Whether to weather.

I Think the Answer to your question is in that last paragraph! Answer that question for yourself and you're good to go! It's really what you're comfortable with on your layout! Good luck!

Frank, you’ve been “ready for real” for quite some time now.          I would start with those shiny silver rails.  

You are already in my top 7 photo viewing list.

 S.

pick up a spray can of testors dull coat lacquer and spray one of those shiny cars ! light coats dont soak the car ! you will notice that you can see the detail in the black trucks and the car will appear more realistic..sometimes thats all you will have to do, when i get a new piece of equipment i put it on a train and spray it in motion while it goes by !! cause i cant wait to see how much better it will look !! every piece of rolling stock i own is at the very least dull coated and visitors notice right away. and if your thinking re sale im alive NOW and i enjoy the way they look. and when im Dead they will be my kids problem !  conrail john

GO FOR IT. IF YOU DON'T FEEL CONFIDANT ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO WEATHER THE TRAINS SEEKA PRO LIKE SIRT OR HARRY HIEKE.  BTW I RAN A WEATHERED ARTICULATED ENGINE 9it came that way as BTO from Lionel) WITH A STRING OF WEATHERED ATLAS REEFERS AT OUR CLUB OPEN HOUSE A FEW WEEKS BACK AND MANY COMMENTED ON THE DETAIL OF MY TRAIN

STEVE

All depends on the 'look' you want. I want a realistic look.....like a very nice scale HO layout but built with 3 rail track and O scale equipment. If that's the goal....light weathering is needed. 

NOT needed for a pure Hi-rail or more toy layout. 

That's what is great about this hobby....100 layouts done a 100 different ways! 

Frank,

Go with your gut. I have seen many a photo of your work and it is never is lacking.

Joe B.

You said it best yourself - "Of course, it's all a matter of personal choice and doing what we want with our own layouts"

I think most look at nicely weathered models and see that it can add an often needed dose of realism. With that said, poorly weathered models can stand out like a sore thumb.

In the clinics and demonstrations that I present, this topic comes up a lot and I always suggest taking an old loco or piece of rolling stock and practice some of the many techniques on these. I use a lot of chalks (wet and dry) and can remove to an extent until I reach the look I am going after. It's not totally removable obviously, but it allows the ability to adjust, unlike using an air brush with solvent and some water based paints.

Well if you think  you are a collector and at some point in the future plan on selling your items then by all means do not weather.  If you are seeking a more realistic look for your trains and scenery and have accepted the fact that your items will never sell for what you paid, go for it.  I like the look of weathered rolling stock but am a chicken when it comes to altering my stuff.  You go first.

A little weathering goes a long way. The biggest problem I see with weathering is when it is overdone. If it's done right, it shouldn't draw attention to itself. Oftentimes, less is more!

I used to like modeling down, but not out shortlines. Lots of rust and dust and dents. Now that I've switched to tin I still have some items with dust, rust and dents, only now all that stuff is real!  lol

It's an all or nothing proposition. Some here and some there does not look good to me. If you're weathering, then weather. It's like being a little pregnant.

I'm a big fan of SIRT, IMHO he is a true artist. Great weathering makes locomotives and rolling stock look more realistic. Bad weathering makes it look like junk. If you plan to resell, I would leave it un-weathered.

I purchased a Weaver 2-8-0 from a fellow OGR Forum member. It was weathered. My friend Walt repainted and lettered it for me as N&W. He left the wheels, trucks, and drive rods weathered. The cab, tender, and boiler are nice and fresh. Best of both worlds for me.

3-rail, traditionally, doesn't seem to see much weathering that I've seen.

Weathering seems to be a factor only if you're looking to represent reality on your layout. In short, if you're just about 'playing with trains' or a collector, you have little need for it.

For finescale or people looking to represent reality as tightly as they can, it's essential.

You can, however, go too far. A pal of mine calls that "going full Malcom Furlow" in regard to the guy who used to write for Model Railroader and weathered stuff pretty harshly.

Here's what I have done, as I judge each car and structure on my layout individually in regard to what makes the most sense for its use in real life:

You can see that some stuff is dirtier than other stuff, in regard to how it'd been used or maintained...

P51, that looks great. Nice job. From your web site, I assume that you are a two-rail scaler. Any more pictures of your layout in further production?

Rick

Thanks, Rick! 

I'm into On30 (I would be into On3 if anyone had made the prototype I wanted in that gauge, as I'm just not skilled enough to change all that on a locomotive) and my site has all the up to date photos of the layout itself. It's a real "Plywood Central" at the moment, just waiting for the weather to warm up just a little so I can get started on the scenery.

To me, for me, it depends on the neighborhood and the particular item, esp. if we are talking about modeling reality.

The setting matters as does every item in it. Some things are kept clean and shiny, like favorite vehicles and food-vendor umbrellas, for example, and some things just get worn and "weathered" with time. Real-life is composed of variety.

I always swore I'd never "ruin" my rolling stock by weathering it.  But, two years ago a buddy of mine custom painted my set of WBB Southern F3's and added weathering.  When he gave them back to me I was stunned by how beautiful they were!  And the weathering was a very important part of their improved appearance.

Then, last year I kitbashed an MTH CAT gondola into a Lackawanna cement bottle gondola.  Not only was weathering the car to match photos of cement bottle cars fun but, it made me look a bit more appraisingly at some of my other rolling stock.

I've now started weathering more of my MTH rolling stock and find I really do prefer the look of the cars after weathering.  I haven't been able to make myself weather any of my Lionel rolling stock yet but, I can already see where this is headed...

Curt

Curt, I think it is high time for some photos!!!!! I would love seeing them.

Rick

Just do it, you'll never look back!

The first thing that i did when starting weathering was to use HO cars and practice on them.

This gave me ideas what and what not to do before going to my O scale rolling stock etc. I view a lot of youtube

videos, articles from railroad mag's etc. I use airbrushing, chalks, acrylic paints etc. Sometime I have a tendency to over do the weathering without knowing it, however; I am getting better.

It really does make a layout more realistic especially with a freight yard theme.