Hello all. I just got off the phone with a fellow model railroader. Most of our conversation had to do with how to weather locos and rolling stock. I personally prefer not to weather anything because a lot of the time it hurts the resale value of the item, and in my way of thinking, the day could always possibly come when I might want or have to sale the stuff…
Tracklayer
Hi,
I used to worry about resale and then I realized that weathering is so much fun and the results make your trains look so much better, that it’s worth the risk. Lately, I’ve discovered that nicely weathered engines and rolling stock sometimes command a premium on Ebay and therefore the “risk” is not a problem anymore.
Mondo
WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT!!! [;)]
Of course, YES to weather.
IT doesn’t decrease the price if you do a great job weathering and market it well.
I’ve only done one loco, but it is the only one that has been taken to the point where it could be weathered. Same goes with my rolling stock. I need to get the right decals on them. However, I weather all my structures.
I just let them sit on my layout for a month, and they weather themselves…[;)]
Whatcha say there Chip…
Everything else on my layout is weathered - except my locos and rolling stock. Maybe one of these days I’ll give in and say what the heck, but right now I’d rather just run them as they are.
Tracklayer [:D]
Does dust count?
Will
just do it as it happens in nature, spray the paint up in the air, it comes down, sticks, presto just like the real stuff (never tried it that way though!) You got to remember there is a difference between putting dirt on, and fading the paintwork. They do wash loco’s, so sometimes they will be ‘clean’ but won’t look like new! different fading in different areas, stuff like rust on welds, joints, and bolts, and pealing on the roof, ect. [#dots][soapbox][:-^][2c][2c]
DD
I always weather everything, don’t care about resale because I’m taking them with me!!!
Bob
I’ve never worried one little bit about the re-sale value either. I just look at weathering as another fun and interesting part of the hobby…challenging myself to improve my skills and make each one look more realistic than the one before.
Mostly just my locos so far, but it always makes me a little uneasy when I start. Ya know I just worry about making a misstake and ruining something. So far thats not happend.
I haven’t done it much in the past, but I’m planning to from now on. Just want to make sure I do it RIGHT…
When you buy a model RR product, you are NOT creating a savings plan for the future. As soon as the item enters the bag at your LHS, it loses value. Rare exceptions include SOME brass, and SOME Kadee/Micro-Trains cars. If you don’t have either of those things on your layout, go ahead and weather away. As Boxcar Mike on this group has proven, a GOOD weathering job can actuall increase the value of the car, as much as 100%!
I have only applied a light rusting effect on wheels, trucks and couplers. I figure that all locos and rolling stock started service brand new, but the wheels, truck and couplers have rust on them.
One other choice you didn’t post…
I weather rolling stock, but not locos or cabooses (cabeese?). My time frame (1920s and 30s) locos and cabooses were well maintained and a source of pride for the crew who often were assigned a specific loco or caboose.
Andrew
I don’t, but not because of resale value - I have everything in model railroading that I ever got, in 3 scales yet. I just prefer them unweathered.
Enjoy
Paul
Sometimes 800%! [:0]
I think he’s asking whether or not to weather…
[[oX)]]Aye, Aggro be right.[/[oX)]]
Weathering is the only way to go. I’m even constructing quick ways of my own to weather rolling stock to just give it a “used” look.
Well…Let’s see…retail on that centerbeam of yours was, what, $15? Plus, add in a few just for metal wheelsets, Kadees, and supplies…Let’s say $20 total…Now, it went for (Rounded)$180…and 20 goes into 180…9 times…wouldn’t that be 900%?