Overweathering Problems !

[nfrailway]

I've had the frustrating experience of making some my models worse the more I fiddle with them, while trying to correct mistakes in weathering. Sadly, a nice factory paint job is ruined.

The end result is a loco that looks great for the scrapyard. I kind of like them, and I am trying to convince myself that it's OK. Am I deluding myself or should I strip the paint and start over? Is a bad weathering job on good factory paint better than a good weathering job on a mediocre amateur paint job

Are heavily weathered locos like these actually used in service? I'd like to hear other people's experience.[:(][:(][:(]

[rexhea]

I am by no means experienced in weathering rolling stock and haven't found the courage to start on any of my Locomotives. But, one thing I have ran across is that not all rolling stock or loco's were allowed to get to a run-down appearance.

GM&O took pride in keeping their rolling stock cleaned and painted as needed. Same with their loco's. However, when they merged with Illionis Central that all went down hill. Of course normal road dust and oil was always present. Many road names kept their rolling stock, bridges, and track structures painted and in good shape while they had the money. I would think a lot has to do with the time period of the road you are modeling as to how "bad they look. (and what you want it to look like)[;)]

REX

[ndbprr]

I would try to undo the weathering some. Start with something like solvaset and see if it will loosen the grip the weathering has to where you can wipe it off. From there I would try something like Bon Ami or Bar Keepers friend as a mild abrasive that won't damage your factory paint.

[orsonroy]

Believe it or not, it's hard to get equipment too dirty. I've seen photos of NKP steamers so caked with road grit, soot and scale that they looked white! (OK, it was winter, and they would wa***hem in warm weather). And in more modern times, the ICG, SP, Rock Island, Penn Central, D&RGW, Soo Line and Milwaukee Road all neglected the wash racks, making their engines and equipment look REALLY grungy. Like white turned to slate grey grungy.

So as long as it looks realistic, your weathering should be OK. Consider it an engine that REALLY needs a trip to the shops for an overhaul. And remember, everything's a learning curve in this hobby. Eventually, you'll get the hang of weathering!

[AggroJones]

What kind of material does your weathering consist of? If it's like floquil or Polly S air brushed, its probably impossible to remove. On some surfaces, multiple layers of dullcote/ powder can be "erased" with 70% rubbing alcohol and gentle scrubbring.

I have little experience with over weathering. Probably cause I like them heavy. But one example is my yellow ART reefer. I made a wash from testor's flat black and it was too deep. Later when I tried thinner and rubbing to remove it, the body looked terrible and parts of the paint were eaten. I gave up. Now its a candidate for repainting. She will be reborn as a PFE UP/SP symbol reefer when I can locate some decals.

If you are really dissatisfied and every time you look at this locomotive, it fills you with sadness, the best thing is probably to strip it and repaint.

[CBQ_Guy]

Well one of my first weathering attempts years ago was on an Athearn GP7. I don't recall the specifics but it had something to do with some sort of solvent on a Q-Tip, and I rubbed a small spot of paint off the side! My fix was to drybrush on some rust colored paint. Didn't turn out too bad.

Another time whatever I was using started moving the lettering around on the side of a Pennsy boxcar! I was able to get most of it moved back to where it went and I just left it alone for a couple days to set up again.

[Dayliner]

QUOTE: Sadly, a nice factory paint job is ruined. The end result is a loco that looks great for the scrapyard.

Oh yes! Been there, done that! Come to think of it, haven't done much else in the weathering department. Though I haven't had the courage to tackle a locomotive yet--good for you!

I think this is one of the standard obstacle courses that the veterans set up for us newbies. I went way overboard on some gons a little while ago. You are welcome to come to an operating session on my layout sometime, and if you can read the reporting marks through all that grime, you're a better man than I! (This is all in N scale, BTW)

Seriously, though, it is your railroad. Say the wash rack broke down, or the car cleaners went on strike, or it's been a really hot, dry summer. There really is a prototype for everything, and the good news is that the next unit you weather will probably be much more restrained.

[nfrailway]

Thanks for the sympathy guys, I can sure use some cheering up.

I don't have an airbrush so I guess I tried to take the easy way out by using floquil washes and The "cotton swab" technique. It's tough to duplicate the protoypical even layer of grime. What I get is more like a stain. Perhaps I shuld have more patience and use the dry techniques.

[dano99a]

I'd say it depends on the railroad, for example:


This loco started out as a "light" weathering job and eneded up a "heavy" because of mistakes with an airbrush.

C&O would sometimes wa***heir locos but most if not all the photos I have as reference the locos are very dirty and over-used, then I can reference the same loco taken a few years later and it just looks worse. Eventually they would change the paint job on it, and of course it would look new again but eventually it would end up in the same look of disrepair.

[CNJ831]

The first thing to consider is what type of motive power you have and "when" does it represent. At the height of the steam era companies did not allow steam locomotives to become filthy, rusted, or fall into disrepair. I see many steam models that are far too heavily weathered and simply don't reflect a sense of reality. In general terms, steamers did not take on a look of filth and neglect until during the final decade of steam operation on a given road, during the period they were being rapidly replaced by diesels.

During the steam-to-diesel transition period and probably until about twenty years ago, most diesels were kept very clean. Remember, for a great number of years railroads were very particular and careful about their public image. Brokendown-looking equipment reflected very poorly on a company and was much frowned upon. Would you ship your product on a railroad that did not appear to give a hoot about its own equipment?

Freight cars reflected this same situation. Even during the Depression and throughout WWII, photographs don't show rolling wrecks. In fact, due to the maintenance/rebuilding programs, equipment appears largely to just have dull or chalky paint with a little dusty overcoating, rather than being covered with dirt and grime.

Much the same even applies to structures - the typical rundown finish many modelers put on FSM and similar models is far outside anything found in 99% of the real world. The actual peaks of urban or inner-city blight were circa 1900 and again around 1970.

Unfortunately, while it may indeed be "your railroad", a great many of today's modelers need reality checks when it comes to weathering.

CNJ831

[Roadtrp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CNJ831

During the steam-to-diesel transition period and probably until about twenty years ago, most diesels were kept very clean.

That has certainly changed now. I've never been a big fan of weathering, but I made a point checking out reality during a recent trip from St. Paul to Chicago on the Empire Builder. The Amtrak equipment for the most part was clean and recently painted. There was a large area on one car where the silver finish had come off revealing the red primer underneath, but other than that everything looked pretty good.

Freight locomotives and rolling stock were an entirely different matter. Their condition almost always ranged from mediocre to very poor. I came to the conclusion that at least for the present era (I model 80's & 90's), there is probably no way you can weather freight trains too much.

I found very little housing with much weathering. It seemed to fall at the extremes. Either houses were well maintained and showed virtually no weathering except streaking on the roof, or they were virtually falling down.

Most commercial structures were also very well maintained, though many older warehouses and industrial buildings close to the tracks in larger cities were in extremely poor condition.

As has been said before, if you look hard enough you can probably find a prototype for ANYTHING. In the end it comes down to personal taste more than anything.

[:)]

[darth9x9]

One trick to weathering is to do a little at a time. Often, you will not even see how much paint/weathering you have put down until it dries...and then it is too late. Do a little and let it dry. See how much coverage is done. If it is to little, do a little more. After all, the prototype didn't get filtjy dirty on their first run (yes there are exceptions).

BC