Weathering Wednesday - 3/26/2025 Edition

I love weathered items! 

I tried a few years ago and weathered a boxcar with chalks.  Looked pretty good.  I then sprayed it with dullcote and the weathering all but disappeared.

When I have the time I'd like to take it up again.

I picked up a resin kit years ago at the Amherst show. A NYC gondola by Funaro & Camerlengo. They are big in HO kits. Just finished it up. Involved gluing up the body, drilling numerous holes for grab irons and modifying some Atlas trucks to go under it. The B&A also had them. I usually weather just using an airbrush. I did some experimenting to give its well worn look. The car would be 20 years old in the era I’m modeling and spent it’s life hauling metal of some sort.

@Dave_C, great job on that gondola!  I had no idea F&C made O-scale kits.  Very cool!

Side A

Side B

Good idea Randy.

I've dipped my toes in the pool. Not much to show for it so far. I scratch built this body on an All-nations track cleaner. The trucks came out good but the body could have used a little more.

The powders do tend to vanish when sprayed with clear coat.

Bob

Wonderful idea Randy!   Here's my B&O C- 16 Docksider, also known to B&O crews as a "Little Joe",  which I weathered some years ago. My intention was to show a heavily weathered locomotive which had been earning its keep for decades without ever having been steam cleaned.  The C-16s were build by Baldwin in 1912.    These photos show it in different settings.  I snapped all of these photos in natural light.

This is my first attempt at weathering. I used weathering powders, and applied them using paint brushes from the dollar store as well as cotton swabs. The tanker looked a little pink, I sprayed it with orange spray paint, I stood a few feet away and hit the tanker with a light mist. Then I finished it with rust-oluem matte clear. The Timmy graffiti i put on with a paint pen. I watch railfan videos and some of them are from the Ohio region, and a lot of hoppers have the Timmy on them. It looked easy to do so I decided to try it.

Just started this K-line E-9. Still alot to do. Windows,portholes, full length antennas, winterization hatches, pilot mods, and also going to add up the nose grab rails so the crew can get to the windshield to clean it. I tend to overdo things. I am not convinced I like the grey dusting on the lower body shell. Is this too much weathering? Thoughts please. Don't hold back.

Thank you to all who posted on this inaugural edition of "Weathering Wednesday". There is some great work by talented forum members out there. Again, Bravo to all who participated and be ready next week for round 2.

P. S - Tell your friends about this topic.

Here's some freight cars I have weathered over the past 5 years.   Most are done with acrylic washes then followed up with Pan Pastels.  It takes time to develop a technique that you like...  I started with some cheap Lionel MPCC cars that I picked up at local shows for a few bucks so I didn't initially ruin anything.   

Some of mine over the years. 

Athearn CNJ Boxcar.  Probably a little on the over weathered side, but there is an online photo of this car in the late 1970's that has this level of patina.  I just don't think it was in service then.

Lightly weathered F40PH showing the dirt kicked up off the roadbed onto the sides, a Conrail NE6 caboose that has not seen the wash rack in a while, and that same CNJ box car. 

'

Conrail GG1 4840 still in it's PRR DGLE single stripe scheme.  It would be retired in 1977 wearing this same paint.

Modified MTH NE caboose with some rust added in addition to the streaks running down the side.

From my HO days done with Floquil rattle can weathering over 25 years ago when I was still in my 20's.

Another NJT repaint and weathering project. 

Fun topic.  One day when I get back to painting, I will be doing more weathering, but probably will be a little gentler on my approach.   

Love weathering!

I like this topic. There's nothing like getting rid of the "new car shine" from locomotives or rolling stock to give us a bit of realism to our models.

Here are a couple of examples of my weathering attempts.

Lionel Wabash gondola with coal load. Dullcoted the car then use a wash of oily black then a rust wash. Used Rustoleum's stone effects paint to stimulate a load of Limestone.

MTH slag car, a natural for weathering. Flat black rattle can base, then rust effects finish.  Dullcote comes next then a wash of ordinary white flat house paint to simulate lime.

MTH ALCO RSD4/5,  used acrylic washes on it for the body and trucks, then dullcoted , followed by rust colored powder applications then a final shot of dullcote.  Since I model a steel mill layout,  I want my models to have a heavy coat of rust colored dusting on them.

With powders I've found that you have to lay it on heavier than you think is enough since the final matte finish tends to mask some of the color.

This was a brand new Swift Reefer car that I weathered using 71% alcohol and india ink.

This was some early work with chalks. I promise not to use rattle cans anymore.

I have a nice collection of weathered cars that I have purchased over the years. Would really love to figure out how to do it myself. The people that have posted so far make it look so easy.

@corsair29 posted:

Love weathering!

I have one of these (converted to ERR). My favorite Berkshire. I weather, but have yet to do this one. Maybe I'll put it higher on the to-do list. I use the dry pigment method, with a wee bit of dry brushing (got to watch that). I admire your work.

Great job guys.  Keep up the good work. 

Never found a switcher that didn't need some weathering.

Lionel FM H12-44 and ALCO S 2.  Both done the same way as the previous pictures.

The premier of my son Chris' brainchild, "Weathering Wednesday" seemed to be very well received. There was some FABULOUS work displayed last week and we are hoping to see more. So, the bell is ringing for the beginning of Round 2. Prepare your photos and narratives and come out of your corners for another exciting week of "Weathering Wednesday".

But first, the forum ground rules as so stated by my good friend Patrick Whitehead (aka trumptrain), host of the popular topic of this type, Switcher Saturday:

• Have fun and enjoy!
• Post only photos that you have taken.  
• If you post a photo taken by someone else or a copyrighted photo be sure you have express written permission from the photo's owner to post their photo.  
• Any individual who posts copy written material is subject to legal liability.  Furthermore that individual will be banned from the OGR Forum.  
• Please consult the OGR Forum TOS (Terms of Service) for further information regarding copyrights.

Chris and I will start with some photos by more of Chris' work and some work done for us by other talented artists on the OGR forum. Remember, in addition to locomotives and rolling stock, buildings are also fair game. Also, please feel free to include photos and narratives of your techniques. We are all interested in learning from our friends on the forum.

A Weaver, brass, PRR G-5, 4-6-0 expertly weathered by our friend, Harry Hieki in New Jersey. This locomotive was also converted to MTH PS-3 by Louie at the recently closed Engine House Hobbies in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

An MTH dockside tank engine and a Great Northeastern Railway caboose expertly weathered by my close friend, Patrick Whitehead, aka trumptrain on the OGR Forum. The tank car in the middle was weathered by Chris Harrison.

A close-up photo of the tank car above.

OK ladies and gentlemen. now it is your turn. Let's see what you have this week.