Based on some recent trains.com threads with some “unconventional” suggestions for rolling stock weathering (such as dipping cars in an aquarium for a month, burying cars in the yard, etc.), I felt there might be a need for a thread about an easy weathering technique anyone can use. So, inspired by the work of the likes of Tom Mann, Ed K, Lee Weldon, and Rich Yourstone of “The Railwire” fame, I’m presenting how I weathered four N scale 50’ boxcars using only acrylic craft paints, Testor’s Dullcote, and windshield wiper fluid.
Prototype photos are from Fallen Flags unless otherwise noted.
Although I’ve used an airbrush to weather before, I find it hard to control (this is a tool I haven’t mastered!) and I’m also aware that many modelers don’t own one. So I won’t use one here.
The paints we’ll use are the cheap acrylic craft paints you get at any craft store like Michael’s or A.C. Moore. They go for between 50 cents and $1.50.
Here’s what we’ll need:
In addition to a few paintbrushes (including a fine point stiff brush), I used Color Traditions Warm White, River Rock, Black, and Burnt Umber. I also picked up Anita’s Burnt Sienna. I don’t use pure white because it looks a bit too harsh; the Warm White is “earthier.” The decal sheet is Microscale 60-4280 (Automatic Car Identification bar code labels, mandatory on cars painted between 1967 and 1977). We’ll need the ACI labels for our two Penn Central cars.
Our victims will be an N scale Atlas Trainman RBOX car, an Athearn M&PA Berwick box, an Atlas Penn Central Precision Design outside-ribbed box, and an odd-ball Micro-Trains lot 968-B Penn Central smooth-side box. Weathering will be accor
First, the easy:
The Maryland and Pennsylvania boxcar has a built date of 1/80, so is 6 months old in my era. Photos confirm that in 1980 these cars were still immaculate:
So, all I did was paint the trucks and couplers with Burnt Umber. I thinned the Burnt Umber and then added a slight hint of rust below the door track. A touch of Burnt Sienna on the knuckles of the couplers suggests fresh rust. Then a very, very, very thin wash of the River Rock… Very light. Then wiped off before dry. The roof got one very, very thin wash of Burnt Sienna, wiped off and one coat of extremely thinned black, allowed to dry. Car was then Dullcoted.
The result is a boxcar that looks new, but has taken a trip or two down the line.
Next up is a Railbox car, new 7/79. This time I washed the car with a very thin mixture of Burnt Umber and Black, and I wiped it down with a paper towel. The roof got a few very thinned coats of the same mixture, wiped off between coats. I also added one thinned layer of Burnt Sienna for newer rust. But overall the roof is still mainly silver. Trucks and couplers got the same Burnt Umber treatment. Car was then Dullcoted.
At one year old, this car is still a baby. Pretty clean.
Now the fun begins. PCA X71 #166653 was built in early 1972, and so is 8 years old on my layout. So we can be dirty.
The first thing to do is to add the ACI decals and seal them with Dullcote. Photos show the ACI labels below the PC “worms” logo on the right side:
So, that was the easy part. Up next is the weathering. I used several washes of a Burnt Umber and Black mixture on the sides, wiping off between layers. Oh, by the way, the great thing about craft paints is that they don’t become permanent until you seal them with Dullcote. Don’t like it? Just wash it off with a wet, clean brush!
The roof gets 5-10 coats of much thinned Burnt Umber/Black wash, with 1-2 layers of a much thinned Burnt Sienna wash. I let these coats sit and dry rather than wiping them. The result is a fairly rusty roof, but not a complete rust bucket. Once again, Burnt Umber on trucks and couplers. Seal the car with Dullcoat.
The last one was the most fun. This car was one of a lot of cars (designated 968-B) built by the NYCRR just prior to merger by extending 40’ boxcars. They were painted new for Penn Central, but with an eclectic combination of black and white, NYC and PC-style lettering. Too cool. The Micro Trains car body is not quite correct, but the lettering waaaaaay too cool to pass up. So this car is 12 years old by my era.
Add the ACI label as before. I’ve found only two pictures of this class of car and each has a different ACI label position, so I went with one that had the label to the left of the door:
Dullcote the car after the decal is applied. Now I’m going to start with a “fade coat.” Now, Tom Mann did this a few times with washes, although he now recommends an airbrush. I wanted to see if I could do the entire car with acrylic washes and brushes. So I washed the car with very, very thinned Warm White with a drop or two of River Rock. I left it very thin and let it dry on each side of the car, lying on its side, before moving to the next. I held the car while the ends dried.
