Weathering Rolling Stock, a Continous thread

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PMW said:
My first efforts have been using watered down paint like you described. The first few came out pretty bad ☹️. This one I did a couple of weeks ago and might even stay on the layout though far from great 😀

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Two-color cars like that are tough to start out with; what works for the white part may not work to well with the dark. Can make for some extra challenge.

That’s not a bad start.
 
I even tried hand painting some graffiti...now I know why they sell those decals :D. I had a picture on my laptop and tried to make it look like the photo :rolleyes:

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PMW said:
My first efforts have been using watered down paint like you described. The first few came out pretty bad ☹️. This one I did a couple of weeks ago and might even stay on the layout though far from great 😀

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That looks pretty good Paul, it takes a bit of time to find a technique that works for you, keep it up, I expect we will see more of your work in the not too distant future.
 
PMW said:
My first efforts have been using watered down paint like you described. The first few came out pretty bad ☹️. This one I did a couple of weeks ago and might even stay on the layout though far from great 😀

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Looks good Paul. While watching videos of weathering is helpful in seeing different techniques, watching videos of real trains is helpful in actually seeing how they weather. While most video the side of the cars as the pass, look also for drone videos that show the tops of cars and what loads are in gondolas. You'll see in this video for example the tops of car in how they rust, walkway sections replaced, grain spillage, and how some are graffiti free or it's been painted over. Always remember no 2 cars weather the same and no 2 sides weather the same.
 
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While it maybe Front end Friday in some forums and threads, it is inspect and clean up day here at my weathering bench.
80 reefers will be moving across the bench the next few days. 36 more were inspected this morning and I am on break. Total now of 44 with another 36 to go.

I have finished the 2 that were received last Saturday and they are part of the pictures below. The sound unit though still rolls like doggie do. The client said last night after approving his 2 units that I should just send them. He understands from me and online sources they are terrible rollers. When a solution is found he said he is capable of fixing it. Many of my clients I swear don’t have any basic modeling skills

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I don‘t have current plans to show any more reefers in the weathering process. I will gladly answer questions and I have lots of pictures from the 2 I have finished if need be.

The cars to be weathered and sent off will of course get pictures but these are almost all going to be similar. The graffiti will be different but the actual weathering is going to be light on all these cars. Some though will get light rust streaking. So far only 18 cars will not have any graffiti or tags. Graffiti will be either decals or custom drawn, tagging is custom
 
TLOC said:
While it maybe Front end Friday in some forums and threads, it is inspect and clean up day here at my weathering bench.
80 reefers will be moving across the bench the next few days. 36 more were inspected this morning and I am on break. Total now of 44 with another 36 to go.

I have finished the 2 that were received last Saturday and they are part of the pictures below. The sound unit though still rolls like doggie do. The client said last night after approving his 2 units that I should just send them. He understands from me and online sources they are terrible rollers. When a solution is found he said he is capable of fixing it. Many of my clients I swear don’t have any basic modeling skills

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I don‘t have current plans to show any more reefers in the weathering process. I will gladly answer questions and I have lots of pictures from the 2 I have finished if need be.

The cars to be weathered and sent off will of course get pictures but these are almost all going to be similar. The graffiti will be different but the actual weathering is going to be light on all these cars. Some though will get light rust streaking. So far only 18 cars will not have any graffiti or tags. Graffiti will be either decals or custom drawn, tagging is custom
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Do you think the rolling issues can be solved with running a truck tuner through them and adding graphite?

I have only done the couplers on 2 of mine, but found the rolling improves a little by running them. Still not where they should be though.

Wondered what your thoughts were to help solve this.
 
migalyto said:
Do you think the rolling issues can be solved with running a truck tuner through them and adding graphite?

I have only done the couplers on 2 of mine, but found the rolling improves a little by running them. Still not where they should be though.

Wondered what your thoughts were to help solve this.
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Mike, I tune every car I do for myself. The wheel tuner is one of the most used tools on my bench. I rarely use graphite.

BUT, the sound cars have the connecting wires dropping down through the floor. To tune the trucks up you need clip the wiring or unsolder it from the contact points on the truck. Or if you are really good, unhook the wheels from the trucks and tune while still on the car body. I’m not that good as my fingers are not that nimble! You have that truck spreader, that may help

I was going to clip the wires but the client said he’d take it as it was. I did tune my 8, now 7 non sound reefers and they were good rollers before, they are great rollers now!

I thought adding washers to the bolster would help, but while I think (hopeful) it did I think that was another time waster. Sound car rolls about 12” and literally stops. If I could get it to 18 to 24” I’d accept that. The non sound cars easily roll 6-8’ on the flat with a light finger flick. I’m sure YouTube content providers are working on a solution but there was nothing there Thursday night
 


Besides Reefer cars I do have other cars on my bench.

2 CEFX covered hoppers from Intermountain that the client says will be in Cement service

A few pictures from RRpicturearchives.net with the photographer credited on the picture border but it’s Paul Rice

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Since these are relatively newer cars there is little weathering and he wanted the cars light. I found these 3 pictures among many I sent him that I thought he‘d like. They will be used as inspiration.

