I know there's already a show-me-something thread for this month, but I was wondering if someone could post a photo of what "grimy black" looks like on a steam locomotive, particularly Tru-Color's TCP-009 "Grimy Black" airbrush paint.
I have a friend who has volunteered to paint my engine for me, and he's good with an airbrush -- models lots of weathered and camo'd tanks and cannons and warbirds and other military equipment. I want a black boiler with a graphite smokebox, but I'm not sure what the difference is between "grimy black" and plain old "black" or "flat black".
So can someone post some photos? Dr. Wayne, this is an invitation to go crazy. Show me some grimy black boilers with a graphite front-end, please. (I think I heard someone refer to this as a "smoke-nose" a few threads back; is that a thing?)
-Matt
Returning to model railroading after 40 years and taking unconscionable liberties with the SP&S, Northern Pacific and Great Northern roads in the '40s and '50s.
I use Tamiya Gun Metal Gray.
philo426
I generally paint my locomotives with a high gloss paint like the factory would. I primarily use Scalecoat but there are others.
If you plan to decal your engine having a glossy surface is paramount.
IMG_8503_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
Once you have the decals done you can turn your attention to varying degrees of "weathering" although, in many cases some areas of the locomotive would retain some degree of gloss even if only slight.
IMG_8500_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
The running gear may retain more of an oily look with mostly sand and lime deposits on the rear-most drivers.
I generally use the Scalecoat Graphite & oil finish they offer but there were varying degrees of the "brightness" of the mix, some roads, like Boston & Albany and maybe Southern Ry. using almost silver and some, perhaps B&O and PRR a much darker graphite or "gun-metal" look.
NYC_H-10_painted2 by Edmund, on Flickr
PRR_B8b by Edmund, on Flickr
If you shoot the whole engine in "grimy black" you'll get a look something like this:
NYC_5361_dusty-2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Good Luck, Ed
crossthedogSo can someone post some photos? Dr. Wayne, this is an invitation to go crazy. Show me some grimy black boilers with a graphite front-end, please.
I don't usually use grimy black, unless someone asks for a paint job using it.
This is my usual paint for my own steam locomotives...
This one was painted for a friend, one of a couple dozen that I've done for him over the years...
...and one of the biggest rebuilds that I did for him...
...this one was done for another friend, who wanted a loco nearing it's end...
...and this one was done for yet another friend...
...another one of mine...
Another long-time friend was looking for a model like this one...
...and I was fortunate that another friend offered to donated an unbuilt kit for it, to me, to paint and weather it ...
This one wasn't a great runner, but I more-or-less re-built the tender using a sun-damaged covered hopper, and a scratchbuilt centipede tender-bed. Another good friend bought it (at a very affordable price), well aware that it was a poor runner...I think that the fact that it looked pretty good was what convinced him to have it, and I was pleased to give it to him at a bargain price...
I still have another 8 steam locos to paint for myself, and maybe a few more for some longtime friends.
Wayne
post image online
Paint is dark gray auto primer, either Krylon or Rustoleum, I use both, and the perform the same. Paint was applied from a rattlecan. Locomotive is a Mantua, boiler is Zamac, tender is plastic. Surface prep was to wash parts in hot soapy water, rinse carefully and dry thoroghly. Railroads painted steam locomotive with glossy flat black. A little time running on the road would coat the entire locomotive with soot from the stack which makes the locomotive look flat dark gray.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Thanks guys. These are all beautiful paint jobs, but I don't think anyone said "this is what grimy black looks like on a loco". Okay, I get it. No one's playing, so the Fates must be steering me away from grimy black.
@Philo, that second post of your locomotive shows the engine as much more black looking, and very nicely done. I guess it was something about the overcast sky in the first photo, made the loco look green to me.
@Ed, amazing craftsmanship on those, as always. I'm less fond of the glossy black, even though I'm hearing people say that's what the railroads wanted and that's what the paint actually looked like when it went on. I dunno, not for me. The one I like best of yours is in the third photo, No. 2341 I think.
@Wayne, I knew you'd be able to serve up a good few. They all look like different shades, some very light. I really like that No. 8414, and the Canadian National No. 3256, but you didn't say what colors you used on those. And are those noses really graphite-colored? Some of them look almost rusty red.
@David, that loco looks really good. I've heard many people say that the rattle cans spray too spitty, but that doesn't seem to have been an issue for your engine.
Thanks all.
They are two different locomotives!The 0-6-0 is indeed Army Green and the Bowser 4-6-0 was painted Floquil Grimy Black when I built the kit in 1986.
crossthedog I'm less fond of the glossy black,
I don't leave them that way. I rely on the gloss surface to lay the decal onto without "silvering".
Once the decal work is done further finishing and weathering can continue.
For instance, this B&O water tender started out in gloss black Scalecoat:
IMG_8505 by Edmund, on Flickr
After decaling and a light pass of Dullcote it looked more like this:
B&O Water can by Edmund, on Flickr
It will get further light weathering (when I get around to it )
Not every locomotive looked like it had just been dragged out of junk yard. They did occasionally get washed and wiped down with kerosene.
CNW_Wipers2 by Edmund, on Flickr
NYC_Hudson-5297J by Edmund, on Flickr
I guess I didn't explain my reasoning too well in my first reply.
Regards, Ed
philo426They are two different locomotives!The 0-6-0 is indeed Army Green and the Bowser 4-6-0 was painted Floquil Grimy Black when I built the kit in 1986.
gmpullmanAfter decaling and a light pass of Dullcote it looked more like this:
EDIT: By the by, that is a wonderful photograph of the folks wiping down that behemoth. Looks like a family project.
crossthedogYou're telling me that the difference between the first and second photos of your B&O tender is just Dullcote?
Nothing but Dullcote. I much prefer the bottled product and an airbrush. The little rattle cans don't quite have the same "dulling" effect and I've had "orange peel" problems with the canned stuff as well. It's OK for structures but I don't use it for rolling stock.
crossthedogLooks like a family project.
It was more of a War-time effort and more women were employed for some of the labor-intense jobs:
CNW_Wipers by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
crossthedogAnd are those noses really graphite-colored? Some of them look almost rusty red.
No graphite on any of them, but both the smoke box and the firebox get hot, which would likely get rid of the graphite, and then show some signs of degradation of the paint.
I have at least one bottle of Floquil Graphite on-hand, and I do use it if someone requests it as part of a paint job.
Here's the 3256 before I dirtied-it-up for it's owner...
Yes I always liked it!
doctorwayne crossthedog And are those noses really graphite-colored? Some of them look almost rusty red. No graphite on any of them, but both the smoke box and the firebox get hot, which would likely get rid of the graphite, and then show some signs of degradation of the paint. I have at least one bottle of Floquil Graphite on-hand, and I do use it if someone requests it as part of a paint job. Here's the 3256 before I dirtied-it-up for it's owner... Wayne
crossthedog And are those noses really graphite-colored? Some of them look almost rusty red.
Graphite isn't paint. Because the smokebox and firebox gets very hot, paint wouldn't work (at least 100 years ago). Railroads coated those parts with a mix of oil and graphite, creating a sort of metallic dark gray - like you get writing with a pencil (which of course uses graphite).
"Grimy black" is kinda what each modeller wants it to be. It's generally flat black with a bit of gray and maybe tuscan red. Our artificial lights on the layout are not as bright as the sun, so it's usually best to paint things on the layout a bit lighter then the real thing, so it looks right under those lights.
Based on some pictures I've seen, some steamers in the dry south west had a grimy black look. Up here in Eastern Canada, locos were all pretty much black and rusty...
Simon
wjstixOur artificial lights on the layout are not as bright as the sun, so it's usually best to paint things on the layout a bit lighter then the real thing, so it looks right under those lights.