Hi all,
I weathered a Rapido Northern Pacific boxcar earlier tonight. After giving it a coat of Tamiya flat from a spray can, I thought, I'll do some weathering. The paint scheme, according to the box label, is the circa 1940 "small monad" paint scheme, so it's been on the rails awhile. Let me know what you all think. To weather, I gave an initial coat of flat, which I recommend highly, then did a wash on the sides using oxide red, and grimy black on the ends, and then dustings of weathering powders, earth, soot, grime, and some dark rust. I painted the trucks railroad tie brown and added weathering powder to those as well. Couplers are Sergent and wheels are Tangent Code88 33" wheels.
Alvie
Alvie,
You can count me amongst the cats! I also think well of you. Excellent work sir.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
I like the results of your weathering also, Alvie whom cats admire.
While there's the occasional "brand new" freight car in a passing train, for the most part the cars have a well used look, some more — some less.
You've struck the nice balance of road-weary with out looking worn out.
Bravo
Hope to see more, Ed
Alvie. I agree with the previous comments.
Well done.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Thanks for the positive feedback everyone! I thought I may have over-weathered a bit but I'm growing to like the well-worn, grizzled veteran of the rails look it has going right now. Weathering is something I have a love-hate thing for. I like when I nail it but can't stand when it doesn't feel right, especially when overdone, and of course is not easy to correct. Weathering is truly a take your time activity in the hobby, and also do it in layers, slowyl add a bit, see how it looks, slowly add a bit more, and so on.
cats think well of me I thought I may have over-weathered a bit but I'm growing to like the well-worn, grizzled veteran of the rails look it has going right now.
I think it looks very good, certainly better then most of my weathering jobs.
For my taste, I like varied weathering. When a train goes by, I like to see variety in the fleet. Some should show signs of heavier use and age, others should look fresher. Some should be rusty, some should be dusty, some should be abused.
As Bear said, this is all very subjective.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
In the early 1980s I was surprised to come across a Northern Pacific wood boxcar (double sheathed like this one) in the BN yard in Galesburg IL. Perhaps it had been in work train service. Unfortunately that being the 35mm slide era I took just one photo! Once digital arrived I might have taken 100.
The one thing I noted on that boxcar, as I have also seen on other old wood cars including stock cars stll in service, is how much bare gray wood shows, but a lighter gray almost like driftwood color. Drybushing would be the likely way to capture that effect. The car I saw might have been a good 50 years past its last repaint. Your car is perhaps 25 years so far less bare wood, but it is something to consider.
the other thing to consider is how much paint a sliding boxcar door eventually scrapes away.
Dave Nelson
I generally weather all of my rolling stock, but most of it not too severely.
When I backdated my layout, had to re-do some of them, as some of the paint schemes were too new for the late '30s.
Wayne
Could you at least step out of the spotlight long enough to give Alvie at least a little recognition for the good job he did on his box car, Wayne?
In your reply you didn't give him a moment's recognition.
Sometimes it might be prudent to step back and let others have a little acknowledgement of their accomplishments while pale in comparison of yours.
Just sayin'
Thanks, Ed
You're absolutely correct, Ed. My bad for not commenting on Alvies' results weathering that boxcar, as weathering is a very personal accomplishment, with some of us doing it as a matter-of-fact process and others dreading to try it for fear of "ruining" a perfectly good model.I do give Alvie kudos for a job well-done, as it was, for him, a step into an untrod realm with no guarantees of success.Out of respect, I have deleted my photos...they've likely been seen before anyway, and weren't meant to be a comparison.
Weathering is very subjective, it is either liked or loathed, and the degree of weathering can even be disputed by those who practise it! For me, the following Jack Delano photos are my guide. While they’re taken in 1943 and cleaning rolling stock is very low priority for railroads engaged in providing transport for the war effort, and while there may be cause for dispute amongst expert practitioners of photography as to the “actual” colours, if I can ever get close to matching the variety in these examples, I’ll be a happy Bear. https://www.shorpy.com/node/704 https://www.shorpy.com/node/893 https://www.shorpy.com/node/2729 So, in a rather long-winded way, what I’m saying Alvie, is that I hope you’re happy with your result, because I’d certainly be! Cheers, the Bear.
There is nothing like a real picture to guide us in our modeling efforts!
Simon
doctorwayneI do give Alvie kudos for a job well-done,
Thank you for your graciousness, Wayne. Honestly, I was tempted to post a few photos of my own and then realized I might be inadvertantly stealing the limelight.
There's plenty of opportunity here in the forums to showcase a favorite model or scene.
I'm among many who are inspired by your skills and modeling finesse Let us all be an inspiration for others.
Cheers, Ed
Hi Alvie,
I think the weathering job is excellent! You should do a tutorial.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Very nice work Alvie, modeling a modern era industrial layout I seldom have a need to weather rolling stock to the extent of your Rapido box car. Also noticed that you paint your track as well. Bayway Terminal NJ
First of all, well done Alvie, a real good looking car. Also I wanted to say thank you to JaBear. Those are some fantastic links to get ideas on weathering cars from before I was born.
An "expensive model collector"
Alvie, Liking your NP boxcar, from trucks to roof, has that nice realistic dusty-grimy look. Your track, ballast and sceney are good looking too.
I too enjoy weathering in a slow layering process with frequent evaluation. To me, the satisfaction in achieving the look I'm after makes the effort worthwhile. Yet, missing the mark or overdoing can be hard to take regardless of lessons learned.
Some goofs can end up being a "happy little accident." Figured my Moloco ATSF boxcar roof was toast after slathering on too much enamel wash with too large a brush. But then recalled a tip from the web; with a white spirit dampened make-up sponge I slowly removed most of the wash in a light downward motion from the middle to the edges. The roof looked better than I'd originally envisioned.
Thanks and regards, Peter
Hard to tell if I'm looking at a weathering project or reality. Either way, great work.