@Randy Harrison posted:A Weaver, brass, PRR, 4-6-0 weathered by my friend, Harry Hieki of Mt. Ephriam, NJ.
Randy, I hate to rain on your parade, but in the 1920's (when tender striping was on the passenger locomotives), that PRR 4-6-0 would have been almost immaculately clean, with bell and side rods regularly polished. There certainly would have been zero rust.
WOW! I am on time starting this week's edition of Weathering Wednesday two weeks in a row! I don't have any new weathering projects to show you this week. But our new spray booth is now a reality. We have done a video showing off the new booth and its many features starring me. The video was taken by my friend and Sunday morning helper, Ms. Zora Maya Keith. Also, we invite you to share your weathered items with the forum as well as weathering techniques so that all can benefit from your expertise and experience.
But first, the forum ground rules as so adroitly stated by my good friend Patrick Whitehead (aka trumptrain), host of the popular topic of this type, Switcher Saturday:
Below is a link to the video of our new spray booth. It was totally unrehearsed. So please cut me some slack if I more than occasionally sound like Daffy Duck.
Now, let us see what you have been weathering.
Hi Randy, Nice job on the spray booth. I now have an idea what I need to do to make one. While visiting my friend Rick Tota, I took some pictures of his weathering projects. His friends call him Rusty. It's easy to see why.
@Bill Park posted:Hi Randy, Nice job on the spray booth. I now have an idea what I need to do to make one. While visiting my friend Rick Tota, I took some pictures of his weathering projects. His friends call him Rusty. It's easy to see why.
Wow Bill, his heavy realistic weathering makes these borderline ready for decommissioning and scrapped. Nice work!
Gene
I'm running behind schedule today! Randy your paint booth is terrific!!! Thanks for sharing
Here's my contribution for this fine Weathering Wednesday!
I've shown my B&O Docksider many times on various OGR Forum threads. This time I'm showing it in several different photos ( top 8 photos ) with each photo showing the Docksider in a different natural light. These photos were taken in my train room as the light shown through the windows at various times in one afternoon. The different lightings give the locomotive a different look in each photo IMHO.
Photos 9 plus show a gondola and work caboose, both of which I weathered. I wanted this entire little train to have a " well worn trio look that tells the story of a short train that has been earning its' keep on the railroad for many decades". Again I employed my usual technique of applying Testors Dullcoat to take down the sheen, pastel chalks, and Floquil Flat Grimmey Black spray paint. I rubbed chalks in circular motion with my fingers and used a small paint brush to rub the pastel chalk into hard to get at areas. Lastly I sealed the rubbed in pastel chalk and Grimmey Flat Black spray paint with a final coat of Dullcote. 
A weathered gondola with a junk load that I created from just picking up stuff out of a junk pile I happened to create on my layout. As I worked on my layout I would throw excess scrap pieces of track, railroad ties, metal fencing, couplers, wheel sets, etc into a pile without intending to create a junk pile. One day I looked at the pile and thought "wow that looks like a junk pile I've seen in industrial areas alongside railroad tracks." At that moment I decided to keep the pile as a "scenic" part of my layout. 
The " well worn trio" 
@Bill Park posted:Hi Randy, Nice job on the spray booth. I now have an idea what I need to do to make one. While visiting my friend Rick Tota, I took some pictures of his weathering projects. His friends call him Rusty. It's easy to see why.
Wow Bill! These locomotives are the most decrepit ( in a good way ) looking power I've ever seen. Their roads have squeezed every last once of goodness out of these puppies. Your buddy did a terrific job with these jewels!!!
@Bill Park: Your weathering work on your locomotives is SUPRB! Bravo!!!!
@trumptrain: Pat - Your weathering artistry is second to none. Also, thank you for sharing your weathering techniques and scenery tips. That is also meant to be a major part of Weathering Wednesday.
@trumptrain
Pat, excellent sequence of pictures and the weathering is tastefully done.
Gene
@Genemed posted:@trumptrain
Pat, excellent sequence of pictures and the weathering is tastefully done.Gene
Thanks so much for kind words Gene!
