Hi everyone, I hope your having a fun and safe Summer, my question is about weathering freight cars as well as locomotives, I dont have any space to set up or use a airbrush, so I heard about using powders and acyrilic paints, I would love to see pictures of your weatherd locomotives and freight, and how it is done. Take Care and I’m looking forward to getting help with this matter Trainsrme1
Hi TrainsRMe1!
Here’s a couple photos of cars I’ve weathered:
Here’s a link to a video that explains how I do the stock cars. Other cars are pretty much the same, though I do vary some of the detail weathering paints and chalks as appropriate for the car type and the commodity hauled.
Hint for weathering with chalks:
Brushing 70% alcohol all over the body of the model before adding chalks makes the chalk adhere better.
For motive power my weathering is even simpler - I give the unit to a friend who does it for me! [:D] (He uses an airbrush and I don’t know what else).
I have achieved rather pleasing results using Pan Pastel powders on locos, rolling stock, vehicles, track and structures. I’ll have to try the alcohol wash technique to see whether that further improves the look of the Pan Pastels.
Pan Pastel powders on the NYC’s walkways and a lighter touch on the cab roof an hoods.
Air brushed grim on the PC engine.
Pan Pastel powder on the ore cars and caboose.
Pan Pastel powder on the B&LE coil car.
This reply was made possible by the work of the IT people. THANK YOU.
And THANK YOU to the people at MR.
While this focuses on prewar rolling stock, there are some great tips on how to weather in this workshop
Opps…that’s a real photo. My bad.
Do yourself a favor. Go light until you get it right. It’s easy to add a bit more grime or dirt or rust. It’s much harder to take it off if you get too much. Weathering doesn’t have to be done in a single evening. Take your time.
Evening
I’m looking at dumping another 8c, to get the sky blue Great Northern F7 AB units, and the 4023 big boy. The 4014 Kato Excursion big boy is too shiney.
I’d be too afraid to muck up those brand new loco’s[(-D]
TF
New York City Transit does not allow dirty, grungy, or grafittied trains. If a train is unclean it muct be taken out of service and cleaned. If they do not have a clean train to put into service thgen the run is annuled.
Agreed
A good runner of any railroad, wouldn’t let dirty cars be a participating factor of any part of their roster[:-^]
TF
Well, you could do what I did inadvertantly, leave a lokey exposed to a hostile environment for a period of time. Below is a pic of an Athearn heavy duty flat car that I left out somewhere. The natural effect was really nice on the deck, acsentuated by some weathering chaulks.[C):-)]
If you use Dullcote, you won’t be happy when alcohol hits it.
I have tried the Pan Pastel method and am having a problem. Using the foam applicators the first touch to the object leaves line. After that everything works fine. Is the trick to touch something else first to even out what is on the foam applicator?
I used the method described in this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGlS6ZVQl6s&list=PL5Fc7Hc5wK_oZhL0XyrE_raDlfAG3l6ZD&index=6) to weather a switcher for a steel mill. Here is how it turned out:
If you like that video watch the other parts.
Edit: Here is the whole playlist. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5Fc7Hc5wK_oZhL0XyrE_raDlfAG3l6ZD
“I want my locos to look really Nasty & Grimey!!!”.
Why?..A layout at the end of steam-power?
Wayne
Here is an Atlas S1 i wanted to look worn and weathered. I done this mostly with Rustall and chalks.
Here is a before and after of a weathering project i done for a friend (yes different number locos, i done 3 of them).
These are Scale Trains Rivet Counter and he wanted them lightly weathered, i have learnt that less is more and prefer that look. I must admit a heavily weathered locomotive always gets my attention.
With weathering I’ve always been of the opinion that less is more. It’s way too easy to overdo it.
Here’s a last photo of a 31-year old engine literally taken right before it left for scrap. CP apparently took great pride in keeping at least this one looking good even up till the end. There’s only very subtle rust streaks in the battery areas and some minor dirt on most of the body, with of course moderately dirty trucks and undercarriage. Looks pretty good for 31 years (and on its second paint job).
Based on a prototype. 
shane
I ‘grew up’ in the Penn-Central era. P-C was almost bankrupt before the first quarter financial reports were made. They certainly weren’t going to spend lots of money on first-generation passenger equipment:
P-C_4090 E8a by Edmund, on Flickr
Actually I haven’t begun to weather this E8 yet. This is the way I finished it from the paint booth.
P-C_4090 E8a-curve by Edmund, on Flickr
I experimented with water-soluable colored pencils from AK Interactive on this old Pacemaker box car. I toned down the rust a bit after the photo was taken by washing off the pencil lines a bit with water.
NYC_Pacemaker-weathered by Edmund, on Flickr
Another example of the panel line rust using the pencils:
NP_Ice_Refrigerator by Edmund, on Flickr
I do my weathering in batches of twenty cars or so when the mood strikes.
Weathering Cars-c by Edmund, on Flickr
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