Weathering Rolling Stock, a Continous thread

[logandsawman]

Question to those viewers that breeze by but don’t often comment or not at all. That’s great but…

When you get a new or previously new piece of rolling stock delivered to the layout what is the first thing you do with it?

1. nothing place it on the layout
2. put it through a testing procedure
3. add a coating of a Matt varnish to dull the shine and be done with it
4.other

This is not a poll but those 4 things are possible actions you might do. Let me know. I received some models today and I opened the boxes and pulled the models out. Looked them over for obvious broken details, found none and returned each of them to the box and onto a shelf till I am ready to dirty them up. Thanks in advance

Thanks for asking, Tom

Most of my stuff was purchased on ebay, I am modelling up to 1940 and find some interesting older freight cars and locomotives come up for sale daily. So, a purchase is more an opportunity rather than something I was looking for, consequently after an initial look over, they often go back in the box.

Many need couplers or trucks, and some I like to lightly weather. If I have several I will go to the light weathering, I will not weather just one but will get a batch together and work on them that way. Sometimes I will go back over a box car again when I do another batch. Here I brush paint the trucks, and use a wash of antique white and/or india ink and alcohol/water. Usually go over it several times. Rarely do I use dull cote. I have black and rust weathering powders that I use mainly on the locomotives.



If I am anxious to put it on the tracks, I may just get the trucks and couplers right then start using it.

Here is an example, one of my favorite locomotives, a Mantua. It is a good runner. I maybe overdid the tender but that is powder on the trucks and got the rust effect on the top of the tender using the powder with water. Note on the flat car the trucks were painted too. The locomotive has been repainted and whitewashed, I think I rubbed the whitewash with cotton balls to fade it a little.

I got a second place in a Walthers contest for this one, which was a free catalog also $75. Spent the money right away. The chains were not done very well, but I am guilty of sometimes overlooking an obvious thing.

Bottom line, I do different stuff all the time, try to remember what I liked, but love to experiment. Don't get to stressed out about it and remember that trains are pulling cars from all over, usually, so they will probably differ.

The track was painted with the Woodland scenics pen. I weather the ties by just rubbing some fine sand or real ballast a little on them, then cleaning track. My layout is all DC.

Dave LASM

 

[TLOC]

I don't have a layout per se, but I have Free-mo modules. So whenever I get the chance to set up with other Free-mo folks I have a layout for a weekend or a bit more. Depending on the size of the layout and the particular modules that make it up I'll grab a few trains to run. But in between setups my models stay in storage boxes, unless I've got them out to work on them. When my daughters are finished with college and moved on with their lives that's probably when I'll focus on building an actual layout and the cars and locomotives I've collected over the years will have a home.

That sounds interesting and fun. I have read much on the free-mo but I seemed to have become a lone wolf the last 4 years. Due to my own health and the health of the world my layoutroom truly has become my safe place

Thanks for checking in and commenting

 

[TLOC]

Thanks for asking, Tom

Most of my stuff was purchased on ebay, I am modelling up to 1940 and find some interesting older freight cars and locomotives come up for sale daily. So, a purchase is more an opportunity rather than something I was looking for, consequently after an initial look over, they often go back in the box.

Many need couplers or trucks, and some I like to lightly weather. If I have several I will go to the light weathering, I will not weather just one but will get a batch together and work on them that way. Sometimes I will go back over a box car again when I do another batch. Here I brush paint the trucks, and use a wash of antique white and/or india ink and alcohol/water. Usually go over it several times. Rarely do I use dull cote. I have black and rust weathering powders that I use mainly on the locomotives.



If I am anxious to put it on the tracks, I may just get the trucks and couplers right then start using it.

Here is an example, one of my favorite locomotives, a Mantua. It is a good runner. I maybe overdid the tender but that is powder on the trucks and got the rust effect on the top of the tender using the powder with water. Note on the flat car the trucks were painted too. The locomotive has been repainted and whitewashed, I think I rubbed the whitewash with cotton balls to fade it a little.

View attachment 149922

I got a second place in a Walthers contest for this one, which was a free catalog also $75. Spent the money right away. The chains were not done very well, but I am guilty of sometimes overlooking an obvious thing.

Bottom line, I do different stuff all the time, try to remember what I liked, but love to experiment. Don't get to stressed out about it and remember that trains are pulling cars from all over, usually, so they will probably differ.

The track was painted with the Woodland scenics pen. I weather the ties by just rubbing some fine sand or real ballast a little on them, then cleaning track. My layout is all DC.

Dave LASM

Lordy that’s a great scene, superb modeling and photo. You only placed second. Dave do you remember who finished ahead of you.

Appreciate the story and comments

 

[logandsawman]

Lordy that’s a great scene, superb modeling and photo. You only placed second. Dave do you remember who finished ahead of you.

Appreciate the story and comments

Thanks, Tom; when making this layout I only worked 5 miles from home and had a small yard and no firewood to cut, so spent oodles of time on the train.

They actually had several first place finishers, I think 3, and maybe 10 or so with second place. All the scenes were very good! However, I was surprised to get a prize cause most of my stuff is vintage and I figured they would want to honor some of their newer available kits.

Dave

 

[RCH]

That sounds interesting and fun. I have read much on the free-mo but I seemed to have become a lone wolf the last 4 years. Due to my own health and the health of the world my layoutroom truly has become my safe place

Thanks for checking in and commenting

The changes we've seen the past couple years have impacted a lot of us. I have to admit being a bit jealous of those who can hide away in their man caves and get some modeling done!

I think Free-mo works well when you have a group of people who can get together regularly to work on the modules, share techniques, help each other out with the big work, maybe even let each person specialize in what they like to do from carpentry to wiring to track to scenery. In our group it's the people who are close together who get the most done while the folks out on the edges of the region don't get to interact much with others except during the setups. You have to be self-motivated and have a lot of skills to be able to bring a reliable and well-crafted module to a setup on your own. People do it all the time, but I wouldn't have much to show if it weren't for the carpentry and wiring skills of others.

My job has probably impacted my ability to participate in Free-mo setups more than any other factor. Since COVID-19 all the seniority went to the yard jobs so I'm on the outside looking in working the road on call instead of working in assigned service. Add in the attendance policy that went into effect last February and it can be difficult to get much time off. Still, I have been able to squeeze a day or two in here and there.

Even more than limiting my ability to participate in events like RPM meets or Free-mo setups, having to go from assigned service at one terminal to on call service where I spend a lot of time in a hotel has dramatically changed how much time I get with my models. At first I shifted my focus to 3D design and printing, but often that process takes hours to get into the mindset and get deep enough into a project to do the design work, so I have done that work less and less over the past couple years. Decal artwork is much easier for me to stop and start and to pick up from where I left off even days or weeks before, so that's been my outlet for much of this year.

Another railroader friend takes his projects on the road with him and works the models in the hotel. I did that a couple times with some models I had to apply decals to, but I never devised a damage-free method to transport the models so that didn't last long for me. He makes it work though and does some of the best work I've seen.

 

[santafewillie]

When you get a new or previously new piece of rolling stock delivered to the layout what is the first thing you do with it?

1. nothing place it on the layout
2. put it through a testing procedure
3. add a coating of a Matt varnish to dull the shine and be done with it
4.other

Been busy with life etc, so I am just catching up with this thread.
All freight cars on my layout go through step 2, and all go through part of step 3. While in step 2, I add Kadee #148's and metal wheels. However I use either Kadee or Intermountain wheels which are both pre-weathered instead of using the extra shiny Walther's Proto. I also bring them up to the NMRA suggested weight, or close to it by gluing pennies inside where possible. I start with step 3 by applying matte varnish or dull coat but I am not necessarily finished. Some I weather right away, some get it later, and I have a backlog of at least 450 cars that still need it. All of my freight car purchases go on the layout and do not go in boxes. I haven't purchased any freight cars since 2014, and all of my purchases fit my era and locale. Many however, are just in run-through trains and don't get switched. Autoracks and container cars are the greatest example. I still have about two dozen cars NIB that I purchased back then that I just haven't added to the roster yet. Several have duplicate numbers and need to be fixed first. I have a database complete with pictures, with all of the initial inspection data, and every maintenance task that I performed. That includes cleaning and any modifications. I update the pictures when I do weathering after the fact. I use powders and dry-brushing for my weathering.

