In the most recent issue of Model Railroader, Athearn has a full-page ad for weathered freight cars. Now, instead of buying just a Genesis freight car, you can buy a Genesis freight car that has already been lightly weathered. How far can instant gratification go? What's next- already-graffitied rolling stock? Locomotives with badly-weathered and faded paint schemes straight from the manufacturers?:angry: I know, I know- you can get the above items custom-painted & decaled from certain individuals, but the point is this- whatever happened to learning how to weather a car? Or how to apply decals? Or install a coupler (you'd have to do that on the Genesis to get rid of the wannabe plastic junk & put in a Kadee)? Is there something wrong with learning some of the skills of modeling in this hobby, or am I alone in this? It's gonna be "I didn't paint, weather or detail my diesels or rolling stock, nor did I build and scenic my layout, but I'm a model railroader just the same". DOOOOON'T think so............ I must be getting grumpy in my middle age........
I'm with you on that one!! I would say though that this may be a relief for some folks. There is a terrible fear out there of destroying an expensive piece of rolling stock or an engine by doing a "bad weathering job." Folks who are mortified by the thought of doing anything more than putting the car on the track should be happy. BUT it simply is not an option for me. Man, weathering is about the most fun I can have short of a great operating session!! AND for those of you who really are reticent to try weathering pick up the last two issues of O Scale Magazine: there is a two part series in it about weathering with chalks and so forth...all of which can be reversed!! One thing it says is to by some cheapo cars from the Bay place or junk shop or wherever...and practice weathering those first. Once the technique is clear, try your more expensive models. Besides...what if you don't like the particular weathering pattern on the premade car?? Don't limit yourselves to what the hobby manufacturers tell you to model!! Go maverick and ENJOY . John
I'll be the devil's advocate on this one, just for fun...! It's all in the debate about model railroad versus railroad modelling. For many, the best part of the hobby is the modelling (and subsequent use) of an engine, or rolling stock, or structure, or what-have-you. For others it's the operating of realistic trains in a realistic manner. So this segment will want the easiest route to a complete consist so they can concentrate on operations, maybe complete with paperwork, and following published timetables, train orders, and so on. I don't think that one approach is better than the other. They're all part of the spectrum of this great hobby. Just like DCC vs DC, or flex track vs sectional, or foam vs plaster landscapes, etc, etc, etc, (etc, etc! ). Andrew
Yeah, I can see your point. Also if the manufacturers can exploit this segment of the market and make a profit doing it, then they will be all the more "healthy" and stay in business producing things that the rest of use will buy. Who knows, once some folks see how much better something looks when weathered, they may make an effort to learn how to do it them selves.
Now I d have an E8a and two GP35s in Frisco colors- all I did to them was swap the plastic wannabe couplers for Kadees, and did a little painting on the handrails on the '35s. Overall, they look good, and in future I may weather the '35s (they're Athearn Ready-to-Run). My point is this, when you buy stuff already weathered instead of tackling the task yourself, you cheat yourself out of learning a bit of the art of modeling. Some models are good enough to run as is, but the above three diesels are a minority- the rest of my diesel fleet is custom-painted, detailed and decaled (if you want Frisco, ths is what you have to do). Personally, I'd rather weather my own cars rather than having them bought already done (unless it's from somebody else).
Another question I would have is do they offer the same car unweathered? What about modeling cars that are newly shopped? Much of the equipment on my C & S would be brand spanking new in the year I model...no weathering at all. So if they don't offer the same car in a unweathered form what would the modeler do? John
I agree with MasonJar, some people may want to get a prototypical line up faster and work on huge ops sessions. This helps them out, they help out the manufacturers. Manufacturers make more money, they have more money to research and develop possible new products that all can enjoy in this hobby.
I see your point, Frisco, and I agree in part....I suppose it's all a matter of degrees. Sometimes I wonder if I'm not a real model railroader because I don't scratch build my own locomotives or rolling stock or structures. Am I taking the easy way out by buying stuff that's 'ready to run'? If I buy Walthers' Modulars am I not much of a kitbasher? If I don't handlay my own track am I just a wannabe? Not really....Unless I do all that and claim it as all scratchbuilt by me...that would be wrong. In the end it's all about what we as model railroaders want to concentrate on and what we really want out of the hobby....My hats off the the guys that scratchbuild everything...really amazing stuff.....but if a guy wants to spend his money on a weathered boxcar, go ahead and enjoy..... ps...has anyone seen these boxcars in person? I've seen the ad Frisco mentioned but couldn't tell the quality.....
