Need opinion on pre-weathered Lionel steam engines

From what I have seen of your work....you should be able to do it fine.  Why buy?

I plan on weathering 90% of my locos.....even if simple like this

Dave,

Thanks for the compliment.  I have one steam engine that I weathered with my airbrush. It looks pretty good, but others out there are better than me at weathering engines. Part of it is that I don't like airbrushing...not that I can't do it, but I find it to be a time consuming chore. So I thought I'd consider buying a pre-weathered loco.

I have had dozens of engines weathered by Harry.  Excellent work.  His detailed weathering is unlike typical airbrush overall fading.  Harry's weathering has rust runs, steam burnt off road dust, smoke residue, and other weathering details.   Harry has a collection of in service locomotive photos noting the type of yuk different roads produce and he replicates it quite well. 

Getting the loco directly from Lionel  saves double shipping and handling issues.  I have two from Lionel which are beautes!  Can not go wrong with a lionel pre weathered loco.

This is far from some one just over spraying dull tones.

PRRMiddleDivision posted:

Dave,

Thanks for the compliment.  I have one steam engine. It looks pretty good, but others out there are better than me at weathering engines. Part of it is that I don't like airbrushing...not that I can't do it, but I find it to be a time consuming chore. So I thought I'd consider buying a pre-weathered loco.

Neo-lube,  a small paint brush, and dry weather powders was all I used on this one. A air brush is handy but not required. Good luck!

I.M.O. -

I'm not an expert on steam nor a fan of the over rated Harry Hiekes attempt at his so called weathering.   For steam weathering, I would take a look at CORSAIR29 Steve C's steam weathering which looks real to me. 

Neal,

I would do it yourself.  You will be disappointed with the pre-weathered stuff.  Just my .02

Dave

Thanks for the feedback so far.  The page in the online catalog which illustrates these things is very dark, and it's hard to see much of anything. But really want the opinions of those that have seen his weathered steam engines in person.

Heres video Harry did when he weathered the 2-10-2's for Lionel. This should be helpful.

SIRT posted:

I.M.O. -

I'm not an expert on steam nor a fan of the over rated Harry Hiekes attempt at his so called weathering.   For steam weathering, I would take a look at CORSAIR29 Steve C's steam weathering which looks real to me. 

Such kind words. Thanks for contributing nothing to the post.

That video will answer any questions one may have about ordering a lionel pre weathered engine.

When you and Steven come to visit, bring some engines. I'll show Steven all I know (it will take 10 seconds) and then he can show me how to do it better after he finishes your collection. 

Here's the one steam engine that I did weather a number of years ago. It needs more earth tones/dust, especially near the top of the boiler. The front of the boiler needs more weathering as well.

I also stopped weathering the couplers (I have done quite a few freight cars and a few diesels). I think keeping them dark black or better yet painting them flat black helps to hide the fact that they are oversized. The rust colors makes them stick out like a sore thumb IMHO.

Anyhow, I don't want this to become a thread about weathering techniques, but just wanted to share this photo with everybody.

Anyone have a photo of one of Lionel's weathered steam engines?

From Norm Charbonneau:

When you and Steven come to visit, bring some engines. I'll show Steven all I know (it will take 10 seconds) and then he can show me how to do it better after he finishes your collection. 

Hey Norm,

Just saw this. Thank you for your comments about Steven! He has become quite the modeler, and has weathered TONS of cars, especially hoppers. BUT, your work is superb, and you can teach both of us a lot! Was talking to Kurt today about arranging a visit. Look forward to seeing your layout again.

To me, Norm's locos look like well used 'in service' power, while Harry's seem ready for the scrap line.  Rust is an easy thing to over do.

