Quick weathering of Atlas California Zephyr car

Not something I would have done myself but I have to admit you did a great job, it looks very realistic.

I have never weathered a passenger car and I don't think I know anybody that has.

However, your posted pictures of before/after REALLY add a lot of definition. 

Would you care to share the ink/alcohol ratio, and the number of coats?

I like it...very nice look.

The California Zephyr was washed prior to every trip and once during the trip.  The trucks were painted with aluminum paint prior to every trip.  When the cars were in service they always looked good, very little weathering would be needed.  As I recall the train the only time it might have started looking a little seedy is when freezing weather prevented washing or painting.  After the cars came out of service and no longer were maintained everyday, they might have looked weathered and dirty, but not as I recall the cars in service.

There's no science to the ratio <g>.  I keep a stock solution around which is probably about 10:1 alcohol to india ink.  Then I took a bit of the stock solution and cut it with an equal amount of alcohol.  Brushed the more dilute mix on the car with a sable brush and dabbed it with a soft cloth  - using vertical wiping strokes on the smooth steel paneling at the window level.  Rubbed with the grain on the fluted portions - harder in some areas to give some variation.

For the trucks and vents and undercarriage, brushed on the stock solution and let it flow into the crevices, then made sure everything was soaked, but not so that it pooled along the bottom edges - I kept dabbing with the brush to soak up the excess.  I also used the stock solution on the door and the round vents above the doors.

I've never weathered a psgr car either - this was my first time and just did it on a lark, because under my layout lighting (LED floods), the cars just seemed a bit flat looking - in real life, the fluted stainless steel has nice shadows which aide in contrast, but my models didn't capture it so well.

I practiced at first on the undercarriage, figuring that if I don't like it, it won't be too visible.

I like it!!! I think it is as much a shadow effect we don't get in scale models as weathering.

Either way I may try some of my fluted SS cars.

I never would have thought to weather an Atlas CZ car.

I must admit, the weathered car looks quite good.

Eliot

Nice work! Thanks for posting.

Brad

I am with those that would not do this, but as others have said, you did a very professional looking weathering of this car.

I  really like the job you did. It has been on my list to weather all my passenger cars. I have the Santa Fe and the NYC of the 1950s and the color photos of the passenger cars on these roads began to look somewhat weathered in the 50s.

Wow did that turn out nice, I have the Amtrak version so this would be good.

Clem k

As somebody stated they were kept clean thru out their life as the CZ. I would not weather them as several others have said. 

You are a brave man Gregg.  I was just comparing it to some late photos of the prototype, possibly when the train became the Rio Grande Zephyr.  Compares very well and looks great.

What's the deal with the second window in (the one on the right)?  Did you modify that?  If you didn't modify it, what car was it?

Thanks Gregg, great work!

Thanks all for the nice compliments.  I may proceed with weathering the fleet and will post finished pics when done.

Howard, I have not modified the windows - the weathered car is a stock 16 section sleeper (WP Silver Aspen).  The only thing I did with this particular car, besides weathering, is to remove all the letter boards (am placing those on an unlettered dome chair car) and pulled the 3R trucks to convert a 2R dome chair.

Although I wouldn't do it. It does look good.

I know they "kept em clean" when they were really in use but your slight weathering of the really brings them to life!   If it were me I'd weather the rest as you did this one.  GREAT JOB!

The diner and 16 section sleeper were produced with a slight but noticeable difference in hue from the original sleepers and domes.  If the next release of the observation and 6-5 sleeper due this year come with yet another color variation, your idea of weathering may catch on as the standard practices, best method to obtain uniformity.

Any ideas on weathering the K-line SPs to modify their somewhat hideous colors.  The outdoor real display SP car at the California State RR Museum is well weathered, but sun bleaching certainly doesn't make for a better appearance.

I moved to NJ when I was 14. Up until that point the only trains I ever saw were subways and one freight train while on a family trip. When I got here the first trains I saw were NJ Transit commuter trains. I don't know what they are called but my friend called them the synthetic train. I think he did this because they are not pulled by a locomotive. While the CZ cars were kept perfectly clean these cars weren't. They don't let them get real dirty but I do not think they are kept up like the CZ cars were. You have captured the look of those NJ Transit cars perfectly. I really like the look you achieved.

I think it looks great. I know many people don't like weathering, of any kind, on any thing, but you'd be surprised how some subtle weathering brings out all kinds of detail that you would not normally notice. Even though the railroads washed their passenger fleet on a regular basis, they were not spotless by any means. Good job Gregg