I used different shades of black and grimey black diluted with water and rubbed with a cloth to get into the tiny details. When you get a marklin Loco, the details don't look that convincing out of the box, but there are details there. I think weathering kinda makes some of the detail pop out. Also I think painting the side rods gives it a better look. I also painted the headlight case. That adds to it. So folks, what weathering have you done to make your collection look better? By the way you'll notice where I grab the loco has worn off some of its weathering!
I like the way that loco came out Joe. Weathering makes the subtle details come out, and sets your model apart from the store bought look. I like to weather my stuff too. I only have 2 locomotives weathered so far, and you can see them up front in this roster shot: I plan on doing them all, but only after I convert them to DCC and modify them to look more like NP locos. I just dipped a paintbrush in black paint then wiped it off. Next I dipped the brush in paint thinner to make a "wash" and used that on the boiler and firebox, to tone down the bright silver. Last I use a little Bragdon's "dust" colored chalk. I weathered this Z Scale centerbeam car with Bragdon's rust chalk powder. I really like to use chalk powders, because i can use a "canned air" computer duster to blow it off if I don't like the way it turns out. Here is a Truss Rod style Centerbeam car I made, and even it shows improvement with a dittle dust powder. I don't use any fixative, but just let it stick as is. Have you weathered any of your Microtrains stuff yet?
Here is a mico-trains MW caboose. I used the same method different shades of grimey black wiped down. I did paint the roof as I did not like the toy like appearance of the all red caboose. Robert, that is a nice job with the dust. How does it stay on? Just careful handling? By the way, the "white wall" look on your steam locos drivers is very good! Better than many I have seen in N! By the way I am working on making my pictures look better, still leaning the digital thing!
I'm going to try that Grimey Black method on some of my plastic cars to see how well it works for me. I like the way it highlights the car details, yet makes it look old and dindgy. As for the chalk powder, Bragdon's weathering powders have something that makes it stick if you rub it hard. I use a cheap hobby paintbrush that I cut the bristles in half to make it stiffer. That is what I use to apply the chalk powder. I have tried using Dullcote, but it makes the chalk disappear.
You wouldnt think it was Z scale, I'm really enjoying seeing how you Z scalers are progressing the hobby
Thanks for the support! I will try and get another posted this weekend. I know I was really sold on z last spring when I saw that Article in Model RR of Lyn St. Laurent's SP in Z. At that point I looked and looked and really thought wow! It can be done. Z can look real! But it is the pictures really help to give ideas and motivate. By the way, around that same time Robert kept slipping in pictures of his Z work on the Atlas forum N sunday foto fun. Again, amazing work! The more I saw, the more I thought this scale can be done and really modeled. Not like some christmas toy. (not that that is bad, its just I like seeing a model capture reality). Anway, I didn't mean to ramble on, but what I am trying to say is I just hope that people out there look at the pictures and maybe think they would also like to give Z a try, and then maybe Z will grow just a little more.
Track is indeed a major concern. I guess that is why I am waiting to build bigger until I see what micro-tains comes out with here this year. Ok, I going to post another picture. I apologize becasue I think it might be a little big. I still am learning the digital thing. There is so many options with those darn cameras! I think it cam out a little fuzzy. But I think you can still make out the weathering. [ 15. January 2005, 16:30: Message edited by: JoeS ]
What you can do Charlie, is just start by building a very small layout of say 18" x 36" and just use the Marklin track. If you purchase a Microtrains Tabletop set, you get an excellent running F7 locomotive, 4 cars and a caboose, a rerailing ramp, and a loop of Marklin track. This layout can be used as a test track, and for burn-in of locomotives, and practice of different scenery techniques. Just add 2 or 3 manual turnouts, a 10 pack box of Marklin straight track pieces, and you can build a small switching layout to test your tecniques, while waiting for Microtrains to come out with their track system. All I have running right now is the setup above less the turnouts, as my test loop. I'm testing my scenery tecniques on a Z Bend module I have under construction.
Oh yes Joe! That is a nice train you have there. Your scenery looks very convincing too! The weathering really sets that train apart from other Z trains, making it look so much more realistic than the norm.