 

[TLOC]

Been busy with life etc, so I am just catching up with this thread.
All freight cars on my layout go through step 2, and all go through part of step 3. While in step 2, I add Kadee #148's and metal wheels. However I use either Kadee or Intermountain wheels which are both pre-weathered instead of using the extra shiny Walther's Proto. I also bring them up to the NMRA suggested weight, or close to it by gluing pennies inside where possible. I start with step 3 by applying matte varnish or dull coat but I am not necessarily finished. Some I weather right away, some get it later, and I have a backlog of at least 450 cars that still need it. All of my freight car purchases go on the layout and do not go in boxes. I haven't purchased any freight cars since 2014, and all of my purchases fit my era and locale. Many however, are just in run-through trains and don't get switched. Autoracks and container cars are the greatest example. I still have about two dozen cars NIB that I purchased back then that I just haven't added to the roster yet. Several have duplicate numbers and need to be fixed first. I have a database complete with pictures, with all of the initial inspection data, and every maintenance task that I performed. That includes cleaning and any modifications. I update the pictures when I do weathering after the fact. I use powders and dry-brushing for my weathering.

Thanks Willie.

I have switched over to using the pennies as weights. It is cheaper then what I have found on Amazon and I just take them out of our coin jar.

I like your use of a database for the inspection info. I have a sheet in a file that I hand write but I should work on that.

I switched to Walthers Proto steel wheels a couple years ago when the Intermountain wheels just disappeared around my area. The LHS owner never said but I am pretty sure I know who gets them first when they come in. I had a few cars since sold off that were rolling on the Kadee wheel sets. I buy the 36” wheels in the 100 bulk pack. The 33” wheels I buy in the 12 piece pack as that is what the LHS says he can get, but 100 of the 32” might last my lifetime!

Today was supposed to be a day of train chasing and another tourism stop on our busy schedule. But life and medical take precedence. Of my now 76 cars on the layout I need to check all the steps I posted. There maybe about 20 that need something done to them. I should know by dinner

greatly appreciate your contributions

 

[RCH]

Tangent makes some really nice wheels you might try when you run out of the Proto wheels. If I remember correctly, the Proto wheels have plastic axles. Is that right? I know Kadee wheels do and sometimes the axle ends can get damaged. That's not a problem with the Tangent axles since they are metal.

For years I used Intermountain wheels but once the Tangent wheels became available I just switched to them since I was already buying other detail parts, trucks and rolling stock from Tangent anyway.

Tangent's trucks with rotating bearing caps are also nice and free-rolling, if those tickle your fancy.

 

[TLOC]

Tangent makes some really nice wheels you might try when you run out of the Proto wheels. If I remember correctly, the Proto wheels have plastic axles. Is that right? I know Kadee wheels do and sometimes the axle ends can get damaged. That's not a problem with the Tangent axles since they are metal.

For years I used Intermountain wheels but once the Tangent wheels became available I just switched to them since I was already buying other detail parts, trucks and rolling stock from Tangent anyway.

Tangent's trucks with rotating bearing caps are also nice and free-rolling, if those tickle your fancy.

Thank you for the information. Until you mentioned it and I just checked I believe I thought Walthers Protos were steel axles.

I am still checking what cars need some upgrades. Of 40 cars checked today I left the Kadee couplers but 8 of 12 Walthers cars I took off whatever couplers were on there off. Looks like the 12 Accurails I have I already replaced the couplers to the Kadee 148’s.

 

[TLOC]

I have before and after for 2 cars.

the 2 MCIS cars after

MCIS 9153 is lightly weathered with a rust color
MCIS 9199 is a bit heavier with a dirt color

 

[TLOC]

The progress of weathering for this week’s batch of cars is done for now. I am satisfied as these are cars for my enjoyment and use.

A few things

1. I am not sure I like the VMS matte varnish to dull the car surfaces. Maybe it’s a matter of some more practice and just getting used to it versus the Testors dull cote rattle can I think I have used on every car since 1974. They say spray it with no dilution but it seems thick. But, 7 cars is not enough of a sampling for me to say nope, move on to something else

2. I definitely will not brush coat again any matte varnish, an experiment gone very wrong. Micro brushes work fine for sealing the safety stripes but hand brushing an entire car with the matte varnish felt like I had no control. The cars in the pictures though are all done by airbrush. The hand brushed car is in a bag of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol getting stripped off, I deleted the pictures so there are no reminders

3. I have not been able yet to be comfortable using oils for weathering. I am much more comfortable using Vallejo Air paints brushed on as a wash. The coil car is done with oils after fading using the Tamiya x-21 base hand brushed on. I since have read that I might have found better success using a gloss coat, let it dry and fade with oil washes

4. Including the coil car all 7 cars are faded using at least 1 coat coverage of the Tamiya base x-21. The other 6 cars have been weathered using various Pan Pastels. I really enjoy the Pan Pastels and it’s removal

Thanks for following along. Your comments are greatly appreciated and have often led me to re-thinking, re-doing a process or starting over

TomO

 

[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.