Oil Weathering a Bachmann HO scale 70 Tonner

[iandrewmartin]

Good evening all;

I wanted to share a work in progress, one of my two HO scale GE 70 Tonners. The Bachmann DCC (no sound) model, it is very well detailed for its low price and runs quite well, if a little noisily.

So here are the best photos of the work so far. You can read more on my modelling blog (https://martinfamilyweb.wordpress.com/). Just click on the posts there to read on further and see more photos.






Well, that's it for now. My next day off is the 10th of July, with this project going into idle until then.

Hope that this is of interest to you all.

Regards

[Ted Thorson]

Nice work.  The exhaust stains are well done.

[iandrewmartin]

Nice work.  The exhaust stains are well done.

Ted;


Thanks very much. Working from photos makes this a lot easier. I study most of my subjects intensely before I begin to weather them. Appreciate your comment.


Kind regards
Andrew

[iandrewmartin]

So at the end of the weekend, with a little more work on in washes, some panel lightening, and a few rust and heat-affected rust spots, I'm feeling happy with #27. Work remains on the fuel tank, trucks and underbody, but that as Edd China would say, is for another day.

Here's where we are up to:

Image 1: Driver's (Engineer's) Side

Image 2: Conductor's Side

Image 3: Oblique view showing the gentle rust and discolouring on the top of the unit. Edge highlighting was applied to all corners with a light titanium white filter, which was dry-sponged off.

Image 4: Rear cab view

Image 5: Nose view

I may once everything has dried, lighten the door (heat) rust a little with some cadmium yellow and titanium white washes. It is hard to know how things really look until everything is dry.There is some work to do on the pilots at both ends as these are too clean. One step at a time though. Haste makes for waste as the saying goes.Hope that you all had a good weekend too.

[peteski]

While the weathering on the shell is really well done, to me the railings look too new and brightly colored.  Wouldn't those also be weathered (duller or faded, with some rust where the paint chipped)?

[dem34]

Drybrush chipping some gray and filling in the dots with burnt umber/sienna would probably look pretty good on that.

[DKS]

While the weathering on the shell is really well done, to me the railings look too new and brightly colored.  Wouldn't those also be weathered (duller or faded, with some rust where the paint chipped)?

Some shops, as a matter of safety practice, will refresh the paint on handrails and other safety points, without doing a whole repainting. So this is not outside the realm of possibility.

[iandrewmartin]

While the weathering on the shell is really well done, to me the railings look too new and brightly colored.  Wouldn't those also be weathered (duller or faded, with some rust where the paint chipped)?

Peteski;
I've not started on the railings, or on the finer work yet. However, working in the rail industry I can tell you that unless it is a high traffic area (as in lots of hands touching the same spot over and over again, railings tend to stay in pretty decent shape. High touch areas you see paint wear away, with polished metal underneath. You don't generally get rust on the handrails on an active locomotive.

Also in general usage, safety railings tend to be touched up during periodic general maintenance, since they are a safety item. As I said though, most of the wear and tear is on the handrails near steps, and where a conductor or Carman would be holding on with gloves and so on.

Thanks for posting. Sorry, for not answering sooner.

[iandrewmartin]

Drybrush chipping some gray and filling in the dots with burnt umber/sienna would probably look pretty good on that.

Thanks for your comment Al. There are a few touch-up areas, especially for the rust, left to do. Not finished with this old girl just yet. Just busy on other projects.

[iandrewmartin]

Some shops, as a matter of safety practice, will refresh the paint on handrails and other safety points, without doing a whole repainting. So this is not outside the realm of possibility.

DKS;
Totally agree with you. Safety appliances would be kept in pretty good nick for a smaller RR, such as this (fictional) mining road. It helps keep the FRA inspectors happy when they visit.


And No. 27 is no rust bucket but a longtime employee, nearing retirement, and showing her age. Similarly No. 20 will have a similar treatment, although the paint will show harsher fading due to the base red colour.


Thanks for your comment.

[iandrewmartin]

So;
It's been a while, and I feel that I've almost finished #27. There's maybe a little more work on the front and the rear pilot, to get some crud there thrown up from the track by freight car wheels, but really I'm OK with her as she is. Onto the photos.


Driver's Side:

Driver's side weathering (lit from above as if on a layout)

Driver's side showing off the entire underbody weathering

Conductor's Side:

Conductor's side lit from above as if on the layout

Conductor's side lit from the side to show all of the underbody weathering

I know I don't post much, just too tired after work to get online and post most days. Hope that you are all well, and very thankful to be a part of this site. I'd like to thank you all for your inspiration. I feel very pleased with this locomotive weathering job now done.

Question for you though. How do you all get rid of the dust and such on your models? I cleaned this well (I thought) until I looked at the photos and saw all of the dust and crud there.

Andrew Martin
Bolt tightener & spike driver at Andrew's Trains
Small layout design blog: huntervalleylines.wordpress.com/
Modelling pages: martinfamilyweb.wordpress.com/family/andrew/modelling/

[dem34]

I use a soft Wide Fan Brush to clean models. Couple passes gets most of the dust and hair off.

[iandrewmartin]

THanks Al;


I'll give that a try this weekend.