA mentioned the other day. I guarantee you won’t get negative responses without a suugestion to help you. If you do, it will be handled. Constructive Criticism is what we are looking for.

When I do a commission weathering project or a structural scratch building commission I bombard my client with pictures as I go along. I do that until I get a feel for what the client likes. James (Alcomotive or Smudge617) can confirm that. Sometimes what I think is wonderful the client may not and sometimes I get a response I do not expect.

The pictures as you are finding out are very honest.
 
I am home after watching the NCAA Championship game in Duluth, Minnesota Sunday afternoon. With a 45 minute flight home we got in early enough and the adrenaline was still flowing strong enough to spend some time in the train room.

Glued down the laser cut wood flooring
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Clear coated some cars, some to start the process, some to seal what was applied
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worked on some roadbed splatter
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Then dry brushed the floor boards of the bulkhead flat
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I will look at them today and continue the processes. I would like to finish these up this week and move onto some locomotive weathering
 
I'm not sure if I have to seal in previous step before moving on to the next. I was having a difficult time getting rust to show up over the dark earth. I wonder if I sealed it, the rust would of shown up better?
My experience is that dull coating cars done with powders reduces the effect quite a bit. Since I don't usually handle cars much after they go on the layout, sealing isn't necessary. My experience only.
 
My experience is that dull coating cars done with powders reduces the effect quite a bit. Since I don't usually handle cars much after they go on the layout, sealing isn't necessary. My experience only.
Absolutely spraying in my experiences reduces the effect of chalks, powders or Pan Pastels. Because I churn (sell off) my fleet so often I had to spray because they do get handled. I have found that the VMS clear Matt varnish and the Army Painter Matt clear are nowhere near as aggressive as was Testors Dull Cote in the spray can. But they still reduce the effect, just not as much IMO. I have heard good things about Vallejo’s matte clear and now do have a bottle but will experiment down the road.
 



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