Weathering Freight Cars - Techniques and Examples

corporaldan Oct 3, 2008

  1. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    I remember that. You spray with Testor's Dullcote (or any clear flat? Petroleum based? Acrylic?) and then fade with alcohol. If you want to reverse the process, just Dullcote again.

    Thanks for the help, jsoflo.
     
  2. GNFA310

    GNFA310 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Weathered cars

    Here are a few that I did some time ago... it proved much easier than I ever expected.

    These are Micro-trains cars that I lightly weathered using Bragdon powders:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  3. GaryHinshaw

    GaryHinshaw TrainBoard Member

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    Flash:

    Good questions. The washer fluid is (diluted) methyl alcohol and I don't think it would have any effect on its own, though I haven't really tried to use it that way. The main purpose of using it in a wash or fade spray is to give it good flow properties so the wash doesn't puddle. For fading, I use the zinc-based white paint (which is somewhat transparent) thinned with washer fluid, like in this example:

    [​IMG]

    where the top container was faded and the bottom one is stock.

    Rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol and it can be used to fade, as Jan notes; but I think the process is somewhat hard to control and it can have different effects on different paints. (Note that many people use it to *strip* paint.)

    HTH,
    Gary
     
  4. GaryHinshaw

    GaryHinshaw TrainBoard Member

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    BTW, great new shots everyone! I'd love to see this thread perpetuate - it's one of my favorite topics. ;)

    Here's another project that I recently finished: an N Scale Kits 53' spine set with some extra detailing and weathering:
    [​IMG]

    and a close-up of one of the trailers, an Atlas 45' Pines with some extra finish treatments:
    [​IMG]

    Best,
    Gary
     
  5. jsoflo

    jsoflo TrainBoard Member

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    Excellent job there Gary, did you mask and spray one of your acrylic washes on that trailer or some other technique?
     
  6. Scott Stutzman

    Scott Stutzman TrainBoard Member

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    Jan, These look familiar:tb-biggrin: I think we used the same pictures!
    [​IMG]
     
  7. sp4009

    sp4009 TrainBoard Member

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    Surprised I have not replied to this one(at least I think...) All are N scale.

    MT, lowered, body mounted couplers, beat up... bad pic...

    [​IMG]

    Atlas, rebuilt, detailed, "as delivered" scheme...(I know it says freight cars... but...)

    [​IMG]

    Kato, body mounted couplers, heavily weathered...

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    This car is weathered with acrylics and an air brush and then sealed. I use chalks on my layout as the cars are not handled so much. This car is going to the club and it will get frequent handling where the chalk tends to be removed.

    H0 scale cattle car; assembled Blueprint kit. Note straw inside and steer peering out open door.
    [​IMG]
     
  9. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    Wow! You guys are kicking it up a notch are'nt you? I realize 2 areas i need to start working on now, are reporting mark patches, and graffiti, all missing from my weathering attempts.

    Have you guys seen this site yet? I have not petitioned to join myself, as I don't think I am up to their level, but they sure have some neat weathering posted:
    http://modeltrainsweathered.com/
     
  10. jsoflo

    jsoflo TrainBoard Member

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    Scott, worked off the same picture? You worked off a picture? :tb-wink: Nice work!

    Robert, that is a great group, you should try and join, they have helped me a lot.

    Well, with input from Gary I started working on some NS Bethgons. I have learned that these were unpainted aluminum and prototype photos show that they got very very nasty, so here are a couple Kato and DI bethgons I just did:


    http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbQgO3Pi6rrCA&feat=directlink

    http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbQgO3Pi6rrCA&feat=directlink

    http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbQgO3Pi6rrCA&feat=directlink

    http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbQgO3Pi6rrCA&feat=directlink

    my best,
    Jan
     
  11. Scott Stutzman

    Scott Stutzman TrainBoard Member

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    Jan,
    Sorry, I guess that didn't come across quite right.:tb-embarrassed: I meant.... I think we worked off the same prototype pictures.:tb-smile:

    Great work everyone!:thumbs_up:
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 24, 2009
  12. jsoflo

    jsoflo TrainBoard Member

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    My Bad Scott, certain jokes just don't translate without voice effects, you came across perfect, I was joking as if I did mine free-hand without photos!:tb-cute:

    In any event, it looks great, and there is indeed a lot of great work in this thread, love to see some more of your locos, my best,
    Jan
     
  13. GaryHinshaw

    GaryHinshaw TrainBoard Member

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    Wow! Lots of talent on display here.

    I used to visit the modeltrainsweathered site before they put a wall up. (I don't see the need to make read-only access password protected...) There was some great work on display there, so maybe I should join.

    Jan, the weathering on the trailer followed my normal scheme (mostly after Yourstone & Mann): after some detail finishing with Sharpie & decals, I sprayed a flat finish (with a bit of fade), followed with a light wash of raw sienna & raw umber (about a 60/40 color mix). I then masked a few patches to mimic repaired panels, and applied Bragdon powders for the main weathering coat. I loosely mixed light & dark brown powders, daubed it along the lower sill, then pull it upward from there with a soft flat brush. I was going for something like this:

    http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1573961

    -Gary
     
  14. GNFA310

    GNFA310 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Some Con Cor weathered cars

    In addition to the Micro-Trains cars I posted, I also tried some weathering on a couple of Con Cor, BN, cars:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    (cont'd...)
     
  15. GNFA310

    GNFA310 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Some Con Cor weathered cars... pt.II

    At first glance this car may look like the previous one... but it really is a different car.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    :tb-cool:
     
  16. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    I used some Bragdon chalks to weather a few freight cars this weekend. (Bragdon chalks are supposed to contain an adhesive, unlike artist chalks.) I wanted to flat-clear-coat some more cars as I feel they take the chalks better with a flat finish. As I was spraying some more cars with Testorys Acryl Flat Finish, I decided to spray one of my newly chalked cars with the flat-clear-coat. I was very surprised to see that the Testor's Acryl Flat Coat did NOT disperse or fade the chalk! It just sealed it up, no problem. IMHO, Testor's Dullcote will remove the chalk appearance.

    I was using about 25 psi in the air brush.

    FWIW, you know.
     
  17. levi

    levi TrainBoard Member

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  18. GaryHinshaw

    GaryHinshaw TrainBoard Member

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    Flash, I think the effect you are seeing is more a function of the Bragdon powders than the Testors Acryl Flat. As the Bragdon site says:

    "This weathering powder will adhere to any non-glossy surface. It is NOT chalk. One quick step gives a very realistic rusty, dusty or sooty surface - instantly. No drying or curing is necessary. Use sparingly; a little goes a long way. This product is made from real rust and other weathering agents that have been ball milled to a particle size over 100 times finer than chalk and blended with a pressure sensitive, dry adhesive. Self adhesive to most surfaces."

    So it doesn't disappear like chalk when overcoated. I find it holds up to handling pretty well even if it's not sealed. It's really a great product.

    -Gary
     
  19. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    Gary: That could be. It is a good product and I am only using Bragdon now, so it may be moot for me unless I experiment some. I know some of our club members feel that Bragdon it like paint and I don't agree with that. It is no doubt more adhesive, but not like paint.
     
  20. GaryHinshaw

    GaryHinshaw TrainBoard Member

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    Hmm, I would never have said it's like paint either... but it definitely replaces chalk in my bag of tricks.

    There was an article in a recent N magazine (I don't remember which issue) in which the author used powders to "stain" some wood siding in a laser cut structure kit, leaving a nice slightly weathered effect. Maybe that is what the club members were thinking of.

    -Gary
     

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