Weathering Freight Cars - Techniques and Examples

corporaldan Oct 3, 2008

  1. jsoflo

    jsoflo TrainBoard Member

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    I am now in the process of finishing this: an N Scale Kits 48' Husky stack I am doing in a NOKL scheme and weathered with acrylics (not done just yet):

    [​IMG]

    my best,
    Jan
     
  2. GaryHinshaw

    GaryHinshaw TrainBoard Member

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    All I see is a blue question mark... (same with your TTX gon from a while back).
     
  3. ctxm

    ctxm TrainBoard Member

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    Off the beaten track

    Did this one in TT scale. Great size, falls right between N and HO but not much available, too bad MTL doesn't do some modern TT, I'd buy lots.....dave
    [​IMG]
     
  4. jhn_plsn

    jhn_plsn TrainBoard Supporter

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    I recieved an email from MTW and they now require a referal and $20 per year. Not a big deal if you have a few $ for it. I have been a non active member for some time but after the 7th of August(payment due) I will no longer be a member.
    With only 1800+ members and very few active I don't see that site lasting very long. I know they are catering to the profesional modeler who may end up doing custom for profit work but I doubt they will get the response they are hoping for. To bad to see it go.
     
  5. jhn_plsn

    jhn_plsn TrainBoard Supporter

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    Toss aways, maybe not anymore.

    I have a bunch of cheap old cars that I decided to experiment with some of the weathering techniques I keep reading about. I just love some of the results I see here and on many other free forums where modelers share thier knowledge. Kind of reminds me of Mr. Lenz and DCC.
    I cannot believe how simple some of this is yet the results are profound. I model the SP and when I master this will start on my layout bound rolling stock.
    1st. I hit this car with dullcoat and allowed it to dry.
    2nd. brushed on a liberal amount of 90% alcohol, and allowed to dry.
    3rd. Mixed up 4 parts Poly Scale Rust to 1 part Poly Scale Grimey Black and added an exacto knife full of Mig pigments Dry Mud. Brushed on here and there where I thought rust would be apparent.
    4th. I dipped a brush in Grimey Black then alcohol and allowed it to flow into the areas around the doors, ladders, and anywhere else I felt like adding it.
    5th. The roofs were treated in a similar manor and those cars without roof walks seem to come out better than those with.
    6th. I treated the trucks, coupler, and wheels with the rust mix and allowed to dry thern allowed the black to flow into the shadowed areas. If I over did it I added the rust again, but to many layers of paint hide detail so I may strip and redo this.
    The red, white, and blue car came out fairly good but the blue one needs to be soaked to try again.
    I will post the blue car in the next post.
     

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    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 2, 2009
  6. jhn_plsn

    jhn_plsn TrainBoard Supporter

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    The Uggly result. Although the trucks came out OK.
    I found that I rushed this one and allowed to much paint on the brush rather than allowing it to wash into the cracks.
    In time I know I'll get up to snuff.
     

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    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 2, 2009
  7. jhn_plsn

    jhn_plsn TrainBoard Supporter

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    I added the Mig pigments dry like chalks. In person you can see the effect but here it may be difficult. I only added it to the bottom third of the car tp represent dust from running in the southwest.
    The red, white, and blue car still look good but the blue car is still a do over in my opinion. These are befoire and after pics. The after side shot of the blue car looks almost decent but the other side is just to much of a gloopy mess of black paint.
     

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    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 2, 2009
  8. jhn_plsn

    jhn_plsn TrainBoard Supporter

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    Heres some much better results. I lightened up on every step for the SP car and like the results much more than any of my other offerings.
     

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  9. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    I'm trying the Tomm Mann weathering methods from his book. I finally did get to that. I am still using acrylics, not oils, but they are the fine, high-class real-artist acrylics that cost 8-10 US$ for a two ounce tube. The pigments are so very fine and they do give better "control" of the weathering process, IMHO. I was surprised that there was so much difference.

    I'm not up to the weathering demonstrated above by jsoflo, but I did start on washes today. Here are four identical (IM kits) boxcars. Each has been brush coated with a different earth-colored wash. I was surprised that the subtle differences in color after the washes was observable in a photo.
    [​IMG]

    More weathering as I go along. This thread has been quiet, so I thought I would bump it up. Weathering is always a good topic for me.
     
  10. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    First Weathering with Washes

    Before:
    [​IMG]

    After:
    [​IMG]

    This car has the basic "fade" wash and a burnt umber wash. Not the best job; seems severe.