Tomorrow is the start of the great York meet for the spring of 2024. Many of you will be coming home with new treasures for your layouts. That sounds to me as if there will be many new items that need to be turned in to old-looking items for those of you that weather your engines, rolling stock, buildings and other scenery. So, in the weeks to come, I am hoping for many of you to share more of your creations as well as weathering techniques here on Weathering Wednesday for us to admire and also learn new tricks of our own from your artistry.
My start to this week’s edition is sharing the weathering technique of my son, Chris Harrison, with all of you. You have seen, in previous iterations of this forum topic, several of Chris’ weathered freight cars. Some samples are in the following photos.
But first, the forum ground rules as so adroitly stated by my good friend Patrick Whitehead (aka trumptrain), host of the popular topic of this type, Switcher Saturday:
So now, get your popcorn ready, find a nice comfortably seat and enjoy today’s feature video presentation starring my son Chris showing you his technique of weathering freight rolling stock.
Now it is your turn to show us your weathering artistry as well as how you achieved yours results.
Here is a MTH Railking PRR Crane and a MTH Premier Crane Tender (originally CNW).
Both cars lowered to the rails, and I lowered the rotating crane housing to the die cast base to reduce the unrealistic gap. Kadee 80 couplers installed on both cars.
Just a light dusting of black chalk along the rivet and roof vent detail to make it stand out.
De-streamstyled ATSF Valley Flyer 4-6-2. Weaver brass. Came with T/A TMCC/sounds from Weaver, I removed the streamsyling - mostly. The flat area under the smokebox front should not be there, but it is a thick brass casting, as I recall - this was years ago - and was structurally important, so I let it stay. Today I would probably try to replace it. One day I may correct this....nah. Probably not. The pilot is the original brass casting, cut out to open it up, leaving a frame, then separate boiler tubes (wire) attached. There should be more "tubes".
I painted it weathered black from a gray automotive primer spray can, then weathered using an airbrush. I haven't used an airbrush in years; I tend toward dry pigments these days. Runs well. Old photo.
This is a run of misc cars on my club layout. Acrylics, powders, and dullcote. Some heavier than others.
The only time I tried to weather some thing was the body of a lionel Milk car body that I was using for storage behind a grocery store, and I wanted to rust it out a little bit. Oh, that was a flop. I recently purchased a beep that was sold as Weathered and it didn’t look bad looking at the pictures front view, side view etc. when I got it I’m not too happy with the top view. So I don’t know if I should wet sand with light sand paper to remove the weathering on the roof; or use a chemical. looking for some help here.
@pennsyfan posted:The only time I tried to weather some thing was the body of a lionel Milk car body that I was using for storage behind a grocery store, and I wanted to rust it out a little bit. Oh, that was a flop. I recently purchased a beep that was sold as Weathered and it didn’t look bad looking at the pictures front view, side view etc. when I got it I’m not too happy with the top view. So I don’t know if I should wet sand with light sand paper to remove the weathering on the roof; or use a chemical. looking for some help here.
Bob:
I personally do not think the roof looks to be that bad. It seems to work in context with the weathering of the rest of the locomotive.
I would welcome hearing other opinions from those with more experience than me.
You know guys I came across this page a little while ago and have fell in love with it everything you all do! I sure would like to pick out one or 2 guy's, but you all do such amazing work! I don't comment a lot on here but sure enjoy what you all do!
Keep up the wonderful work!
@Randy Harrison posted:Bob:
I personally do not think the roof looks to be that bad. It seems to work in context with the weathering of the rest of the locomotive.
I would welcome hearing other opinions from those with more experience than me.
Thanks For your input Randy, I just feel the roof looks like a smear.
@pennsyfan posted:The only time I tried to weather some thing was the body of a lionel Milk car body that I was using for storage behind a grocery store, and I wanted to rust it out a little bit. Oh, that was a flop. I recently purchased a beep that was sold as Weathered and it didn’t look bad looking at the pictures front view, side view etc. when I got it I’m not too happy with the top view. So I don’t know if I should wet sand with light sand paper to remove the weathering on the roof; or use a chemical. looking for some help here.
