How do YOU weather a boxcar?

[3rdrail]

OK, this time let's try one of the more popular subjects for weathering on this forum, the good ol' boxcar! Here are some of my recent endeavors:

First, here's an Atlas single sheathed MKT car weathered with AIM powders. Light cars require different techniques than dark colored ones, IMHO.


This is an ancient Rapido car rebuilt into a PRR X29b and weathered with Micro-Mark chalks:


A Fine-N-Scale X31a car also weathered with Micro-Mark chalks and Floquil Instant weathering for the trucks:


A deLuxe Innovations car lightly weathered with AIM powders:


Finally, an InterMountain kit weathered with AIM powders. My first attempt at "running" or "weeping" white lettering:


Now, it's y'all's turn! Let's see what YOUR boxcars look like!!

[Diesel]

Here are a few that I have done recently
IM 60' CNW Weathered with oils and AIM powder

This car is a Athearn 50' total fantasy, I used a black Sharpie to re-colored the Red SOO LINE then started at it with oils and mineral spirits. The draft gears are from DW and the trucks are Kadee 70 ton ride control.
 

[The Donkey]

I -thought- that SOO car looked familiar....

[The Donkey]

Okay here's a few of my latest (not my best but my latest) DDD #6 & #8:

DDD #6-copied from a proto pic on Fallen Flags-it actually started out as an
Atlas Trainman PC car, started to paint it for a CSX car until I found out it
was only correct for the PC X71. (to my knowledge) so total repaint/redecal
(in the right places hopefully) to replicate the proto pic. My pic isn't the best
quality due to the bitter cold at the time I took it.gouache is my medium of choice:


DDD #8-I did this car as a gift to the "prez" of the railfan group I hang out with at
Sterling Ohio. 1 side I did to "try" to replicate the proto side of a CSX car that I
caught passing thru Sterling last summer, the other side I "tagged" for the railfan
group, with a special tag for "Big Ken" Melton, a member who passed away in Nov.
total repaint, redecal (it was an Athearn FMC RBOX) & I initially started the rust
with AIM powders, but in the course of things became much more acquainted &
happier with gouache:

[John]

Mitch .. that CSX car is fantastic .. how did you "rust" it

[The Donkey]

Hi John-basically -very- slow process of small dabs of gouache until I got
the coverage I was looking for, using light & then dark over top when needed.

There were several issues with the car I wasn't happy with-one of which
was having to use a larger than the proto CSX logo, as Microscale was
out of the correct ones at the time. There were things I could've done
better of course (like get a better pic, but the weather was too crappy at
the time too) But I considered this car my "conversion" to gouache-once I
started going more & more with it on this car, the more I liked working with
it. It was a definite learning experience!

[MrKLUKE]

.

[Pray59]

Here is my first attempt at following some of Tom's methods in his PDF:





Thanks for providing that tutorial Tom, I hope to weather lots more cars, and improve with each one!

-Robert

[John]

Real good work for a first attempt .. thanks for posting ..

[The Donkey]

First attempt? VERY good IMO-I love the roof-blows my 1st attempt roofwise away & probably
my current stuff. The car overall is great. One thing might be worth a try (again, IMO) & depending
on the era you're modeling-I would try a similar GN car with an overall fade like on the innermost
left panel next to the door, upper door, & parts of the upper panels. It seems to me they faded
similar & all over like that as they aged. Be worth a try at least.

Once again, great-keep up the good work!

[Chris333]

Since he didn't say, I will. Robert's car is Z scale.

[John]

First attempt? VERY good IMO-I love the roof-blows my 1st attempt roofwise away & probably
my current stuff. The car overall is great. One thing might be worth a try (again, IMO) & depending
on the era you're modeling-I would try a similar GN car with an overall fade like on the innermost
left panel next to the door, upper door, & parts of the upper panels. It seems to me they faded
similar & all over like that as they aged. Be worth a try at least.

Once again, great-keep up the good work!

well .. thats what I meant .. just need to choose better words next time .. and actually be awake when I write the

[Pray59]

I worked on my car some more this morning, and was able to get that faded look to better match the prototype photo, but it really is not that good yet.  Sun just peeked over the hills so I can take a picture. You can see from this picture I took a few minutes ago, that I need finer brushes .

I killed some of the nice shine I had on the rust cancer when I tried Tom's Windex wash to get more fading.
I should have done the fading till it was just right before messing with the rust.



I will be much more careful on the next car I do. I can't wait for Tom's video's on weathering to come out so I can try some different stuff!

-Robert

[The Donkey]

-Z- scale??!!

triple the compliments I said above-sheez-I'm still intimidated by an N RBOX that I have as
1 of my projects (which I haven't worked on in awhile-need to be getting going more on that)

Your fade is coming along well Robert-you're on the right track!

What kind of brushes are you looking for? As of right now my brushes of choice are
Princeton 20/0 spotters & rounds for small & fine stuff. If there's something finer out
there, I wouldn't mind knowing about it.

[wcfn100]

This car is a Athearn 50' total fantasy, I used a black Sharpie to re-colored the Red SOO LINE then started at it with oils and mineral spirits. The draft gears are from DW and the trucks are Kadee 70 ton ride control.
 

Just for the record, the Soo Line Historical Society does show a red lettered boxcar.  I guess they did this in 1977.

http://www.sooline.org/publications/drawings/cars/1977xm.gif

Jason