I have just finished weathering two K4 steam locomotives…the first steamers I have done, although I have several diesels completed. I am well pleased with the results, having followed the examples of Gary Hoover in the April, 2011 Model Railroader magazine.
I more or less followed the examples exactly, but shied away from the final airbrushing of grimy black on the wheels, side rods etc. I used the airbrush for the first time to put a few light coats of matte on the loco shell to hold onto the Bragdon powders well. I am most comfortable using these powders, cotton tips and makeup sponges with the powders and washes, rather than actual painting. But I am getting better with the brush and the actual enamel or acrylics as well.
My question…since I shied away from spraying dirt and grime colours on the wheels especially near the wipers etc. (although I see how to mask properly ahead of time), is… does anyone paint on the wheels and side rods with a paint brush and a wash or bottle colours with success? Any tips for doing it this way, or should I just give the airbrush a try because it is best? Thanks for any tips.
Thanks, ndbprr, but how do you dust them? Do you apply that Floquil with a paintbrush?
What I didn’t do yet, because I am reluctant to spray paint onto moving parts or pickups, is as the magazine article demonstrates, mask all the wipers, apply liquid mask to the wheel “tires” and run the loco while spraying to get an complete coating, and then wipe off unwanted spray with paint thinner.
Can I get a good effect with a paint brush or just get going on doing a proper airbrush job on the wheels/rods etc.?
There’s no need to be fearful of spraying moving parts. For locos, particularly kits, which are unpainted (with exposed bare metal) such as driver centres, siderods, and valve gear, I like to first brush paint those parts. This is especially useful for drivers, as trying to get good coverage between the spokes with an airbush often results in an excess of paint on the more readily available surfaces. After the loco has been assembled and/or is ready for painting and weathering, an overspray of the running gear will help to even-out the brush work. Even a loco which is to be heavily weathered will benefit from the use of several colours or shades of black, and a variety of clear finishes, too. Remember, that dirty old steamer was originally in shiny paint, and it’s often still shiny beneath the grime and may show through in some areas.
When using an airbrush to weather a steamer, and especially the running gear, all of the wheels should be turning. You can use a section of powered track in your spray booth, or clip leads directly to the motor so that the drivers will turn as you spray. Another option is to disconnect the drive train so that the loco and tender can be pushed back and forth as you spray. This ensures that all normally-visible surfaces (especially the wheels, siderods, and valve gear) will get an equal application of the weathering. For this reason, I never lubricate the rods or valve gear before painting, and if there’s excess lubricant apparent, those areas are thoroughly cleaned before painting.
Once painting has been completed, and before the paint has cured, run the loco for 20 or 30 seconds to allow friction to remove paint from surfaces where it’s not wanted - mainly the bearing sufaces of moving parts of the valve gear and rods. Use a brush or paper towel and some lacquer thinner to remove the paint from all wheel treads and any electrical pick-ups which may have been accidentally painted, then set
Impressive work guys. I use a brush and finish the work with a combination of very light drybrushing (for dirt) and washes for rust. I prefer to avoid the airbrush on the drivers for two reasons: 1) it’s a real pain to remove the paint (although Wayne’s light airbrush technique does work), 2) more importantly perhaps, I don’t like the dry look the airbrush does on the drivers. I model eastern Canada steam and based on the pics I’ve seen, the drivers had more of an oily look, which I get from a brush. I think this is especially true for slower engines (e.g. geared engines), but perhaps someone more knowleadgeable could confirm. Simon
I’ve seen those pictures, too, and most of them seem to have been taken in the '50s. The heavy weathering job on that last steamer probably should have been done in that manner, too, but I try to paint to the owner’s tastes. It wouldn’t be difficult to change it, though.
Another friend likes his extensive collection of brass to look recently-shopped, and I’ve even repainted some of his heavily weathered models to reflect that preference. I model the late '30s in southwestern Ontario, with my locos weathered enough to appear used but well-maintained - not necessarily totally accurate for the time, but not too far off, I think, based on photos.
Thanks for your help and advice, Gentlemen. I have tried a bit of dry brushing of some dirt and grime colours and I have come quite close to the look I want.
Yes, I too have been working from photos that I have selected. The area of modelling, despite these being PRR, is dry dusty and the locos in the photos are very much brownish and dusty on the bottoms rather than blackened. Though I went over much of the previous brown with dry brushed black to take it down a bit.
My friend, Trevor, who works on the Royal Hudson at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, and whose father drove it in regular service, gave me these tips after seeing the thread.
"Hi
These look great.
One more thing to add since we look at the top of the loco all the time is around the safety valves and whistle the steam rushes out and the calcium precipitates out of the steam and leaves a white film like on the tender and trailing truck. This would really make the top look perfect.
When the safety valves go off they get very hot and loose their polish. They end up looking a little more copper in colour."
Trevor
Thanks for the nice words. I enjoy this, now that the layout is for the most part finished…I have lots of locos to look forward to weathering.
After my friend suggested more deposits around the steam valves and colour on the valves, I added a bit. In reality the effect is more subtle than it seems in these flash photos.
