Ok, this month, we are going to go for a bigger challenge for a bigger prize. Our prize this month is a ATSF open hopper runner pack, and we are going to go for a weathered "runner pack" of at least three cars. I am personally weathering a real MTL runner pack of Southern Pacific open hoppers.... The same basic rules apply and all cars must have at least one Micro Trains part and due to the size of the challenge, you will have all month to weather your three to four cars. Don't forget the before pictures!
Might be fun to enter this even though I don't think I could use the MTL cars. They are all 3-bay ribbed side, and all the 3-bay open hoppers Santa Fe used in my era (up to 1960) were offset side or composite wood side. I don't so much weather cars as repaint and reletter then, and when I am finished with new paint, it is automatically "weathered" without intentional weathering.
Any graffiti required this time John ? I noticed the prize cars have graffiti. I sat out February because I didn't really have any cars I thought were appropriate but I've got lots of this type of car around so I'll be back for the March contest.
OK then, after going through several different groups of cars I have decided on these for my March weathering project. These three are all different road numbers. Gons really get the heck beat out of them and I was hopeful there would be an opportunity during this contest to work with them. Now just got to make some time. Of course got to get those taxes done and as it's already been spring here in Northern California for a couple of weeks the yard is begging for attention.
Holy schnikes! do not ever take apart a Micro-Trains 33 foot hopper. The doors are a pain to get back into place
Yup. I wonder how it is assembled at the factory because of those doors. By hand? I can be paid to do a lot of things, but I doubt that's one of them. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
If someone wants to start this project from scratch there is a killer deal on unpainted Micro Trains cars right now at ----------. You can make your own runner pack. If my plate wasn't full financially as well as honey do's, this is the route I'd go. (Sorry moderator(s) if I'm promoting a retailer inappropriately). Just trying to get gobs of MT units sold ASAP to help the manufacturer. Brian
Got started on these this weekend. First step was to remove the under frame from the body. No surprises like John got on his, the under frame is a metal casting with body mounted M/T couplers and trucks attached. I'll deal with that layout after finishing the body. Looked at several sources for techniques on creating the dents and damage to the side walls of the body. All involve heating a part of the body with soldering iron or small torch then pressing from the inside with a variety of tools. Took quite a bit of time on this trying not to over do it. These are all going to get loads.
I did not have much luck finding MTL cars of the proper vintage yesterday in Erie to enter, try again this Sunday in Altoona. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
Been working on the 3 gons little bit at a time. After I got the dents to about what I wanted, I sanded the insides of the side walls to even them out some. Then the insides got hand painted with oxide red. I'm going to have loads in these cars but the tops of the side walls may still show. Used the same Micro Sol with an eraser method on the lettering to fade and thin it as used in prior projects. Also used the same of transparent white acrylic mixture for for overall fading but this time applied with a brush and that seems to work just fine on this type of car. I think I would still the air brush on a box car.
B&M Boxcars by Jim Wiggin posted Mar 4, 2016 at 7:37 AM These three cars I just finished painting up for the layout need weathering, but since the B&M are 1957 vintage and the Q is 1963, it won't be too impressive of a weathering set as my layout is set in 1965.
If I find some spare time, I think I will throw these three into the fray. MTL PS2 3 Bay covered hopper UP 80968 MTL 50 Ft flat MOW ATSF 206204 Athearn 50 Ft FMC Plug box ATSF 151999 w MTL trucks Craig Arlington WA
Thought I would join in again. These aren't truly a "runner pack", but being of a similar car type, close enough. In fact the two Frisco cars, are of the same number, so maybe something to completely obscure one of them. The two 4-bay hoppers are missing parts (got them used years ago), and one of the trucks on the SP doesn't even stay on (I need to solve that issue, the bolster pin hole is too big).