My recommendation would be to try "red" Scotch Brite pad to try and remove the darker blotchy areas. I'd do it dry first attempt and keep a damp paper towel handy so you can wipe the area and see if you're making any progress.
The wet sanding could work, but you run the risk IMHO of burning through the red paint on any high spot or corner.
You could add dish detergent if it's stubborn. The Scotch Brite pad if you work from the top (crown) of the roof down should leave you a surface with a little "tooth" that you can go back and apply Pan Pastel or weathering powders to blend it in. If you don't have any Pan Pastels, you could experiment with some lightly diluted acrylic washes in Burnt Umber/Grimy Black. Key word here is lightly diluted, very little craft water based paint, lots of water.
Thanks for the suggestion and quick course.
Here's my contribution for this fine Weathering Wednesday. I may have already shown, here on WW, most everything that I've weathered this far ... which tells me I better get busy! .. LOL! On the docket to be weathered is a scale MTH O-8-0, a Kline box cab switcher, more boxcars and more open top hoppers.
Everyone has contributed superb content today, as usual!! Chris Harrison - very nice "how to" weathering video! Thanks for sharing your technique!!
Here is a MTH gondola that I've not shown on WW yet. I employed my usual technique of first applying Dullcote to take down the shine, rubbed on pastel chalks using my fingers, then sealed the chalks with dullcote. The junk load is a standard MTH junk load. This car was one of my earliest weathering projects. 
My junk pile ... Not exactly a weathering project, although I did weather some of these pieces. I created the pile just by throwing unwanted debris in this area of my layout with intentionally meaning to create a junk pile. 
@Randy Harrison posted:Now it is your turn to show us your weathering artistry as well as how you achieved yours results.
Chris, thanks for posting your video. I’m going to try your technique on 8 unpainted hoppers which I recently got on the bay. they’re not delivered yet. They were molded red. My intention is to make them sand hoppers for the PRSL, so I’m going to paint them gray and then I thought I’d use your techniques to weather them, so after I paint them gray, I’ll letter them and then should I clearcoat the lettering before I do your process for the weathering?
@pennsyfan posted:Chris, thanks for posting your video. I’m going to try your technique on 8 unpainted hoppers which I recently got on the bay. they’re not delivered yet. They were molded red. My intention is to make them sand hoppers for the PRSL, so I’m going to paint them gray and then I thought I’d use your techniques to weather them, so after I paint them gray, I’ll letter them and then should I clearcoat the lettering before I do your process for the weathering?
Bob:
I check with Chris this morning before he went to work. He thinks that a clear dull coat before your applied lettering before weathering can't hurt but is probably not absolutely necessary. We will look forward to seeing your results next Wednesday.
As a side note, though I have a pair of RMT, PRSL coal hoppers, the PRSL owned no freight rolling stock labeled with the PRSL name and logo.
@Randy Harrison posted:Bob:
I check with Chris this morning before he went to work. He thinks that a clear dull coat before your applied lettering before weathering can't hurt but is probably not absolutely necessary. We will look forward to seeing your results next Wednesday.
As a side note, though I have a pair of RMT, PRSL coal hoppers, the PRSL owned no freight rolling stock labeled with the PRSL name and logo.
Thanks for the reply. It will be awhile Randy. I paint outside.
Which type of weathering is better, airbrushing or using powder? (I don't have an airbrush right now)
Kyle - A Fellow "Rail-Nerd"
Kyle, to answer your question. I would go on You Tube and try and watch as many videos as you can on weathering. There are many techniques and many use combinations of both airbrushing, artist tube acrylics and powders. One of the best I’ve seen on a freight car tutorial was Boomer Diorama on You Tube. An HO modeler but he did an o scale boxcar.
Cost is going to be around $100 whether you go for an airbrush or weathering powders such as Pan Pastels and artists acrylics. A bit more if you also need a air compressor. While it’s nice to have a huge assortment of colors. You can get started with 4 or 5.
Practice on some inexpensive cars you have no attachment to get the feel of how much to apply. Once you get your technique down move on to your prized rolling stock and engines. Weathering is designed to make the details pop so that you notice them. From my experience. It’s easier to get consistent results on say an Atlas Master series car than a simple car with molded in details.