The cars were inspected, cleaned with a mild dishwasher soap mixed and rinsed with Distilled water. I’m still leary of going back to tap water! A quick check after the cars had dried and away to the paint booth I went. These were the first 2 cars I clear coated this morning prior to starting the 36 reefers. Remember I try to batch process as much as possible.

There was no fading done on these cars. But adding the clear coat not only gives future paint, oils or pastels something to grip to, there is still a slight fading affect

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CEFX 81703 is the first and Engine Grime from AMMO #1407 was lightly brushed on and mostly taken away with a dry brush, applied again and removed till I was ok with it. This side is drying and I am doing similar to CEFX 81630
 
Happy Birthday!!!

To….

This thread! Per the stats on this page, started two years ago by @TLOC . I found this forum and thread about one year ago, and it has been very much a positive for my weathering skills & efforts. Hope it continues as a resource & gathering place for a good long time to come!

Edit: (typos in a birthday card - walks away in shame)
 
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C&OMtnMan said:
Happy Birthday!!!

To….

This thread! Per the stats on this page, started two years ago by @TLOC . I found this forum and thread about one year ago, and it has been very much a positive for my weathering skills efforts. Hope it continues as a respurce & gathering place for a good long time to come!
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I had no idea how this thread would go over but 2 years, WOW! It mostly has been fun. there’s been no real drama just good advice both ways. The occasional and welcomed detours have been great, but 2 years! I was just hoping to share a couple ideas and learn from others. I think that part has worked out well.

Thanks to all that visit and/or share
 
TLOC said:
I had no idea how this thread would go over but 2 years, WOW! It mostly has been fun. there’s been no real drama just good advice both ways. The occasional and welcomed detours have been great, but 2 years! I was just hoping to share a couple ideas and learn from others. I think that part has worked out well.

Thanks to all that visit and/or share
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I think I'd just joined the forum when you started this thread, it's gone on in leaps and bounds since then, probably the most influential thread on weathering I've ever read or watched, great ideas and tips from an amazing group of people, and a master class in weathering.
To TomO for a great idea and all who have shared and participated and hopefully continue to do so, thank you.
 
Smudge617 said:
I think I'd just joined the forum when you started this thread, it's gone on in leaps and bounds since then, probably the most influential thread on weathering I've ever read or watched, great ideas and tips from an amazing group of people, and a master class in weathering.
To TomO for a great idea and all who have shared and participated and hopefully continue to do so, thank you.
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You are too kind, Chris. Thanks

Cambriaarea51 (Tom) has been a tremendous help and many others too. Tom also has his locomotive continous thread going
 
TLOC said:
I had no idea how this thread would go over but 2 years, WOW! It mostly has been fun. there’s been no real drama just good advice both ways. The occasional and welcomed detours have been great, but 2 years! I was just hoping to share a couple ideas and learn from others. I think that part has worked out well.

Thanks to all that visit and/or share
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Within the next 48 hours, I hope to be ordering the cars to support my “next generation” of weathering, using different materials and techniques, to achieve a different realm of result for me. Yes, it’s still going to largely be my 1900 to 1960 era to the bitter end of steam, yes, still boxcar red and hopper black, but exploring a quadrant of the weathering realm I haven’t gone into yet.

Back in the 1980s-1990s, it became popular to talk about “think outside the box.” UPS came up with a great commercial: “at UPS, we think ABOUT the box.”

That’s me (sounding like Foghorn Leghorn): Ahh say, dawg, Ahhh’ve ‘ben thinkin’ ‘BOUT the box. It’s ‘bout time stop the thinkin’ and get down to the DOIN’ ‘bout that there box.”
 
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C&OMtnMan said:
Within the next 48 hours, I hope to be ordering the cars to support my “next generation” of weathering, using different materials and techniques, to achieve a different realm of result for me. Yes, it’s still going to largely be my 1900 to 1960 era to the bitter end of steam, yes, still boxcar red and hopper black, but exploring a quadrant of the weathering realm I haven’t gone into yet.

Back in the 1980s-1990s, it became popular to talk about “think outside the box.” UPS came up with a great commercial: “at UPS, we think ABOUT the box.”

That’s me (sounding like Foghorn Leghorn): Ahh say, dawg, Ahhh’ve ‘ben thinkin’ ‘BOUT the box. It’s ‘bout time stop the thinkin’ and get down to the DOIN’ ‘bout that there box.”
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The only caution I have about using new materials and techniques is practice with them FIRST. I went a few months trying various mat clear finishes or varnishes that were not in spray cans.

As the Greek god of the Arts, music, war, athletics and of course weathering has said, “Just do it”. Nike was part of Greek Mythology long before she was a shoe…

remember the frustrations are part of getting to the fun
 


TLOC said:
The only caution I have about using new materials and techniques is practice with them FIRST. I went a few months trying various mat clear finishes or varnishes that were not in spray cans.

As the Greek god of the Arts, music, war, athletics and of course weathering has said, “Just do it”. Nike was part of Greek Mythology long before she was a shoe…

remember the frustrations are part of getting to the fun
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I’ve weathered some 60 cars; I consider #60 to have been as much a practice piece as #1 was.
 
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