The other day while out in my train room looking for something to do, I decided the time had come to get out all of my Bachmann, Life Like, Model Power, etc rolling stock and paint the cat walks and brake wheels to match the rest of the cars like the more expensive Micro Train Line stock. I also sprayed those with a glossy finish with Dull Coat so they’d appear more realistic.
After about five hours and a lot of paint mixing, the job was completed, and all the cars turned out looking real well - even if I was the one that did the work…
Good tip! I’m always amazed how a fairly modest investment in painting and weathering can dramatically improve even the humblest rolling stock. In my book, a far bigger bang for the buck than superdetailing type tasks… (I’m not knocking superdetailing, just saying that it has a smaller impact on my perception of cars appearance than does weathering and painting)
Good advice - I’d suggest giving trucks and underframes a quick coat of black aerosol paint. Takes the “shine” off and makes the model look a lot more realistic. At the same time, you can sort out any moulding marks or similar problems.
There was a topic quite some time back on another forum about N scale ‘diamonds in the rough’. There were a number of two dollar freight cars listed there that once you removed the slathered-on paint and replaced some of the clunky details with some that were more to scale, you wound up with some very nice freight cars.
Anyone on a limited budget or who is looking for easy projects can do these, as they require a minimum of skills, time, work and money. I have been amazed at the results once I simply removed the sixty-eight coats of paint and repainted and decalled. For a good final touch, add MT trucks.
Since I’m modeling post 1965, I’ve been removing the roofwalks off of my Boxcars and Reefers and filling in the holes with resin or body putty. Next step is to paint the roof.
I mix acrylic paint washes to weather my trucks, couplers, brake wheels and underbody. Depending on the car I apply one or more washes of Rust, Primer, Grime, and Flat Black. I replace the plastic wheels with P2Ks. I always paint wa***he wheel faces. Looks neat when they roll.
Replacing those thick stirrups is also a great idea. For a light fade effect on some cars I lightly scuff the sides with a scotch pad. Airbrushing with a flat clear protects it.
I am modeling the 1950’s, so all of my wheels are painted black. Anyone modeling modern days should paint wheels to look rusty. Old cars had journal boxes, which leaked grease all over the wheels. Who knew superdetailing could be so easy?[8D][tup]
If modeling the earlier years don’t forget to have a freight car that has experienced a “Hot Box”. (The journal overheating due to low lubricant inside the journal).
While the “repaired” truck would be black overall, there should be a small “red-brown” area next to the journal as a result of the heat produced from the friction.