weathering instruction

I am "new". just coming back into the hobby after 15 years, but what I used to use, and will do so again. are chalks.

You can brush them on in  layers. When it looks the way you want, then hit it with a matt-finish clear coat.

First and foremost, accumulate a library of color photos of the various types of equipment you desire to weather.

There used to be a website called Model Trains Weathered.... but it was taken down. There's a couple other sites out there with tons of examples, but not a lot of "instructional" information. You can find a lot of "How To's" and "Instructional" videos on YouTube.

When it comes down to it, its a matter of applying what you've read, or seen and coming up with the method that works best for you, or what you like the best. There's no right or wrong way to do it. You can spend 20 minutes on a car, or 4-5 hours. Just depends on the look you want, and the materials used to do it.

I use different combinations of air brushing paint, dry brushing, weathering powders, artist acrylics, artist oils, washes (thinned down paint) for fades, and I even use a "air eraser" (mini sand blaster) for weathering.

Pick up a few cheap HO cars at train shows.  Around here there are lots of them for less than $5 each.  I bought 5 for $10: a black hopper, an oxide hopper, a reefer and a couple of boxcars in different colors.  I practiced on them (5 cars equals 10 different sides to try) before doing an O-scale car.

The current issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist (free online) has a good article on steam era weathering. 

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/

The link below is from an N scale forum but the principals will follow here. The brush fade method seems fairly simple as long as you're not in a hurry.

http://www.nscale.net/forums/s...eathering-Brush-Fade

And another.

http://theweatheringshop.com/dbrush.html

Perhap now, but with practice, others have acquired that "flair".   You can too.

Most overdo it too much but good advice above - find prototype examples to follow the specific patterns that various types of cars exhibit in addition to generalities.

Bob is being modest.  His three part series on

weathering is in 220, 221 and 223(?)  issues of OGR. 

Best I've found. Clear, well organized and easy to follow.

John

You might also try the Railroad Line Forum:

http://www.railroad-line.com/f...orum.asp?FORUM_ID=64

The craftsman corner has several pages on weathering.

PaPaT

Thought this article might be helpful for you:

http://modelrailroadersnoteboo...g-railway-depot.html

Alan Rogers

Merced, Ca.