Weathering the Fleet

Discussion in 'General' started by gjslsffan, Mar 22, 2017.

  1. Thanks Tom!!
    Thank you Jim. The sun was intense today so none of the pictures really looked how I wanted.
    Thanks Ken. You know it's like building U boats, with out the sound it is not quite the same. Glad you like her in her new home.
     
  2. Here is one more I just got finished for my dad. A little too modern for most of you. The weathered car is from Tangent, the other is Athearn I believe but the same scheme for comparison. I faded the paint with diluted acrylics and did the same to make the covers look like worn fiberglass. The "L" was missing on this car, which let him buy it cheap at the St Louis RPM show. I added some stainless rod to look like bolts where it was. Oils for the rust streaks. A little corn meal was added in the dulcoat to make it look like it was just loaded. The wavy panels are pastels ground to a powder. Enjoy...
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  3. Latest off the bench (or usually kitchen table). Nothing too over the top. A Stewart VO-1000. I will add some more pics in the regular HO loco threads.
    Enjoy, Steve
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    HWB, Joe Lovett, yardmaster and 3 others like this.
  4. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    I managed over the last few days to get another couple boxcars weathered, I used Plano coupler cut bars, other than that these are pretty much out of the box.
    Weathered with craft paints, chalks and thin washes of acrylic paints airbrushed on and dullcoat. Painted one of the cut bars blue like it just been replaced, according to phots you guys posted.
    Thanks for looking.

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  5. Great work Tom. Very nice paint work. I like the little chips, roofs, truck color, and that grime on the coupler pockets and more. Great addition for your impressive fleet.
     
    gjslsffan likes this.
  6. Jim James

    Jim James Staff Member Staff Member

    Still the master! Fantastic work, man.
     
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  7. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Thanks Steve and Jim always good to hear from you guys.

    I weathered up SD45 #945 over the last few days, it is always interesting to see different states of grime on these workhorses between their inspections and washes.
    On 92 day inspection the wheels were inspected and measured, for sharp flanges, spalling and other defects. The diameter was measured using the "witness line" on the wheel rim and sometimes the measurements were written on the truck side frames. There is a guide as to the size of a wheel in a three axle truck. If a wheel is too much smaller or bigger, there was supposed to be shims placed under the smaller wheel(s) spring packs. Why? If a wheel is larger it has more pressure on the rail, this was to help balance weight on the drivers and help minimize wheel slip. Now this was a time consuming process, most of the time where I worked, the foreman would say "no way we are keeping that unit here for another day doing that, squirt some degreaser on that thing, rinse it off, and get it out of here". As they were always power short. The wash and rinse was not for cleaning, it was to get the oil off the walkways, from all the filter and oil changes, and other fluids, they didn't give 2 cents about how clean it was.
    Anyways here are a few pictures.

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    Thanks for stopping by :)
     
  8. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Love 'em!
    K
     
  9. Larry F.

    Larry F. Member

    Very nice work, indeed! Larry
     
  10. Very nice Tom. The roof soot really looks good. Thanks for the mini tutorial about the trucks as well. I will store that in the memory banks. That is one of the unfair advantages you "real" railroaders have over a bystander like me for sure. I appreciate the info!!! Your trucks look real nice. I also liked the corrosion running out of the battery boxes. Good dirty stuff there! Thanks for all the pics and info.
     
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  11. Jim James

    Jim James Staff Member Staff Member

    The chalk markings on the truck side frames cinches the deal. Genius.
     
  12. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Thanks everyone for the response and "likes". But I forgot a simple reason for measuring the wheels. It was so you could calibrate your footage counter. I had a hoghead that measured the leading axle of about every unit he was called on.
    Problem is it really only counts on the axle the speed recorder is on lol.
    But he was trying his best. And I never said a word to him about it, just let him do his thang.
    He taught me how to set a puff, a whif, and a gobb of air. Only thing left was "show time", or emergency. All these hogheads learned how to run a train with out dynamic brakes and it makes a difference.
    You are going 60 mph in 3-4 throttle set a puff, then go to a whif "10-12 lbs" of air, you feel the train or automatic brakes start to heat up and grab, back off the throttle, and the train squats for the slow track. Kick off the air and go to work on them, 1, 2,3,4,5 notch out when the last car comes out of the slow you better in run 8, or you might get told your not doing the job right.
    I rember on a autorack train with 4 GP 60's going from 70 mph track into a 30 mph curve, looking back and seeing after my "gobb set" seeing little rings of glowing brakes heating up.
    Yessir now we be railroading.
    Get your hiney fired for running your train like that now.
     
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