Hot Metal Car Weathering

A friend did some for me and used silicone

I used some rough mixed plaster

Hi Dave,

Your weathering of the hot metal cars looks amazing!!!

I have recently won a Lionel hot metal car at auction and it works fine. This is the only Lionel HMC I have and the only one with the flickering load.   I'd like to pull it apart and see how the molten load fits in and is made, so I can make some loads for all of my MTH hot metal cars.  I cannot get the hot metal car apart!  I can remove the ends but can't get the barrel apart... what is the trick?

Cheers Pete

A few in service in the Calumet Region.  For your reference.  John

Look at my posting from 2 years ago "Realistic weathering of steel mill cars." It might give you some ideas.

I originally used clay for the skull layer but it fell off and took the underlying paint with it.

On my Jones and Laughlin layout I attached Mortite caulk around the top opening,  pushed gray ballast into the mortite, and then painted it dark gray. The light gray spots on the top of the hot metal car are meant to represent small pieces of the hot metal that splashed out during the pour and left burn marks.   I spray painted the hot metal cars a dark mat camo brown.

Thanks for your responses guys.  Also the work you have put in DRC to your layout is outstanding!  The whole scene , the hot metal flow, the worker, the weathering.... just amazing!

Doesn't seem anyone has pulled the Lionel hot metal cars apart ever.      Thanks Pete

DRC

VERY nice job modeling the furnace tapping operation! I can almost feel the heat!

Chris

LVHR

@PeteDownUnder posted:

Thanks for your responses guys.  Also the work you have put in DRC to your layout is outstanding!  The whole scene , the hot metal flow, the worker, the weathering.... just amazing!

Doesn't seem anyone has pulled the Lionel hot metal cars apart ever.      Thanks Pete

If they have one in their parts breakdown it may give you some insight.

lehighline,

Thanks for your comments.  I was trying to model the "heat" involved in processing hot metal.  After a good deal off time trying to find the right type of plastic colored sheet to put in front of a grain of wheat bulb to model molten metal being poured into a hot metal car, I by chance was unloading a grocery order that contained a shrink wrapped 8 pack of Lipton iced tea.  Not only did the ice tea plastic shrink wrap provide the yellow and orange coloring that the light bulb could shine through, but it provided vertical folds that gives the "pour" a three dimensional look.

DRC

@PeteDownUnder posted:

Hi Dave,

Your weathering of the hot metal cars looks amazing!!!

I have recently won a Lionel hot metal car at auction and it works fine. This is the only Lionel HMC I have and the only one with the flickering load.   I'd like to pull it apart and see how the molten load fits in and is made, so I can make some loads for all of my MTH hot metal cars.  I cannot get the hot metal car apart!  I can remove the ends but can't get the barrel apart... what is the trick?

Cheers Pete

Pete,

Thanks!

Sorry for the super late reply!  lol. I cannot remember how they came apart.  I think I only took one apart and taped the rest.  There is an acrylic plate with LEDs (I think two) under it.

Good luck!