Weathering Wednesday - 3/19/2025 Edition

Bill T,

Really like what you have done here. Great use of space and nice convincing weathering. The weed infested tracks looks real good. Thanks for sharing.

Dave

WSX #4.  Did this a few years back - my first attempt at weathering a car.  Originally, it was an undecorated Weaver "Northeastern" caboose.  I covered over 2 of the 4 side windows to make it look more like the old PRR N5 that Weirton had.

Of course, it's pretty much impossible to over-weather anything in a steel mill.

George

@G3750 posted:

WSX #4.  Did this a few years back - my first attempt at weathering a car.  Originally, it was an undecorated Weaver "Northeastern" caboose.  I covered over 2 of the 4 side windows to make it look more like the old PRR N5 that Weirton had.

 

Of course, it's pretty much impossible to over-weather anything in a steel mill.

George

Nice work. The plated windows really add age, wear and tear to the caboose. Great job!

Tom

@third rail posted:

Nice scenes, all. REALLY like your yard! Very nice!

Andre

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Would it be OK for me to use your USRA 2-6-6-2 photo as an example for a possible work up scheme for my lightly done USRA 2-8-8-2 ?      That thing looks really good Andre.

I was just cruising the weathering work in WW and ran across this question you asked of me last month that I missed at the time.

Well, of course you may use my photo as a weathering example for your 2-8-8-2. Thanks for the complement.

Weathering Wednesday has arrived!  First, I want to say a big thank you to @Dave Ripp. for covering for me and getting us started last week. BRAVO to Dave and the many shared their great weathering work and techniques. I am looking forward to another successful response to this week's edition.

But first, here are the forum ground rules:

• 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 expressed written permission from the photo's owner to post their photo.  
• Any individual who posts copyrighted 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.

Now it is time for all good Weathering Wednesdayfans to show us what you have done and share your techniques that achieved your  results.

I'm going to start with one I did in the past with a before and after, then a L& N I lightly weathered. Both are more faded than rusty as I don't like everything to look the same age. Randy, I'm happy to hear your ok.

Randy glad to hear that you're on the mend. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I hope to make some posts.

Contrary to popular belief, I am still alive, and I am back to being as normal as I ever get. So, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, I welcome you to Weathering Wednesday (WW) March 19, 2025 Edition!!! You will be dazzled by dirty engines and rolling stock! You will be amazed by schmutzed-up structures and scenery! So, grab your popcorn, sit back and….NO! Join in the fun and post your weathered projects.

I and the rest of the WW followers always look forward to seeing your artistry and learning from descriptions of the methods that you used to achieve your results.

But first, here are the forum ground rules:

• 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 expressed written permission from the photo's owner to post their photo.  
• Any individual who posts copyrighted material without owner authorization 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.

I will begin this week’s festivities with a retrospective of the still, work-in-progress model of the PRR’s J Tower. The assembly, painting and weathering were done by Ms. Zora Maya Keith, a GREATLY valued member of the Great Northeastern Railway’s (GNR) Assembly, Painting and Weathering Department and other stuff. The interior and brass railings for the outside stairs (not yet added in the photos below) were constructed and installed by yours, truly, Randy Harrison. Still to be done is the interior lighting.

So, it is now time for you all to show us your weathering artistry as well as how you achieved yours results.

@Randy Harrison posted:

I will begin this week’s festivities with a retrospective of the still, work-in-progress model of the PRR’s J Tower. The assembly, painting and weathering were done by Ms. Zora Maya Keith, a GREATLY valued member of the Great Northeastern Railway’s (GNR) Assembly, Painting and Weathering Department and other stuff. The interior and brass railings for the outside stairs (not yet added in the photos below) were constructed and installed by yours, truly, Randy Harrison. Still to be done is the interior lighting.

So, it is now time for you all to show us your weathering artistry as well as how you achieved yours results.

Great team work abounds!

Here is a 1955 Pontiac Safari.

Thanks Randy for keeping this thread going!  There's lots of great weathering artists who show their wonderful talents here!

Today I'm showing two types  of my weathered tunnel portals.  My railroad has several  different kinds of portals of different brand names .. K line double track portals, MTH double track portals, MTH single track portal, Scenic Express single track timber portal, and an unknown maker single portal ( bought at a community train show ) ,  a real rock portal which I made from stones out of a nearby river, and  a double track HO portal ( shown below ) which is used as a vehicle tunnel entrance through a mountain.   Today I'm showing two of those portals.  I'll try to show the others in future WW editions.  

Here is a vehicle tunnel entrance portal which is located at the base of Mt. Randolph. It's an HO scale double track  tunnel which lends itself  well to being a vehicle tunnel on an O gauge layout ... especially when located in the back of  my O gauge layout, as it appears to be distant within the context of  the overall  layout .  Although not intricately weathered, I used a Testors Grime Black spray paint to give the entrance a sooty look ... as if trucks have sprayed exhaust from their upright exhaust stacks for decades ... in addition to exhaust that collected at these points from many decades of use by all kinds of vehicles from automobiles to farm equipment.  The roadway, although not intentionally weathered was created by accidentally spilling stuff on it ... lol!  In my current plan to upgrade this area of my layout,  I will create a less steep and thus more convincing angle for the roadway entrance/exit.

As side note:  This tunnel entrance pulls forward for removal, much like a file cabinet drawer, so I can gain access to the track which runs directly behind the tunnel.

Shown in the below photos is a wooden portal I purchased from Scenic Express in the days when they exhibited at York.  When purchased new, this portal was a brighter color.  I felt it needed to be darkened to give a many decades, if not a century, of use.  Again I used Floquil Grime Black to give the "decades of both steam and diesel exhaust look" ... making it darker at the top center and immediate peramiter around the opening and less so at the very edges where it adjoins the mountain.    I also used tiny stone ( I think a Woodland Scenics product? ) on the bracing to show how the bracing captured  stones as they rolled off the mountain side.  

BTW- the tunnel has a full interior too which is not weathered.  One day I hope to install a hobo camp inside which will be shown using a camera mounted on one of my railcars or engines.

@trumpettrain Patrick nice work on your tunnel portals. I like your idea of the Hobo camp in the tunnel. I filed it in my Funk & Wognol . Hopefully the grey matter will bring it forward when I'm ready.