Then I went nuts. I let a thin wash of Black and Burnt Umber dry on each side again. I then played with the washes to make the sides look splotchy. The magic on this one comes from using a stiff pointy brush to add rust pits and streaks. Use Burnt Umber and a mix of Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna for rust. Old rust and rust pits can use a mix of Black and Burnt Umber. I use the paint straight-up (no thinning) for this. Remember to rust the trucks and couplers with the Burnt Umber. The roof was tough. I did a few washes that came out too dark and needed to be wiped clean.&n
From Penn Central Online:
I hope this has been informative. I can’t take credit for any of the techniques I used; I owe The Railwire guys for blazing the trail. If you haven’t tried weathering yet, I hope I’ve inspired you to try. This technique is relatively clean, reversible (i.e., you can fix your mistakes), and easy to master.
The trick is to use thin coats of wash and build up in layers. And, just about the time you think to yourself “it’s almost there,” stop. Less is often more when it comes to weathering. For each rust-bucket like the PC 160252, you should have many more cars that are in good repair save for a hint of grime. Happy weathering!
Nice Dave!
I’m going to try this on some of my own cars.
Thank you for taking the time to put this together!
Jim
Thanks for the tutorial… Here’s a couple of cars I did using the same method, only I don’t use the wiper fluid… Maybe I’ll give that a try…
It’s fun to experiment, and the results don’t have to be perfect… But as Dave points out, the amount of weathering should be appropriate to the age of the car.
Lee
Dave, awesome!! The stuff looks great; the work you did on the last car is exactly what I want to do with mine.
I just have a question about washes: what exactly do you do? I’ve always been confused with this… do you just mix some of the paint with water and washer fluid/rubbing alcohol/detergent and then apply it with a regular brush? Is it runny, or can you control it a lot like straight up paint?
Thanks for the comments, everyone! Also, Lee, as mentioned above your work is part of the inspiration for mine. Never again shall I use PolyScale paints for washes when I can use cheap acrylics. After all, PolyScale binds instantly so you’re committed as soon as you apply it; not so with craft paint.
DeadheadGreg,
I squirt a little of each color onto a sheet of scrap cardboard. Then I dip the brush in the water (with a bit of wiper fluid) until it’s good and soaked, and then mix it with the paint on the cardboard. The amount of paint I mix with the water controls the amount of color in the wash. Use a big brush for these washes (like the one in the top photo). It’s very runny, so lay the car on its side to apply it. Or, you can leave the car on its wheels and let gravity take it down along the side sill (like in real life). This is effective for rust.
The trick, I think, is that you want it super thin (or runny) so that you can build up layers, giving you more control.
The trucks and couplers get a much thicker wash (maybe 50/50 paint and water). Only for the rust pits on the last car did I use straight paint.
Good luck!
Here is another use for acrylic craft paints that I just discovered on the weekend when I raided my wife’s supply:
They are great for painting hydrocal rock castings. The paint is very similar (if not the same) as Woodland Scenics’ range of paints but here are so many more hues and colours available.
Now I finally I have the pinks I need to do some repectable granite!
Now that is what I’m talking about Dave!
Going to save this tutorial in my archives!
And thanks for sharing the techniques!
Probably should stay away from RainX washer fluid, I think it has silicone in it. may bead up & probably won’t allow the Dullcote to adhere. Jerry
Good point, Jerry!
Just use the plain old cheap blue stuff. Nothing fancy.
Good looking cars. There are so many ways you can go when weathering cars. I am more a rust bucket guy!!! Most of my cars are just rusty. When I do the ones for eBay or for customers it depends on what they want, and what I think will sell on eBay. Also, I use my very fine tiped brushes ALOT. They are good for my rust pits and misc. rust. The best thing to do to get better at weathering is try, try, try, and keepng trying.
Yeah, I’m a rust bucket kind of person too…I don’t have many clean cars…[:-^] I s’pose if you think that one is dirty, then I really shouldn’t post a photo of my dirtiest car…patched from an M&SL car, and streaked with rust. It looks really decrepid. I’m surprised the FRA allows it in interchange service, it is a 40-foot box after all, without roller bearing trucks. Luckily it’s a home road car, it really shouldn’t be in revanue service!
To each his own, of course… I’m not sure I could do the complete rust-bucket look credibly, though. Those who can are true artists!
Of course, the photos I used of the Lot 968-B boxcars are from 1974 and 1977. That means if PC 160252 survived until 1980 (apparently some of this class remained on the Conrail roster until the late 80s, and none were repainted into CR colors!), it would probably be even more worse for wear.
My trouble is that unless I stop just before I think I’m done, I always go too far. Right now the car looks a bit banged up and rusty. I fear if I push it one step further it’ll look like it fell onto my paint palette. That’s because I don’t have that last step of skill that a Jim Six has.
Before reading this thread, I say…
THANK YOU!!!
[bow]
[bow]
Now I say: “Great job, Dave.”
Heres a example of my rust pits. It took awhile to do. This was used by a vey fine brush, and oil paints. So you can go with what Dave has shown which looks good, or try out a rust bucket.
