Weathering MT trucks and couplers

I am on the point to weather a serie of coal cars for the coming US convention in Switzerland.

I definitely need to give a realistic look to my MT Couplers and trucks.

Which methode(s) is/are the best to give a dirty/rusty look to those MTs ?

chalks fixed on the couplers ?
a wash of acrylics / glyceric paints on the trucks ?
non-thinned acrylic/glyric paint on the side faces of the plastic weels ?

thanks for your help.

Jean-Edouard

 

I use Floquil Paints w/airbush I like using Depot Buff,Reefer orange and Rail Brown Chalks can be used in the crevies details of the springs where it will adhere and not be rubbed off.

 

I used rust colored achrylics, or Bager waterbase, and dry brush them. Then take the wheels and with a brush, paint the inside of the wheels being careful not to get paint on the spindle. Here is an example of one of my MT trucks weathered.

 

Nice work!

I use Polly Scale browns and blacks, some grays for covered hoppers. Don't forget the trip pins also, at least a coat of black.

I need to start doing the wheels. I have a couple of cars that I purchased with the wheels already done and they really do stand out (in a sense).

 

I use Floquil paints as well. I do the trucks and wheels separately. I spray everything with grimey black first and then some light passes with rust and rail brown. The wheels get a little extra "rust" on the faces and then I outline the rims with silver. The truck sideframes get a little dab of rust on the springs and then drybrushed with grey to highlight the details.

Andrew

 

All the methods so far will work fine, but one thing that I don't weather is the face that slides against another coupler when cars are "banged" together.

I found that flat paint on these surfaces prevents the couplers from sliding to the side as they are designed to do, thus preventing reliable coupling.

From the side you'll never see the unweathered surface. If you are doing a contest model, however, I would weather the entire coupler.

 

Man! That is nice weathering! :thumbs_up:

 

Thank you all for your comments, and pics.

I would not have imagined to paint the rim of the wheel with silver...

 

I dont paint the couplers, basically because it kinda scares me. I am afriaid to get paint where it may interfere with the mechanical works of it and ruin them.

Those cars are awesom in their weathering. I like those wheels. But why the silver on the edge? I think it looks nice, but that would indicate a clean metal surface from rubbing. Is that what you are going for?

 

The rims get all silver like that when they go through a retarder system in a hump yard. The retarder squeezes the outside edge of the wheels.

There may be other ways it happens, too. I think it is not so unprototypical?

 

I don't know the physics behind it but I tend to see those silver edges on the prototype quite a bit. To me it also represents the polished tread. Here is a photo I took a couple of weeks ago that shows what I am trying to simulate.

Andrew

 

I use different methods to weather trucks. Some I "bounce" spray with Floquil "Instant Weathering", masking the couplers, others I use the Rustall method, and still others I use A.I.M. powders or chalks. Since MTL's Grease-Em is powdered graphite and PBL's Neolube is graphite suspended in alcohol, I use it to paint the trip pins black. That way, if it gets in the coupler it will help and not gum things up like paint would.

 

Well, then that would make sence then.. Thanks for the example..

 

A little for a lot.....

This is one of those tricks that adds a lot of bang for a little buck. I bought a Testors paint pen from Wally World, (silver) and just sort of 'draw' the rim on the edge on the wheels, I thought it would look dumb until I tried it and I was like 'WOW' those wheels look real!! And the rustier the wheels the better it looks, too my eyes anyway. That paint pen will do a crap load -o- wheels too!!

2slim

 

I love those testor pens. I like to use those too for many things..