Bachmann Online Forum

The is the original Athern kit.
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii131/prebres/original.jpg)
Here is is after about 5 washes and some sad attempts at adding rust.
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii131/prebres/weathered.jpg)

Comments and suggestions always welcome!

Better than my first attempt.   :D 
Gene

I think it looks great.  There really isn't anything that looks off.  My only comment is that once you get things going, you have to weather everything to make it look good in a string of cars ... unless you are sending it to a rip track. 

Some time in the future, you might want to fool around with shaving off the grabs and ladders and replacing them with detail parts.  Weathering some times emphasizes the molded on look.  But, those are skills that can be developed along the way.

Anyway,  I think it is an excellent first attempt.  Much better than mine, even now!

Jim

Thanks guys!

Looks good.

I haven't tried weathering yet, but I have some old cars to practice on someday.

Bob

Ain't nothin' there to be ashamed of, even more so considering it's one of them microscopic scales.  ;D  I'd be tempted to add some dust around the trucks to bring them out just slightly, but beyond that I'd say you're off to a great start. I'd recommend Bragdon Enterprises' weathering powders. They work like chalks, but they've got a binder mixed in which makes it so that you don't have to overspray with a sealer. They make a light tan which works well for bringing out highlights like that.

Later,

K

i havent tried any weathering yet myself, but i think it looks good. When I do start heading in that direction I will know who to ask now. LOL Thanks for putting up the pics. - rock

Your roof looks as if it just came out of the paint shop.  Why not weather it, also, as it is usually the first part to feel the ravages of weather, time and sun.  The most common aging process of a roof is places where the paint has come off due to severe contact with rain or ice.  This is characterized by big blotches of bare (or rusted) steel showing through.  On an active prototype car, rust usually was not allowed to become too advanced, for obvious reasons.

The old reprobate

Quote from: r.cprmier on April 21, 2008, 03:19:37 PM
Your roof looks as if it just came out of the paint shop.  Why not weather it, also, as it is usually the first part to feel the ravages of weather, time and sun.  The most common aging process of a roof is places where the paint has come off due to severe contact with rain or ice.  This is characterized by big blotches of bare (or rusted) steel showing through.  On an active prototype car, rust usually was not allowed to become too advanced, for obvious reasons.

The old reprobate

Did I miss a picture, I can not see the roof details of the weathered car only the car before weathering?

I didn't post a picture of the weathered roof. I'll shoot a couple more photos that show the roof! Hold on, be right back...

The last two are natural light from a diffused window behind the layout. That is why they look to be a little bit more red than the first.

prebres

The box car look great, roof and all.

Finally, I saw your vids, I thought you didn't like dirtying up your trains, but now it looks twice as real...GOOD WORK! ;)

Along those lines - when I'm assembling a car, I ream out the journals of the trucks, put in metal wheelsets, and paint the trucks with:
dull black
weathered black
oily black
grimy black
It really doesn't make a difference, but the plastic gloss is gone and the trucks don't look identical in color. 
Gene

I'm no judge of weathering, but I think it looks great.  I took some pictures of new wheel and axle sets in a repair yard in Wichita, they were totally rusty. 

Nice job posting the pictures too. I very much appreciate the smaller file and image size that my slow dialup can handle. 

Bob   

I 've never attempted weathering yet, but your work looks excellent. Congratulations.

Question: Would locos be less weathered than general rolling stock? I'm thinking yes, because they are serviced and washed. Am I correct?

Washing of an engine will depend a great deal of when and where, not to mention what kind of engine.  So a bit more specifics are necessary for a valid answer.
Gene

Ok SteamGene,

Modeling the Santa Fe line during the transition era. Locos are F units and a GP7.

Prebres, I think that your locos would be cleaner than your freight cars in your era and local. Keep up the good work!

Yes, and E units maybe even cleaner. 
Gene

Thanks again guys!

I guess it depends on available facilities.  Out here UP runs GPs and SDs between Phippsburg and the coal mines, about 100 miles.  I haven't seen a clean loco in the 25 years I've been here.

The locos that pick up the cars at Phippsburg and takes them south to the main line and on to Denver get cleaned more frequently.  Since they parallel the interstate they need to create a better impression, and they have access to cleaning facilities.

As a stockholder myself, I am more concerned with routine maintenance than how shiney the locos are.  As for the coal cars, it is cheaper to run them till they fall apart then replace them, than it is to be constantly maintaining them.  Over 100 million tons of coal per year are hauled from this area.   

I just sent in my proxy with a note, I don't care who's on the board, just keep that coal moving.

Bob