Weather (or not) Your trains

While I love the look of weathered engines and rolling stock, and applaud those who have gone that route, it's not for me. I made a decision long ago on weathering , when I started my collection, either to go all in or not at all, and chose the latter course. I thought that it would also look very odd to have a layout mixing and matching weathered and non-weathered equipment, so that was not a viable option for me. Now, having accumulated in my collection hundreds of freight and passenger cars, and approximately 75 engines, it is far too late to reverse course, even if I were so inclined. 

As far as whether weathered or non-weathered equipment is more valuable, I am not certain. One would think that because of the additional time and expense that goes into weathering, that weathered equipment would be more valuable. Value, however, is not the only issue. Marketability is the other. One would also think that there is a greater market for non-weathered equipment, as I suspect most collectors/operators go the non-weathered route. Additionally, if I were a person who likes weathered equipment, I could always weather whatever equipment I bought. Of course, the converse is not the case. Finally, some collectors/operators are also very picky in the way they weather their equipment, and might not buy weathered equipment that fails to meet their standards.

Pat 

Roo posted:

third rail posted:

I'm starting to weather my freight cars. Since I'm modelling a 1950's Era steel mill, I prefer that those cars and locomotives have some degree of rust  and dirt on them. They make the layout more realistic. 

Here's a few examples.  If I had some truly collectible cars and locomotives,  then I would leave them alone. It's all a matter of preference. 

Third rail.

The slag car looks good! No, better than good... Great! The skull on the Hot metal car looks the part as well you should do a small description of how you do that I know I would be interested. Thanks. Roo.

Thanks for the compliment Neville.  I have admired your work for many years,  since the first O Scale Trains magazine came out. Your work on your steel mill layout is is truly art. I've been following it over on the 2 rail side.

The skull on the bottle car is simply decorative black sand that I bought at the local craft store.  I first apply a layer of hot melt glue to the car in the shape I want then after the glue hardened,  I coat it with some CA then spread the sand on it. A little more CA to set the sand in place and then I give the whole car a spray of dullcoat to tone down the shine.

A color slide, from Library of Congress, Jack Delano, ca.1942.  If you're modeling steam era, you can weather away. Diesel era, not so much. I'm not a fan of weathering to decrepitude, even though the results shown are spectacular.

rex desilets posted:

A color slide, from Library of Congress, Jack Delano, ca.1942.  If you're modeling steam era, you can weather away. Diesel era, not so much. I'm not a fan of weathering to decrepitude, even though the results shown are spectacular.

"Decrepitude", say what?