I am currently striving for realism on my layout. But I don’t like the idea of weathering and doing grafitti on my HO scale models. I can get away with it for the UP excursion train and UP heritage units, but for rolling stock and engines, to have good realism it seems I have to eventually give in and weather and grafitti my stuff. I don’t think I’m very artistic but… What are your feelings on weathering and grafitti?
Weathering is good, especially if you’re modeling UP - When was the last time you saw them wash an engine with anything but rain? [:P]
Graffiti is a totally different matter, and it depends on personal taste - If you like it, model it. If you don’t like it but it helps you feel that the scene is real, model it. If you don’t like it and hate seeing it, don’t model it. I’m in the last category, but in all fairness I haven’t modeled anything after 1985 for a while now.
If you’re modeling early to mid 80s, then you don’t have to worry to much about being “unprototypical” if you don’t include the extreme graffitti that we see today.
Check out these 1982 videos:
SCL fast freight -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spvd469P-ck&playnext=1&list=PL702F029DD9531A7D
Southern - one of the prettiest freight trains I’ve ever seen on the tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRXcCwvn4ZM&playnext=1&list=PL5A5DEEC4B3339270
Check out the beautiful gold-yellow FGE cars. NO STINKIN GRAFFITTI!
I didn’t see a significant number of freight cars with the graffitti trash until about the early 90s. Was gradual at first then suddenly it seemed to be vomitting up everywhere. I’m glad that it’s actually easing down a bit today.
However, don’t be afraid to at least apply a light amount of weathering on your freight cars. If you’re a bit nervous than the easiest route to take would be to weather your wheels and trucks with paint washes, with either paint brushes or an airbrush. Very easy to do, takes a few minutes and makes your cars look much more realistic. Go back and look at the “clean freight cars” on the videos. They still dust and grime on them, especially on the underframes.
I run newer stuff and I weather accordingly. My Genset- no weathering- since they are fairly new… My Dash 7 and Dash 8, a little dirty. My rolling stock… I got with just a dirty look. A little bit of cheap acrylic paint drybrushed on and dullcoated is all do and it comes out looking pretty good. I am not a fan of graffiti and I dont have any on my rolling stock.
I don’t weather. Just my preference. Since I’m modeling in the early 50’s, tag art isn’t a problem, but I wouldn’t include it any way. I think it detracts from the appearance of the car.
I also don’t model trash or urban decay.
I prefer to model the world as I remember it, not as it was.
Enjoy
Paul
I don’t think graffiti was widespread until the 90s.
From the videos from the 80’s I’ve seen there weren’t that many rust buckets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMQX7Pd7F80&playnext=1&list=PLAC6ECA44AA9178B6 (check out the other ones too)
I tend to go light with weathering since my era falls between 1977 and 1987. The heavy stuff is usually older cars that haven’t been shopped yet (i.e. 40’ boxcars in pre-merger paint)
I intend no offense to anyone, particularly to those who went to some trouble to answer the question politely without resorting to invective over the values of those who either produce the graffiti or who like to reproduce it to be true to modern era rails modeling. However, this is one of two or three topics that always degenerates into a series of exchanges that will lead to it being locked. So, I feel it prudent to lock the topic now based on experience.
The orignal asker has several thoughtful answers which should help. I feel that if one is intent upon real ‘modeling’, then a person should work hard to replicate in scale what a person knows to exist. These days, it happens to include graffiti.
As in all things about this hobby, it is strictly a personal choice. We fudge in all sorts of ways to keep having fun. At some point we have to say, nope, not doing that, or yes, that’s good enough…or, I can do better. It is all internally driven. If the graffiti helps with the realism, and realism is important…to whom must you explain, or defend, your choices?
Crandell
[locked]