In 1973, the Reading acquired 5 GP40-2's (3671-3675) for a near dedicated use in iron ore service between the Grace Mine in Morgantown and steel mills in Bethlehem PA. As a result of this service, all 5 units took on a rusty/dusty coat on the top of the short hood, roof, and walkways due to iron ore dust. I would like to simulate this effect. Despite being in the hobby for well over 40 years, I haven't done all that much in terms of weathering.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2721313
Any thoughts on a...best way...to create this effect?
Mark H
Modeling in HO...Reading and Conrail together in an alternate history.
Gidday Mark, my limited weathering so far has been done with a brush using a childrens water colour paint set. I've used the wash method and also dry brushing and a fine brush to daub on rust or oil leaks. The good thing, being a chicken, is that I can wash it off when I get it wrong.
Not sure if I've got this right but this is a result using the water colours.
Good luck, Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
I don't have pictures to show this, but I have been able to simulate rust in the tops of hoods and cabs by using very thinned water based paints. I use a brush to dab the paint, not stroke, onto the tops. I use a small brush that is similar in shape to a powder make-up brush, the kind where the bristles are shaped into a bulb like form.
The key is that the constistency of the paint needs to be very thin. Its basically not much different than dirty water. The potion tends to pool when applied, and when the water evaporates a nice thin coat of patchy paint is left behind. If you don't like the effect, the paint is so thin that you can reactivate near dry paint with water and remove it to try again. The first coat doesn't look like much, but putting on multiple coats is when it begins to look like rust.
I use a mixture of oranges and burgundys and black to get the colors right. You can apply darker over lighter too, and it won't look too thick since the dirty water paint solution tends to lay over a previous coat very flatly and blends with the previous coat a bit too. The result is much more realistic and gives great depth. But if manipulated too much, the colors blend together and the variation is lost. That may actually be what you're looking for, however, if you want an iron ore dusty look rather than rusting metal.
Its really easy to do. The key is to use dirty water paint. Practice on a junk car.
- Douglas
I did this RSC-3 with Dullcoat and AIM weathering powders:
I first sprayed the whole shell with Dullcoat, to take the gleam off the paint and also to provide "tooth" for the powders to grip. Then I brushed on powders, both rust and black. Then I gave it another shot of Dullcoat to seal the powders.
The effect you're looking for is the way I did the front pilot.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I'm not sure that it was the iron ore that caused the effect since MP GP15's produced about the same time had the same effect on their tops and went nowhere near an iron ore mine. I think it was more sunlight degrading the paint.
Probably the best way to model that is to mask off the sides leaving the roof, hood tops and walkway surfaces uncovered. I have seen people use a piece of masking tape rolled into a tube for the "edge" so it produced a feathered effect at the edge. Then use an air brush to spray the roof with a color that matches the weathering effect you want. I would start with a "roof brown" color. Remember that a veiw from above will give you a different color than viewing from a shallow angle (like in the picture). Spray a very dry, thin coat. You don't want the typical "rust' weathering that would involve streaks down the side of carbody.
As an alternative you could mask off the sides and use weathering powders on the horizontal surfaces. The key is to keep the vertical surfaces clean and relatively "shiny" and make just the horizontal surfaces degraded.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Notice from the Reading photo just how subtle the weathering is on those locomotives, like a light covering of dust, the key to proper weathering is moderation, the photo says it all, if you can copy the photo you are on the right TRACK !
I use many different methods of weathering. For just starting out, I would recommend using chalks. There are weathering chalks available from some hobby outlets. They can also be found at Art Stores. Use snad paper to get the chalk in powder form. The great thing about chalks is if you don't like how it turned out, just wash it off with soapy water. If you do like how it turned out and want to keep it permanent, spray an overcoat of Dull Coat; or, some other clear flat finish. Be prepaired to go over with more chalk as the clear coating will tend to lessen the effect.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
It doesn't look like rust though. The only place I see rust is on the walkays.
For the dusting from the ore. Just use an airbrush with some acrylic paints. Get some paint that matches the ore color. Mask off the windows, lights, etc. Then hold the airbrush from the top, and shoot down on the shell there so most of it gets the roof, hood, etc. Hold the airbrush a good amount away from the model. Spray lightly until you start seeing the coverage that matches that photo.
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
As you can see, there are many ways to simulate that dusty effect. If you have an airbrush, simply select (or mix) a colour which you feel is appropriate, then thin it severely - up to 90% thinner. This works well with both water-based and lacquer-based paints (although my experience is mostly with Floquil and PollyScale).You may mask as you feel appropriate, but careful directional spraying will yield results comparable to your prototype example.Using severely-thinned paint is an easy way to weather just about anything - a boxcar sprayed with its own colour thus-thinned can be made to look not-new but also not over-weathered. Likewise, a suitably-coloured paint, well-thinned, can be used to dirty the running gear and lower extremities of locos and rolling stock. For cars, simply roll them by the spray pattern, keeping the latter at the height you feel is most appropriate. Locomotives can be done in the same manner, but should be under power and run by the spray. Keeping the wheels moving prevents having wheels only partially weathered, which is readily noticed once the wheels are in motion.
An almost new car, with only a little road dirt, and a light overspray of its own colour to kill the starkness of the lettering:
...and an older car that's been in service for some time:
The key to weathering effectively is knowing when to stop.
Wayne
The Grace Mine on the RDG produced taconite, which is the pelletized iron ore. MAJOR caution on using actual taconite on a model railroad, its a very abrasive and conductive dust. If not controlled it can cause problems in gear trains and in electrical stuff.
Personally I don't think the weathering is acutally iron ore dust. I think is more of a paint/air pollution/sunlight issue. MoPac GP's, particularly GP15's, built in the 1970's had the exact same weathering pattern on the hood, cab and nose. They lived their lives in the Gulf Coast region about as far away from an iron ore mine as you could get.
Mark,
Even though I have a couple of airbrushes, I rarely use them as I have found that the wedge shape makeup sponges do a great job of putting down a smooth, even coat of acrylic paint. I thin the paint a little so I can build the desired color/surface up and then dull coat it when satisfied. This is easy to learn so try it on a 'donor' car, but you can wash it off if you don't like it. Just a thought.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!