First time loco weathering!

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

So, after having weatered some structures and several freight cars, I have had a fear of doing any loco’s, I guess for fear of messing them up. So, today I chose my simple Bachmann 2-8-2 to try this on. This is what I started with:

And these are the final results:

This was done with acrylic paints and water by hand/brush. I need to follow up with dull-cote, then some Testor’s windowmaker windows, but I am very pleased with the results! I was after a loco that was decades old, oxidized by lot’s of sun, and has lived the hard life pulling freight through rough country!

I was surprised! When I’ve done my freight cars, well, they… looked like freight cars afterwards. I think the results of thi

2

I am not much into weathering, I would suggest looking at some weathered engines and try again. There is a difference between dirty and weathering.

Cuda Ken

3

Too much weathering.

The Railroads did not let their equipment deteriorate that much, even when at the end of steam.

4

Whoooeee dogies ! that is quite a bit of weathering, I hope the locomotive is going straight to the scrap yard,- - - the key to weathering, you will find is: M O D E R A T I O N ! !

5

It’s way overdone with no sense of what or why it is weathered the way it is. It appears that someone took a paintbrush and started blobbing on paint. Look at at color prototype pictures of steam locos, and match the effect. Weathering needs to be subtle. I recommend starting with Bragdon powders instead, if you over do its easily corrected, and you can practice how the look you want to imitate. I don’t consider the below locos to have great weathering, but my goal was to tone down the shiney black using powders dusted on with a brush.

6

Have to go with the crowd on this one. I operate a portion of Santa Fe running in 1989, so no steam, but I do weather but use moderation.

Bob

7

I have to agree with the others. Way over the top with no rhyme or reason. Don’t feel bad. I did it a few times too and so have a lot of others though some will never admit to it. I recommend you get some cheap junkers and practice on them. You can also try using weathering powders. Much easier to use than paint.

8

Thanks guys for the honesty! This would be why I didn’t start with the Athearn Genesis Challenger[;)]! Leave my expensive loco’s for last! For what it’s worth the lighting in the train room is nowhere near the flash of that camera; when I see the pics with flash, I like what I see on the actual rails better[(-D] as it is a little more subtle than what the flash brings out!

As has been stated in so many other threads, the more one does, be it scenery, trackwork or whatever, the better they get! I found this true when I started with my freight cars. The first ones look like they’re ready for scrap also, and now, some are a little dirty and faded, others are somewhere in-between, and yet others look like they just rolled out of the factory or paint shop a couple months ago. So I expect the same with my loco’s as I continue to work them.

Happy RR’ing, Duane

9

You’ll get better with some practice and the right tools. I use mostly powders. Here’s a loco I did some time back. I wanted the effect of many years of neglect and harsh treatment and shops using whatever parts they had laying around.

And here’s it’s mate.

10

Duane, it does look a bit heavy but I have to hand it to you for trying… I’ve never been able to work up the nerve to do one of my locos. I know what you mean about the direct camera flash being very garish, it’s the least flattering light you can use.

Jarrell

11

Duane, I had avoided commenting, because I too am heavy, with the weathering.
A Black or converesley, a White unit, are equally hard to do well…
You accepted a challenging endeavor…
You can save it…

Take some 91% Alchol & do some heavy washes over her, or that, or however you define your model…
Let it wash away some, but not all of your efforts…
As (the way I see it), this was your “Bright” base Coat…
If you do that, & tone it down a little, (don’t forget the back of the cab, that was the only ‘missed spot’ I saw)…
When you blend it out, & tone it with a nice coat of Dullcoat, that unit will be really incredible…
So, give it a controlled wash, to tone it down slightly, add some planned highlights, & hit it with some Dullcoat or other sealer, & I really think YOU, & the community will be really impressed…

Then, you will also know how, & have what finesse it takes to put into that next model!!
Yeah, they got to look real sad, & bad, before they look ‘REAL’ good…
Meaning, you have a great primer coat there… -Take that to the next level…
The rest is up to You! -to finish it off…

I would like to see how it comes out!
I have a feeling you are inspired to really make it good.
I want to see the results, so, take your time, & remember, I welcome your next postings!
You are not on a clock, there is no deadline, forget any timeline, this is a hobby, not a job!!!
Best of luck,
Chad

PS: People here think I am harsh too, as in weathering… (I don’t have that bad Grain Car Pic to show you, but, it was bad, ha hah!!)…

Go for it, that’s what it is all about!
I’m with ya!

12

After some of the comments, I’ll simply recommend that you try a Pan Pastel’s Weathering Kit for Modelers Duane. You’ll like the colors and the applicators, and they will give great results! Have fun pal!

