Who weathers their N equipment?

[Anonymous]

I weather large structures and buildings but haven't done anything to locos or rolling stocks...who actually weather their N equipment?  I thought they might ot be too small and may look over-weathered or unrealistic and can be very easily go over-board not to mention ery labour intensive because of the size if you want and need to be very precise...

[Dave Vollmer]

I do.

Here are some of my N scale hoppers I weathered:

Weathered cabin car:

[Anonymous]

Very nice!  It's so easy to over do it on small N equipment...on buildings and stuff, you can just use a broad brush.  So how did you do it?  I guess lots of patience too!

Did you scratch built the phone attenna thingy on that Penssy caboose?

[Dave Vollmer]

Very nice!  It's so easy to over do it on small N equipment...on buildings and stuff, you can just use a broad brush.  So how did you do it?  I guess lots of patience too!

Did you scratch built the phone attenna thingy on that Penssy caboose?

I used to use more washes and airbrush, but you're right...  that's easy to overdo.  So now I'm using more powdered chalks and building up layers, with a shot of Dullcote to seal each one.  That's easier to control.

The Train Phone antennas come from Gold Medal Models...  They give you the stanchions and the little disc things, but you add your own wire.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the tips...just got another question for you...do you weather any of your diesels at all?  The thing is I am not sure whether to do or not.  From tons of videos I have seen, most of them are washed frequently and kept very clean especially the modern era diesels.  However, from the videos I have seen, the loco's back in the 60's are filthy and wears a lot, may be because of the advancement in paint technology.  I am getting more and more equipment in and around 90's now so not sure which way to go...I am at a stage now just to do final touchups on my layout and fine tuning I suppose.

[Dave Vollmer]

I do weather diesels...  Combination of washes and chalks...  Dirty but not filthy.  PRR still had a little cash in the 1950s for public image.

[pcarrell]

Weathering in N scale isn't any harder then any other scale.  You just you smaller brushes and stuff.  Chalks and weathering powders are great too.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/N%20Scale%20Trains/Model20Power%204-4-0%20Camelback/4-4-0Camelback.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/N%20Scale%20Trains/MDC20Athearn%202-8-0%20and%202-6-0/20071122848_NPF1painted2.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/N20Scale%20Trains/Logging%20Locomotives/HeislerClimax.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/N20Scale%20Trains/Cabeese/BobberFinshed2.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/N20Scale%20Trains/Cabeese/Caboose1.jpg

[spidge]

You seem to think that the newer locos on the prototype are kept cleaner, is this correct? If so come out to southern California and check out the trains running through Colton, Riverside, Cajon pass and you will see that its not the case. They all get some heavy grime on them. I will admit the road engines do stay cleaner and anything used around the yard and industries in Colton seem to be allowed to get very dirty. So maybe thats what you are observing.

I agree with the guys above that chalks with dulcote seems to work best. You can go heavy on the chalk and half the effect dissapears when you hit the model with dulcote. Give it a try, You won't be sorry.

[Anonymous]

I know they do get filthy because on the DVD's I have seen especially the loco's near the end of a consist that gets all the exhaust from the loco's in front.  But what I am saying is that they seem to get washed frequently and any trains fresh out of a yard seems to be squeaky clean or even on some of the desert runs through Altoona.  My BNSF DVD collection is getting a bit out of control but they all seem very clean in the DVD's that's all.

Jut an observation, some of the newer Micro-Train N rolling stocks seem to come with some type of dullcote already applied...I got a couple of ATSF box cars and it's already have some kind of 'dirt' dull coat on them which gives them a very slight weathered effect to my liking and same as their other box cars I got since.  Plus I leaves the window open in my study where my layout resides and seems to collect a bit of dust on them every few days or so so I guess togther with the new finish from Micro-Train, it actually looks ok!  LOL

You seem to think that the newer locos on the prototype are kept cleaner, is this correct? If so come out to southern California and check out the trains running through Colton, Riverside, Cajon pass and you will see that its not the case. They all get some heavy grime on them. I will admit the road engines do stay cleaner and anything used around the yard and industries in Colton seem to be allowed to get very dirty. So maybe thats what you are observing.

I agree with the guys above that chalks with dulcote seems to work best. You can go heavy on the chalk and half the effect dissapears when you hit the model with dulcote. Give it a try, You won't be sorry.

[spidge]

Some modelers actually leave the layers of dust on rolling stock and the structures as it ties everything together.

I agree that the road engines out of Colton seem to have gone through the wash rack before departure. BNSF and UP seem to keep their stuff a bit cleaner. I have always watched the SP and they didn't seem to own have any idea on how to clean the equipment. Makes one wounder if the SP employees looked and smelled like the equipment. ewe.

[Anonymous]

I think it's just the black colour!  Like a black car!  LOL

I might add some soot near the exhaust and leave them at that I think...it might help me to control the buying impulses if my equipment look new!  LOL

[pcarrell]

You're going to have dirt and such kicked up onto the trucks and lower parts of loco's and cars.  Chalks and drybrush techniques are great for this and they bring out a lot of the detail on the trucks.  You can see that effect on the two cabeese in my first post.