Color recommendation for wood flatcar deck?

I have used a kit from Pine Canyon Scale models called Woodsy stain kit. It was a 3 part kit. A wood base color, a driftwood stain wash and an black India Ink & alcohol wash. This would give you a great looking wood treatment for all kinds of surfaces ( plastic, metal , wood) I went to their site and they don't list the kit anymore but do have the Driftwood stain concentrate you would mix with alcohol though. 

http://www.pinecanyonscalemode...m/driftwoodstain.htm

We used a few colors of acrylic and with a small stiff brush swiped them on one at a time and the results were quite pleasing.

Here are a few examples:

Al, your boards look especially realistic!

I use the same method C. Sam does. I like to use a couple different colors just for variety, and because wood decking would vary on age from car to car.I like the look for my railroad and it's a fairly inexpensive way to dress up a standard flat car. 

C Sam,

Any special pretreatment of the plastic deck?  I tried Testors wood color enamel over navy blue and didn't get the best results.

Joe

All of those brownish shades of color, especially where each board is slightly a different shade look very nice.  But I do recall working on real wooden floor flat cars that had been in service for a long time and those decks were absolutely gray.  Almost a silvery gray from the oxidation of the wood.  That and black spots from various oil spills, and the wood color was nearly gone.  I have a couple of Weaver flats, which have a plastic top deck imitating wood, which I had painted a medium gray with a little bit of metallic thrown in, and the results are very nice, too.  Those cars are in a military train with tanks, jeeps and Army trucks tied on.  They look "aged".

Paul Fischer

I've been dabbling with a couple colors of brown, some metallic grey and a little flat black. I think I've got some of it figured out. I'll probably play a little more before I do it for real. I didnt think it would be a precise thing, but there does seem to be some order of operation for laying the colors over one another. Seems like a brown base works best, then some metallic grey and then a little more brown, some tan, and a little black to dial down the metallic. I guess I'll just try it and see what happens. I can always repaint it black if it comes out bad.

This topic came up of few months ago.

check out this thread: https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/d...ent/2415514336854369

First try... went for the war time greasy look.

Very nice pictures and work, but how do you glue the pieces of wood down and what are the pieces of "wood" you are using?

Paul

Not sure who the question is directed at... I'm not using wood, just painting the fake wood plastic deck thats molded into the car.

I finished a second one (on right). Its kinda dark but its believable. I think what I actually need is white paint for a little highlight. I had been using metallic, but it doesnt really look too good unless you dial the flake back quite a bit with more layers over the top. I think white would do the same thing but without the excessive sparkle.

Thank you. Seems some folks paint the plastic and some folks put down balsa? wood or some other product.

Paul

Paul,

Plastic deck painted tan using craft store acrylics, then given the ink/alcohol wash and some weathering powders

Coffee stirrer decking colored with a heavy ink/alcohol wash and some weathering powders. Wish my crew had swept the decks before taking the photos so you could see better!

Jim

This started out as a B&M Lionel PS4 flatcar that has been repainted and decaled. Original wood decking was cut down and used for the bed. Bulkheads were scratch built and wood planking added. The wood was then stained with Hunterline Black Creosote Weathering Stain.

Jim, wow - I'll say it again - Wow!

Thanks for sharing those pictures.  Give the guy with the broom a break - he's just admiring your work

Paul