Hi everyone!
I am modeling an N scale industry office from Walthers. I would like to have your advice on the paint color and the weathering. Is it too dark? I was thinking of using it as a Yard office or a Main office of a truck company.
What do you think?
Stef
It's too dark for my tastes. You could add some white stains coming from the window sills and roof but it would still be pretty dark.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
A lovely looking model, Stef.
If I may throw in my Look at similar buildings in your area. See what you see and not what you think you saw.
Dirt would congregate in the grooves between the slats of wood. Depending how long the office has been there, the wood would be 'stained dirty'.
The same applies on the brickwork in the corners, windows etc. The steps would be darker at the edges. People (generally) walk down the middle of steps; therefore liter in the middle.
If you have buildings with chimneys (around), you will have 'smoke damage' on the building.
A case of having great fun with weathering powders.
Hope that helps.
Edit: I posted same time as Henry. Not wishing to 'step on his answer' I am used to seeing smoky colored buildings, hence my answer.
I guess it is seeing a similar building and study the coloring.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
The colouring and the weathering looks just fine to me, and I don't see any need for stains from the window sills or roof...can't think of what would cause such stains.
Wayne
The building is small and has small-pane windows. It might benefit from fogged windows and interior lighting. If there's any space outside, some parking lot lights could help highlight the building. Light mounted on the building exterior would also brighten the scene.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Thanks everyone! I appreciate your tips. I just wanted to know if the color is rigth or if I should change it for a lighter one. I want it to be an old and dirty little building.
Your building looks quite good to me. If you really think its too dark, you could always fade it a bit using an airbrush as we do when weathering a freight car. A few light coats of a light grey or tan wash could perk it up some without the need for a total repaint. A dusting of light colored Pan Pastels might help, too.
Hornblower
I caught up with some recent YouTube videos from our East Terminal Railroad buddies (remember them from a thread I started last Winter, about a micro-short line - the adventures of Brian and son). Anyway, in one of the videos they are driving around Hammond & South Chicago to look at some equipment, and Brian makes the remark that the older industrial facilities almost always had a large brick office building (often in a rather nice style) out front, even if the rest of the facility was steel sheds, conctrete warehouses, or refinery piping & retorts. Do you want to maybe think bigger, make this an annex of a large brick office. Just a thought. What time frame?
My town has cleaned up all the old brick buildings with the painted signs on the side.
If the George Sellios look is what you want, you are fine. In the Northeast we have pigeons and even falcons nesting in the city. Guano stains on buildings are commonplace.
chutton01Do you want to maybe think bigger, make this an annex of a large brick office. Just a thought. What time frame?
It might be an idea if the layout has room for it, but I'd consider the factory portion more important than the office, mainly because the trains run to serve the industry, while the office staff walks/buses/drives to their workplace.Most of my on-layout factories have their offices on the ground floor of the business, and this one, below, is the only industry that has a fair-size office building...
(click on photos to enlarge)
Most of the industries in the smaller on-line towns are smaller industries, and have offices to suit. Office at left, below...
...and likewise here...
...and again, office at extreme right...
This one has a small office building next door...
...while the office for this business is the one-storey portion at left...
This one has an office...
...in a small room three steps up...
...and this one, in an equally small room just inside this door...
All of these industries ship and/or receive by rail...they're the reasons that the trains run.
Better tell the Piersantis that Jaspers goes better with eggs than melange does.
Apparently, melange was popular with both restaurants and bakeries, but I'm not familiar with Jaspers.
ModelTrainWhat do you think?
I think the building looks fantastic! You have captured the essense of the effect of industrial pollution perfectly!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Thanks again everyone.
I have now finished building, painting and weathering my building.
I am at the decal step. Which decals should I use and where exactly should I put them? There are a lot of smaller signs and I am still not sure where to place them.
doctorwayneApparently, melange was popular with both restaurants and bakeries, but I'm not familiar with Jaspers.
I'm not sure what 'melange' means in connection with eggs -- I'm more familiar with its use in connection with baking, where it concerns mixtures of flour ingredients...
https://bakerpedia.com/baker-campcast-s1e3-flour-composition-and-analysis/
Stef: The little signs are best used with 'common sense' -- imagine you are a new customer or delivery man driving or walking up. The 'office' sign goes near the door; the hours of operation and wholesale-only ('sales to the trade' being that no sales tax, special packaging, etc. associated with "doing business with the general public" will be done in the office; I think in some jurisdictions this was a required legal notice) would go where people would find them most useful. The parking signs might go on the building, but might also be on fences or adjacent walls or structures where the parking places are. The business sign(s) go in the most logical places to identify the business -- this might not be 'from the street' for companies not wanting public business, but most companies would want some name recognition.