    Lessons learned (Where is Fotheringill?):

    1. The basic fade was was too thick; needs more thinning.

    2. Also, it should be airbrushed and not painted on the car.

    3. It is important that you use nylon bristle brushes to apply acrylic washes and not camel hair or some other natural bristle.

    4. Flat coat the car before applying any weathering.

    After violating all of those, I can't complain, I guess. Oh, well...on to the next car! :thumbs_up:
     
  11. GP9BN1799

    GP9BN1799 Permanently dispatched

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    her are my 3 entries into the weathered freight car arena

    the first on is a Red Caboose UPFE reefer this is the 1st real weathering attempt that i tried i think it turned out pretty good i still have to weather the undersides and a little on the bottom of the car so here is #1
    [​IMG]
    and teh 2nd car is an Exactrail BN 3bay covered hopper i'm still playing around with weathering ideas form proto pics and having fun doing it here is #2
    [​IMG]
    and here is the next one an atlas RailBox car the has been weathered and had the roof rusted these were done using the done in a day weathering book by Pelle soberg
    [​IMG]
    :w20z6q: and yes i feel like the icon woohoo
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 17, 2010
  12. mikelhh

    mikelhh TrainBoard Member

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    I like 'em! Nice job :thumbs_up:
     
  13. Logtrain

    Logtrain TrainBoard Member

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    What method did you use on the BN covered hopper for the blistering paint effect? I tried this once on a bridge spraying it with a rust and rail brown then spraying the bridge entirely with water. Immediatelly after that I coated the bridge with black. The effect was OK but not nearly as good as your results.
     
  14. pachyderm217

    pachyderm217 TrainBoard Member

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    I use a fader wash (mixture of PollyScale acrylics in BWWF) applied with an airbrush.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. GP9BN1799

    GP9BN1799 Permanently dispatched

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    blistering paint question

    what i did was modify pelle sobergs style he used in the book done in a day i made a mixture of powdered chalk colors using pastel chalks and scraping them for the powder i mixedd a couple of colors to get the effect that i wanted hope your still with me here as i'm not sure i'm here lol any ways i took the one ounce bottle of flat clear from model master/testors i then took a disposable cup like you would get at a quizno's sub shop the plastic type i mixed the powder and the clear in micro batches so i would not lose to much to the clear drying before i could use it still with me i'm surprised okay then i had my victim my rust mix all i needed now was a plastic or wooden toothpick yes each one of those rust spot was seperate yeehaw anyways i then dipped the toothpick in the rust dip and dotted the car where i thought it was needed after it dried i used a semi stiff brush to brush the rust spots downward it may take a lot of time but to me it is worth it and as for the big rust section on the roof same paste just more coverage then brushed down hope this help as i'm not afraid to help a fellow modeler p.s. i'm not that far north of you if you would want to meet and get an in person demo your call/choice p.s. also finished up with weathering chalks to blend it together any questions just ask and i may not get back to you right away but i will get back to you as i have to use the libraries computeter so it can be 2 or 3 days i try to check every couple of days l8r :tb-biggrin::tb-cool::tb-smile::pbiggrin:
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 18, 2010
  16. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    Is that the famous Turtle Creek Central Railroad? Very unusual in TT scale, IMHO.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 25, 2010
  17. Carl Sowell

    Carl Sowell TrainBoard Supporter

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    Here's two that I have done. Need to do something with the MT black wheels, like replace them with FV or BLMA......
    [​IMG]

    one more .................

    [​IMG]


    dos mas ..............

    [​IMG]
     
  18. G&G Railway

    G&G Railway TrainBoard Member

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    Very nice work Carl
     
  19. Carl Sowell

    Carl Sowell TrainBoard Supporter

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    Tanks Gary. Speaking of tanks . . . . . . . .

    [​IMG]
     
  20. riog66

    riog66 TrainBoard Member

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    Hi guys,
    There's some neat weathering (bit of a paradox there :pbiggrin: eh) on this thread.
    Thought I'd post a couple of pics of rolling stock that I've recently weathered just to join in the fun.

    ExactRail ATSF Hopper with body mounted MT Z #905's

    [​IMG]

    IMRC 3 bay hopper that I used some modellers licence on to represent a D&RGW car
    Totally repainted this one (ex BN) and masked off the patched logo

    [​IMG]

    FVM RI Boxcar - I have since changed the stirrups with BLMA parts

    [​IMG]

    Anyway, having some fun
     

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