Welcome to Weathering Wednesday’s 4/24/2024 edition, the forum topic where old and dirty are OK. I hope that you have had time to make new into old engines, rolling stock, buildings and scenery
But first, the forum ground rules as so adroitly stated by my good friend Patrick Whitehead (aka trumptrain), host of the popular topic of this type, Switcher Saturday:
My son, Chris Harrison, has been at it again. My start to this week’s edition is sharing 2 photos, a before and after, of an RMT, Pennsylvania – Reading Seashore Lines cabin car that Chris weathered using craft acrylic paints and applying the paint via a dry brush technique. The photos are below.
Now it is your turn to show us your weathering artistry as well as how you achieved yours results.
Randy - Thanks for kicking off another fine episode of Weathering Wednesday!
For this edition I have several items: The first two images are of a wooden tunnel portal ( actually it's made of styrofoam ) used on the Mountain Division of my layout. I used flat black spray paint by hold the can at a distance and just giving a squirt here and there. Next I used some spray glue so the edges of the braces ( acting like shelves ) would catch the debris I sprinkled here and there ... as if the bracing had caught some of the stone that had fallen from the above mountain. Of course I made sure the center of the portal got a good dose of flat black to give the effect of decades of steam locomotives entering and exiting. 
Here is a GN boxcar ( by Weaver ) that I weathered using pastel chalks. I wanted to give a dusty look to the car. 
Here's a Santa Fe boxcar where I used Floquit Grimmey Black spray paint held at a distance. This may have been one of the first attempts of weathering using spray paint. I also used pastel chalks ... especially at the bottom of the car to show ballast dust which has been thrown upward from the wheels as the car travels the mainline. 
Here is coil car I weathered. Again using pastel chalks. 
Hello These are some I have done with acrylic, powders and some oils. Of course sealed with a flatcoat. I am converting all to kadee couplers going forward. Enjoy!
@pennsyfan posted:Chris, thanks for posting your video. I’m going to try your technique on 8 unpainted hoppers which I recently got on the bay. they’re not delivered yet. They were molded red. My intention is to make them sand hoppers for the PRSL, so I’m going to paint them gray and then I thought I’d use your techniques to weather them, so after I paint them gray, I’ll letter them and then should I clearcoat the lettering before I do your process for the weathering?
Good job. I tend to use powders lately, but I may get back into the rattle-can method, borrowing some of your techniques.
As an FYI, I weathered this brass Williams Niagara many years ago (my first weathered loco, actually) using Dullcote and spray-can Testors Flat Black (full disclosure: I did paint the shiny rods and wheel rims with a brush and flat black enamel). I like the results, but some of your techniques/colors would have added to the effect - camo spray paints weren't around then! I did bounce some sort of flat "tan" along the loco wheels and tender bottom, but the drivers could use more.
The Testors Flat Black was held well above the loco and sprayed straight down; multiple light passes.
Not a great photo, but, like your video, it does show that some basic procedures can yield pretty good results.
@chris a posted:My recommendation would be to try "red" Scotch Brite pad to try and remove the darker blotchy areas. I'd do it dry first attempt and keep a damp paper towel handy so you can wipe the area and see if you're making any progress.
The wet sanding could work, but you run the risk IMHO of burning through the red paint on any high spot or corner.
You could add dish detergent if it's stubborn. The Scotch Brite pad if you work from the top (crown) of the roof down should leave you a surface with a little "tooth" that you can go back and apply Pan Pastel or weathering powders to blend it in. If you don't have any Pan Pastels, you could experiment with some lightly diluted acrylic washes in Burnt Umber/Grimy Black. Key word here is lightly diluted, very little craft water based paint, lots of water.
Chris A Your suggestion nailed it; once I realized I couldn’t get scotch bright red in a grocery store. LOL. I ever so lightly moved the pad and then wiped it with the damp towel. I did it 3x and got to the level I was looking for. As I had said the rest of the engine and trucks looked good to me. So thanks to you I have my weathered piece. 
Bob, I am so glad it worked for you. Thanks for sharing the photos, it looks great. Glad to help.
Chris
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