A couple of questions please:
First is it necessary to remove locomotive truck sideframes for weathering? Part of me thinks they could be weathered in place but then I am not sure how to keep the weathering off the treads. I know the side of the wheels should be weathered but I am ok living without that - at least for now.
If they should be removed can someone give me an idea how to remove them from an Atlas Alco S-4?
Thanks!
- Bill Rutherford Lancaster, NH
Central Vermont Railroad
Most of my diesels are Walthers, and those si ply pull off and are held on securely by a tight-fitting friction mounting tab. I don't have any Atlas engines.
I do recommend removing ingredients the frames to weather them. I usually use a quick hit of rattle can spray in a rust color. I follow that up with a light application of black or rust weathering powder, and a final coat of flat transparent spray like Dul-Kote to seal in the powder.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
OK thanks, I have tried gently and even a little more stearnly prying without luck so far...
I will do some more research and / or hopefully someone here will be familiar with Atlas engines.
Suggest that you view the instructions for your particular model to see how the sideframes are attached.
maxman Suggest that you view the instructions for your particular model to see how the sideframes are attached.
Sometimes it takes someone stating the obvious! Thank you. Press fit, just needed a little more force to get them loose!!
A lot of side frames are held in place by the bottom gear cover. The only ones that I can recall being press fit are old Athearn blue box and early Life Like Proto engines. While you "can" pop out thoses held in place by the bottom gear cover, you run the risk of breaking off the pin the gear cover holds on to.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
I use an airbrush.
Edit, I missed the title. I clean the wheels immediately after airbrushing.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Thank you everyone! I am wondering about removing the side frames to rust them but then putting back for a layer of grime so the grime remains consistent (sort of) down the whole length of the loco body.
Can't believe I am starting to get confident enough to weather a loco!
If you are not comfortable removing sideframes and re inserting them, which i certainly understand, then I suggest making a mask of styrene or cardstock (such as a manila folder has) with a slot that matches the distance between the axles. You should be able to put it up behind the sideframes and around the axles and protect wheels and gears
Having said that, wheel faces get weathered just line sideframes so I makes no sense to have weathered sideframes and bright shiny wheel faces.
Dave Nelson
After removing side-frames and wheel-sets I paint, weather and seal them in a fashion similar to Mr. Beasley's. My Kato and Stewart/Kato Drive locos require removal of the axle retainers before wheel-set and side-frame removal.
Happy weathering. Regards, Peter