I bought a Bachmann DCC GP40 loco last week. It's a Blue / Yellow Santa Fe, nice looking GP.
But they all suffer from the same sickness...they don't look real. Well they do, just not the wheels or trucks - looks more like a kid with new braces.
(http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products/images/uploads/60302.jpg)
I have a few bottles of brush on powders for tinting, aging, rusting, etc., but not enough to put a few years looks on these.
I've used gun bluing on my NS track to help make it look real - works petty well. But I'm afraid of bluing the loco. I know I could buy new trucks but I read today's paper. There is a recession going on.
Ideas?
Rick
I personally prefer to kill the shiny look with dullcote and powders. Wheels can be easily and cheaply detailed and painted to a less shiny shiny silver to a better grungy gray. And it all depends on how much weathering you want to do to it.
This picture from the Ron Lehmer collection might give you an idea, perhaps a gray primer.
http://www.calcoastrails.com/cgi/photo_show.php?id=213
More pictures.
http://www.calcoastrails.com/cgi/photo_index.php?group=ATSF+YLW
brushing a thinned wash of black over the trucks will bring out the details and darken them up. test the color on something before doing this. A touch of rust, dirt and grime here and there will add flavor.
Flavor? Do you eat the trucks?
And to think I was going to add a sprig of parsley? ::)
Thanks!
I have photos to work from and plenty of wipes and powders and paints to cover the trucks. If the wheels show I'll blue them. Fortunately I bought a GP39A and dummy of ebay a couple months ago. The motorized A unit gave out so I have plenty of aluminum looking trucks to test color.
I'm reserving the B unit dummy to use with the GP40 DCC. Soundtraxx makes a TSU-1000 EMD 645 Sound & DCC decoder on a swap-out circuit board. The B or dummy will have to hold the speakers.
Rick