Dan

13

Dwayne, in the words of that well-known East Indian traveller, Binder Dundat, “It is probably over the top.”

And I do mean that I have been there. Twice, actually. Get some Grimy Black from one of the model paint folks and make it a wash by adding four parts water to it. Then do at least two applications of the wash over the whole locomotive, letting the first application dry thoroughly over 24 hours. Then see what the wolves thing when you post another photo. I’m pretty sure they’ll be happier.

Crandell

14

If you’re going to weather with brush and paint, you need to dilute the paint quite a bit. That way, the color goes on thin and the base black can still be seen. The consistency should be like water, not like paint. You dab the mixture onto the locomotive and it kind of makes small thin puddles. You can mix it with 70% alcohol and it will tend to dry faster, and the 70% won’t hurt the base paint.

You can fix your current mess with diluted 91% alcohol and small paint brush. Work in the solution until the weathering coat starts to soften and then pull downward and wipe with a lint free cloth, also downward. That way the paint will come off in streaks and it will look like grime running down the locomotive. If you take off some of the under black, oh well, black is easy to touch up.

Try weathering simply with different shades of black, some lighter and grayer, some mixed with dark brown. And I mean really subtle, like 8 parts black to one part white, or 2 parts dark brown. That’s really all the color you need, since the different shades will give a look of weathering without all of the bold colors.

After you remove a lot of the weathering you have done, you can dab on the different shades of black, including pure black, over it and it will tend to restore the original black finish and tone down the weathering.

15

Duane, you arena braver man than I. You might not have the weathering down yet, but you sure have the right attitude! I’m inspired to try my hand at a little dirt again.

16

Duane, I give you full marks for making the attempt, as many modellers never get the courage to even attempt to weather steam locomotives. However, as others have mentioned, I think that you’ve gone way too far, and with little thought as to how a locomotive would weather. Your first step should be to look at photos of the real ones, and there were lots of colour pictures taken, especially near the end of steam.
Also, think about some of the factors which contribute to that weathered appearance: surfaces which were hot, usually the firebox and smokebox, showed the effects of that heat, with discoloured metal and, in extreme cases, some surface rust. The rest of the boiler was lagged (asbestos insulation covered with sheet metal) and that, along with the cab, tender, and running gear, along with all the bolt-on appliances like air and water pumps, injectors, etc. were painted with gloss enamel. Some of the first weathering which occurs is the dulling of that finish, either with dirt in the air or the soot which spews from the stack. The moving parts, mainly the running gear, is usually painted, too, but it requires lubrication, and that grease and oil is naturally spread around as the parts move. In turn, dirt and soot will stick to it, so even a loco just out of the shop won’t have gone too far before it becomes weathered to some degree. With little or no cosmetic upkeep, it didn’t take too long for a loco to become pretty dirty, and rain would cause some of the dirt to streak as gravity drew it downward. Towards the end of steam, you might see some rust, but it would appear in logical places: on unlubricate moving parts or places where there was physical damage - dents, scrapes, etc. Some roads made efforts to keep things looking good, and sometimes it was the crews who put effort into maintaining the appearance of their locos.

Here’s a working locomotive at Steam Town. Note the discolouration on th

17

Hi Duane,

Congratulations on your first attempt at weathering. May I suggest you try a few more cars before another attempt on a loco.

As others have said a more subtle approach looks better to most people although you have done a worn out olde clunker as I would call it.

Here’s a photo of my old shay that I weathered many years ago using water colour paints.

I also weathered the truck more recently using Bragdon powders.

I’m no expert, but like you, I like what I’ve done.

Cheers

Alan J

down under

18

Hmmm,

I’ll try that photo again.

19

For just starting out with weathering, you can’t go wrong with weathering chalks. Put some on and if you do not like how it looks, wash it off, it’s fool proof. Once you are satisfied with how it looks, spray on some Dull Cote and affix the weathering permanently. Be aware of the fact that the Dull Coat will tone down the weathering you’ve done, by almost 1/2. So, experiment, get a weathering job to where you like it and spray it with Dull Coat to see how much disappears, then weather it some more until the finished product looks the way you want.

If you’re dissatisfied with the engine you have weathered, re-paint and apply decals and try weathering it, again.

You do not need to go out and buy an air brush! I’v e been building models for 55+ years and have never had one and do not feel the need now. They are a fine product and if I had the funny money to buy one I probably would have; however, I’ve gone this long without and have done just fine. You develope a set of skills using a brush and Q-tips that will equal any air brush weathering you’ve seen by the best!

20

I always tell people to start off very lightly and resist the urge to finish it right away. Run the loco a little and slowly add a little more each week until your satisfied. Once you’ve mastered the proper amount and technique then you can finish a loco at one sitting.