I don't think anyone here believes that weathering is a requirement in model rr but just another aspect, one that goes to another or maybe a higher level of modeling since modeling is all about trying to capture the essence of a particular scene or model be it at an early stage when the model was new or an older one where it has seen its days . Keep doing whatever is fun in your aspect of model rr. For those on Face Book I have a page called Realistic N Scale Trains , here's the link if you want to check it out. https://www.facebook.com/realisticnscaletrains/
Thomas, I appreciate your sharing your craft. Weathering is on my radar but I know I have to be in an open and creative personal space to be successful. In the meantime I do the things that are highest on my priority list, such as layout debug/maintenance in support of running trains, and continue to admire the activities that someday I will be ready to try.
I think light, medium, or heavy weathering is a part of modeling...and a part of the real world. Granted...locomotives get washed. Rolling stock on the other hand...no so much...except maybe passenger cars. On my more modern layout there is no such thing as graffiti...it hasnt been thought of yet by the morons who do it in real life. I run mixed freight. I railfan from Holbrook AZ to Flagstaff AZ. I have seen some freight cars that are pretty clean. I have seen freight cars that are pretty ugly...with dirt, rust and faded paint..and all kinds of 'spills' running down the sides. These are the cars I want to see on my layout. The Good...the Bad...and the Ugly.
Now where were we, before we were so rudely interrupted? What? You get your trains running right before you make them old and dirty? Well, that sounds like the right way to run a railroad to me.
I have to weather all of my equipment. A lack of weathering does give the models a toy-like appearance to my eye. The sheen of new plastic distracts from the realistic miniature world I'm creating. I don't do much heavy weathering. I just want it to reflect some usage and time passing.
Well weathering is cool, but it is not my cup of tea. Great job on what you all have done, but I have no interest in weathering. If I ran the railroad, everything would stay nice and clean. So it goes with my modeling...
The question to weather or not highlights for me the hierarchy of model railroad pleasure. Reliably running trains not weathered is still enjoyable. Weathering and scenery take the enjoyment to a higher level.
Karl, Really like your weathering on both cars. Just enough to knock the shine off. Can you mention how you did the effects on the second car with the splotches? I like that as a potential effect on a few of my own cars. Great work on both of them. Ron
While I really enjoy the look of weathered rolling stock and locos, I'm also in the "keep it clean" group. Similar, to the views of other, it's the look I want. It's seems that the more modern of an era the layout the more likely the use of weathering. Most of the transition era layouts seem to be minimally weathered (and the proto pics show that everything was kept cleaner then too) Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Thanks! I got the technique from Tom Mann. I tore up a small sponge to get a small rough area. I blotted it into some burnt sienna paint, dabbing it on a sheet of paper until I got the pattern right and then stippled the car. As I make the marks I rotate the sponge to keep the pattern random. Afterwords I dusted the area with some matching Pan Pastels.
Here's the last IMR hopper and OMI caboose I weathered. Done with cheap craft paint, oils and powders. No airbrush. Sealed with dullcote at each step. I like how the Chessie prototype's rust out.
I like your weathering techniques and found this one to be remarkable. This E7 unit apparently was left on the RIP track and forgotten... went from Repair In Place to Rust in Place.
Some really great weathering jobs shown here! I am still a novice when it comes to weathering but I have been trying to learn for a while. One thing I have picked up on is that, in the real world, weathering is very precise in its randomness. I believe the first trap that many modelers fall into (myself included initially) is the belief that the more randomly you apply weathering, the better. However, it seems this approach often results in an unrealistic mess rather than the very well done and realistic models such as the caboose and hopper above to mention just a few. It seems the eye can easily pick up on anything that does not look like it occurred naturally, such as rust streak patterns, direction (gravity don't lie!) and width, color selections and texture. It definitely takes talent and skill (or perhaps just focus and discipline) to pull-off well like we see here!