Neil

With me it all started when I was at York a few years back and I purchased a Lionel Pre-Weathered Virginian 2-8-8-2. It caught my eye immediately. When I got home I referenced it in the Lionel Catalog and saw that Harry Hieke was the Lionel Artist, He is also the artist for MTH. A couple of points on Weathering. Since then I have visited Harry several times and he has airbrushed SEVERAL of my engines and some rolling stock. I love his touch. Additionally, several members of the TMB club have followed suit and had their weathering done by Harry. I have no problem endorsing Harry Hieke as I have done so here on the forum in the past. If you want to chat this you can find my e-mail address on my profile page send me your phone number and I'd be glad to call you.

1. The sample you show is really good. If you are meeting with Norm C and Corsair29, then pick up a few pointers. You may also visit a few parts/scrap dealers and purchase a few boiler parts or some cheap old engines to practice on. Its a fascinating aspect part of the hobby. TRUST YOURSELF. I noticed your are western PA, stop in on Mercer Junction and chat with Dave Minarik, he has done some really outstanding  custom painting and weathering.

2. Check out on You tube any of the videos on the "Pennsylvania and Western", Bob Bartizek does his own weathering and its really GOOD.

3. When I originally thought of venturing into the world of realistic weathered trains I was at Trainstock in Paterson NJ and Ben Fioriello introduced me to Steve C (Corsair29) and showed me some of the weathering Steve did for Ben, All really nice work. My only drawback was Steve C removed his website and told me he was no longer doing this commercially and was focused on his Construction company. I have not seen all of Steve's work but if you can get hold of his video of the weathered MTH ANGUS 0-8-8-0 WOW!!!

3. Steve P (SIRT) is also noteworthy and does this commercially, and his work on rolling stock is what we see here on the forum every week and many will attest to his talents. 

 GREAT topic. There is a TON of TALENT here of this forum so looks like all the experts have chimed in. Glad to see Weathering O-Scale-Gauge trains is coming to be more prevalent 

Weathering is like music, very subjective. 

Is the engine just out of the wash rack?  On the road for two weeks?  Months of busy neglect?  Early in it's career?   Lowly freight service on an insolvent RR?  Pride of the fleet pulling named passenger service?  Mid '50s when many RRs did not or  could not care?

When it comes to weathered engines, the bottom line is the bottom line.  The R-T-R  0 gauge RRers repeatedly buy skids of weathered engines done at this level. 

I have seen many OGR posts of absolutely fantastic weathering jobs done by several folks here.  Some just doing their own work, some helping others. 

I guess when one or two folks get contract work involving pallet deliveries off  lifting tailgates they also get to wear a bullseye????

Someone may not like a particular flavor of ice cream but that does not make it bad or good.

Since most of the Forumites live east of the Mississippi River and north of the Mason-Dixon line, a lot of the weathering is typical of that area.  A lot of the steam locomotive weathering reflects infrequent washing, coal dust, sooty coal smoke, frequent rain or snow, etc., all of which are really hard on the exterior of a locomotive.  

I'm certainly not an authority on technique, having never weathered even one car, much less a locomotive, but one of my resolutions is to begin weathering my equipment this year.  I'll start with a few cars, then perhaps a diesel, and then a steam engine.  

I model a railroad that was interested in the appearance of its locomotives (obsessively so in the passenger locomotives), but steam, especially that assigned to the high plains where my layout is set, ran back and forth across arid territory on long grades, with the sanders running often, oil smoke instead of the sooty coal smoke, and really poor quality water, which produced at least some scale on every boiler jacket.  The turning points, especially on the west end, were not conducive to engine washing, and, on the east end, it was too cold to wash very often, from mid-fall to early spring.  They got a wash about every 30 days when they received their monthly inspections.  So, I plan to go lightly on the soot, and add a bit of scale in appropriate spots, and dull coat the engine.  I'll add a little grime from the lubricator in the area where it could be caught dripping into the wind, and go with more dust than grime further to the rear.  And almost no rust.  It does not show up on my Home Road's engines to any degree at all.  Southwestern steam was not exposed to much rain, and certainly not to acid rain common in the Great Lakes and northeast regions.  So, I plan to go -- lightly -- in a different direction and see if the result pleases me.

Now, it's just a matter of taking a deep breath and seeing what I can do to a couple of freight cars, to get started.