Beware of Dog and most No Treapassing signs would likely be on a perimeter security fence or wall, the former implying that attack dogs are loose in a confined space. The No Trespassing would also be posted where traffic goes into the property beyond where customers and arriving deliveries are expected to go on their own.
To me, that building looks like it may have been made in the 1920's. That would make it around 100 years old. It most likely would have been exposed to many many years of coal smoke and residue. Would a trucking company pay someone to clean the brickwork? It's highly unlikely.
I think you nailed it.
josephbw To me, that building looks like it may have been made in the 1920's. That would make it around 100 years old. It most likely would have been exposed to many many years of coal smoke and residue. Would a trucking company pay someone to clean the brickwork? It's highly unlikely. I think you nailed it.
That was my goal. Thanks. And I have also made a few changes since posting the last photos. I wil post my final pictures once the decals will be on the building.
Here are a few photos of my finished or almost finished model.
First, I painted with at least three layers of black paint on the interior walls so the building will not shine if I decide to add a light inside. After that step, I assembled the building’s walls and added at least four layers of offwhite paint on the interior walls.
Painting the outside walls was long and hard because I was not satisfied with the result and had to change the color three times. I tried to have a lighter color brick and a darker mortar but the final result is a darker brick.
I used a black wash on all the building. Some places I have used more than one layer. Once the walls were dry, I used my Tamiya Weathering Master kit to add more color variation like mud, sand and orange rust. I also use a little bit of chocolate brown acrylic paint to produce some rust on the roof.
Finally, it was a perpetuous cycle of paint - wash - Tamiya weathering kit - wash - paint … until I was finally satisfied with the result.
Doors, windows, glasses, handrails, chimneys, gutter and downspouts were added at the end.
For the first time, I brush the interior glass of all the windows with Tamiya weathering master kit to make the windows look dirty. We don’t see very well but when I put my lamp behind the building we see the windows are very dirty.
The final part was to add decals. The “Main Office” decal I have decided to use on the front of my building broke in three parts. I tried to glue it together but finally I changed it for the “Yard Office” decal. Where should I use my building now that it is a Yard Office?
I put several layers of Micro-Sol on my decals but I am wondering what I should do to prevent the decals to shine. Any idea?
I am open to any ideas and suggestions on what I can do to improve this kit.
The usual remedy for shiny decals is Dullcote, or a similar clear, flat finish.However, the best way to apply it is usually by airbrush, with a spray can perhaps second choice....in many cases, some modellers choose to Dullcote the entire structure, to give everything the same final finish.However, since you have already installed the window "glass", I'd suggest using a brush to apply it, straight from the bottle and in one quick and relatively-light pass, as fiddling with it may otherwise damage or destroy the decal - most clear finishes contain fairly aggressive solvents.
If you have (and can use) an airbrush, you could partially mask the structure using masking tape cut so that only the decalled areas are visible, and subject to the spray. This would also work if you're using a spray can, too, but be aware that most spray cans deliver a lot more product in one pass than does an airbrush.
doctorwayne The usual remedy for shiny decals is Dullcote, or a similar clear, flat finish.
The usual remedy for shiny decals is Dullcote, or a similar clear, flat finish.
Thanks for the info. Do you have a link for searching dullcote on amazon because I can't find it. I am searching for the one i can use with brushes because I don't have any airbrush.
ModelTrain Do you have a link for searching dullcote on amazon because I can't find it. I am searching for the one i can use with brushes because I don't have any airbrush.
What you probably will want is Testors #1260 Dullcoat in the small spray can. I put "Testors 1260" in the amazon search box, but glosscoat came up in results.
Maybe Amazon does not carry Dullcoat. Michael's has it down here.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Thanks Kevin for the info but, with these bottles, is it possible to use dullcoat with a brush?
ModelTrainThanks Kevin for the info but, with these bottles, is it possible to use dullcoat with a brush?
Yes, it is very possible! I have used a brush for intricated small models so the spray does not build up on the outside surfaces.
You will probably get brush stroke lines on smooth surfaces, but I think it would be fine for brick.
SeeYou190 ModelTrain Thanks Kevin for the info but, with these bottles, is it possible to use dullcoat with a brush? Yes, it is very possible! I have used a brush for intricated small models so the spray does not build up on the outside surfaces. You will probably get brush stroke lines on smooth surfaces, but I think it would be fine for brick. -Kevin
ModelTrain Thanks Kevin for the info but, with these bottles, is it possible to use dullcoat with a brush?
Thanks Kevin.
Finally, I decided to use a sandblock to weather my signs. I think it looks just fine.
ModelTrainWhere should I use my building now that it is a Yard Office?
A lovely looking model, Stef. Well done.