I'm not saying that there are dead-set-in-stone rules for so-called real model railroaders, as we all have varying skill levels, interests and desires. In some things like DCC, plus & play would work for the electronially challenged until such time as I figure out how to install decoders in most locomotives. Tome,the Genesis "weathered" cars really don't look all that good. However, that's my opinion........and to me, it seems a trend towards 100% out-of-the-box-on-the-tracks-and-run. Perhaps I'm more concerned (or should be) about the possible loss of skills by folks who neither want to or care to learn them.
Keep in mind that there are those out there that have disabilities that don't permit them to "model" on parr with a twenty-something year old with perfect vision (even if it is corrected vision) and steady hands. I know my father had some frustration during the last years of his life because of health issues. I suffered some nerve damage just over a year ago from some drugs that I had no choice but to take; it makes holding tools very difficult, and holding my hands steady is not easy. It's even difficult for me to type some days. This may improve, or not over time. :sad: I also know some others who want to be involved with model railroading, but time is at an absolute premium because of work and family committments. I marvel everyday at the accomplished modelers on this forum - but go easy on some of us who for many reasons aren't able to aspire to the level that a lot of you have achieved. I am very happy to see that the industry and hobby has grown to include pre-weathered rolling stock as well as built-up and weathered structures! :teeth:
I think sometimes we just get a bit lazy, if there is a product that you can buy and use straight from the box it is very tempting to just go with that. For a long time I was very reluctant to make any alterations to rolling stock or structures on my layout. Now I can't wait to apply some weathering and am not afraid to kitbash that new building kit to make it fit my plans. If I can't find what I want, then I will scratch build. I get insprired by the quality of work displayed on TrainBoard. Having experienced that satifaction of making models your own by weathering, kitbashing and scratch building I think it is like a bug and I've caught it. I think there will always be people who will push the envelope of what is possible in model railroading and be an inspiration to the rest of us. Although there maybe a lot of folk who will go with the instant model approach you shouldn't worry Bob. There is still a lot of us who are eager to learn and willing to try.
Just like anything else, time changes things. Some people who don't have the time or the "umph" to do it themselves. So the manufacturers make it easier for them. If it looks real good as if you did it yourself, it also gives you more time to put into extra work on something as well. Me, I'd rather weather my own. But I don't mind the fact that they have produced these cars.
I think those cars have only some basic weathering. They just run miles over the line. If you want heavy weathered cars you have still to work yourself. Wolfgang
Which is why I like chalk pigments and washes so much.........I'd rather do 'em myself. Same with brick buildings-when I paint the structure a reddish color, I go back & add white chalk pigment on the side, and whisk off the excess with a brush or ear swab. Viola- you have mortar! And I did mention DCC- the more I read about it, the more I'd be tempted to try it out on a future layout, even if I did have to swap motors out on some of my older Athearns to get 'em to work. Few of my locomotives are plug n play- most would require some soldering. But that task I can do. For those who don't weather or want to run DCC, hey I have no problems with that. But in my case, I wanna try some new skills and keep the old ones proficient. Which means the next Genesis car I get (which would be my first Genesis car), I'll weather myself, thank you. And I DEFINITELY will scrap the craplastic coupler with a Kadee....
Again I echo your thoughts Bob! Instead of doing the DCC on your future layout, why don't you come and set up DCC for me on my new layout so I don't have to!! LOL John
John, changing to DCC is easy. Just unplug your old DC power and remove DC engines from the layout. Attache the DCC central unit (I would now prefer Digitrax Zephyr) and put a RTR DCC engine on the track. Finished. Now you can - one by one - make your old DC engines ready for DCC, install decoders. With the second and third engine you can buy a walk around throttle, now I have two Digitrax UT4. Wolfgang
But isn't that removing the fun and challenge, etc, of retro-fitting a decoder in your engine? :angel:
