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To weather or not to weather, That is the question...

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 21, 2005 7:37 AM
Just go out and watch the real thing for a while. Only about one in 50 cars is bright and clean and shiney. It's difficult to over weather or to get it wrong as every car is different. For those that don'r weather I would recommend at least giving everything a dose of dull-cote, you won't believe how much better things will look with the gloss cut down.

Bob DeWoody
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 20, 2005 4:42 PM
Everything is always severely weathered on my mining/industrial railroad. As a nice contrast, I have two big, modern, shiney clean road units sitting on the interchange track, one CR blue and one CP red.

Jim
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 20, 2005 4:36 PM
Speaking of weathering, I'm off to work on the RBOX.

I hope you change your decision about weathering, Tracklayer. I think once you started, you'd find it quite addicting.
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 20, 2005 4:22 PM
And who knows how much more those Mellow-Mike cars go for![:O]
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 20, 2005 4:21 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

QUOTE: Originally posted by orsonroy

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tracklayer

Hello all. I just got off the phone with a fellow model railroader. Most of our conversation had to do with how to weather locos and rolling stock. I personally prefer not to weather anything because a lot of the time it hurts the resale value of the item, and in my way of thinking, the day could always possibly come when I might want or have to sale the stuff...

Tracklayer

When you buy a model RR product, you are NOT creating a savings plan for the future. As soon as the item enters the bag at your LHS, it loses value. Rare exceptions include SOME brass, and SOME Kadee/Micro-Trains cars. If you don't have either of those things on your layout, go ahead and weather away. As Boxcar Mike on this group has proven, a GOOD weathering job can actuall increase the value of the car, as much as 100%!


Sometimes 800%! [:0]

Well...Let's see...retail on that centerbeam of yours was, what, $15? Plus, add in a few just for metal wheelsets, Kadees, and supplies...Let's say $20 total...Now, it went for (Rounded)$180...and 20 goes into 180...9 times...wouldn't that be 900%?
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 20, 2005 4:19 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT!!! [;)]

Of course, YES to weather.

[[oX)]]Aye, Aggro be right.[/[oX)]]


Weathering is the only way to go. I'm even constructing quick ways of my own to weather rolling stock to just give it a "used" look.
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 20, 2005 4:17 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT!!! [;)]

Of course, YES to weather.


I think he's asking whether or not to weather...
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Posted by AggroJones on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 12:46 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by orsonroy

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tracklayer

Hello all. I just got off the phone with a fellow model railroader. Most of our conversation had to do with how to weather locos and rolling stock. I personally prefer not to weather anything because a lot of the time it hurts the resale value of the item, and in my way of thinking, the day could always possibly come when I might want or have to sale the stuff...

Tracklayer

When you buy a model RR product, you are NOT creating a savings plan for the future. As soon as the item enters the bag at your LHS, it loses value. Rare exceptions include SOME brass, and SOME Kadee/Micro-Trains cars. If you don't have either of those things on your layout, go ahead and weather away. As Boxcar Mike on this group has proven, a GOOD weathering job can actuall increase the value of the car, as much as 100%!


Sometimes 800%! [:0]

"Being misunderstood is the fate of all true geniuses"

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Posted by IRONROOSTER on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 10:44 AM
I don't, but not because of resale value - I have everything in model railroading that I ever got, in 3 scales yet. I just prefer them unweathered.
Enjoy
Paul
If you're having fun, you're doing it the right way.
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 9:37 AM
One other choice you didn't post...

I weather rolling stock, but not locos or cabooses (cabeese?). My time frame (1920s and 30s) locos and cabooses were well maintained and a source of pride for the crew who often were assigned a specific loco or caboose.

Andrew
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Posted by rrgrassi on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 8:44 AM
I have only applied a light rusting effect on wheels, trucks and couplers. I figure that all locos and rolling stock started service brand new, but the wheels, truck and couplers have rust on them.
Ralph R. Grassi PRR, PennCentral, Conrail, SP, Cotton Belt, KCS and ATSF. My Restoration Project. Fairmont A-4: SPM 5806 c:\speeder\spm5806.jpg
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Posted by orsonroy on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 8:35 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Tracklayer

Hello all. I just got off the phone with a fellow model railroader. Most of our conversation had to do with how to weather locos and rolling stock. I personally prefer not to weather anything because a lot of the time it hurts the resale value of the item, and in my way of thinking, the day could always possibly come when I might want or have to sale the stuff...

Tracklayer

When you buy a model RR product, you are NOT creating a savings plan for the future. As soon as the item enters the bag at your LHS, it loses value. Rare exceptions include SOME brass, and SOME Kadee/Micro-Trains cars. If you don't have either of those things on your layout, go ahead and weather away. As Boxcar Mike on this group has proven, a GOOD weathering job can actuall increase the value of the car, as much as 100%!

Ray Breyer

Modeling the NKP's Peoria Division, circa 1943

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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 7:28 AM
I haven't done it much in the past, but I'm planning to from now on. Just want to make sure I do it RIGHT...
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Posted by joeyegarner on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 7:14 AM
Mostly just my locos so far, but it always makes me a little uneasy when I start. Ya know I just worry about making a misstake and ruining something. So far thats not happend.
Pay attention to what you read here, you may actually answer someone's question!
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 7:07 AM
I've never worried one little bit about the re-sale value either. I just look at weathering as another fun and interesting part of the hobby...challenging myself to improve my skills and make each one look more realistic than the one before.
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 2:54 AM
I always weather everything, don't care about resale because I'm taking them with me!!!
Bob
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 1:56 AM
just do it as it happens in nature, spray the paint up in the air, it comes down, sticks, presto just like the real stuff (never tried it that way though!) You got to remember there is a difference between putting dirt on, and fading the paintwork. They do wash loco's, so sometimes they will be 'clean' but won't look like new! different fading in different areas, stuff like rust on welds, joints, and bolts, and pealing on the roof, ect. [#dots][soapbox][:-^][2c][2c]
DD
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 11:00 PM
Does dust count?
Will
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Posted by Tracklayer on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 10:55 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse

IT doesn't decrease the price if you do a great job weathering and market it well.

I've only done one loco, but it is the only one that has been taken to the point where it could be weathered. Same goes with my rolling stock. I need to get the right decals on them. However, I weather all my structures.


Whatcha say there Chip...

Everything else on my layout is weathered - except my locos and rolling stock. Maybe one of these days I'll give in and say what the heck, but right now I'd rather just run them as they are.

Tracklayer [:D]
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Posted by pandabear on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 10:30 PM
I just let them sit on my layout for a month, and they weather themselves.....[;)]
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Posted by SpaceMouse on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 10:30 PM
IT doesn't decrease the price if you do a great job weathering and market it well.

I've only done one loco, but it is the only one that has been taken to the point where it could be weathered. Same goes with my rolling stock. I need to get the right decals on them. However, I weather all my structures.

Chip

Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.

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Posted by AggroJones on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 10:29 PM
WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT!!! [;)]

Of course, YES to weather.

"Being misunderstood is the fate of all true geniuses"

EXPERIMENTATION TO BRING INNOVATION

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Posted by mondotrains on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 10:25 PM
Hi,
I used to worry about resale and then I realized that weathering is so much fun and the results make your trains look so much better, that it's worth the risk. Lately, I've discovered that nicely weathered engines and rolling stock sometimes command a premium on Ebay and therefore the "risk" is not a problem anymore.

Mondo

Mondo
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To weather or not to weather, That is the question...
Posted by Tracklayer on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 10:21 PM
Hello all. I just got off the phone with a fellow model railroader. Most of our conversation had to do with how to weather locos and rolling stock. I personally prefer not to weather anything because a lot of the time it hurts the resale value of the item, and in my way of thinking, the day could always possibly come when I might want or have to sale the stuff...

Tracklayer

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