Weathering the freight cars and more photos

Once the decals were done and the Dullcote applied, the freight cars looked fantastic. But they still looked like the toys they are. I figured weathering was in order. As with almost everything I do here, I didn't use a standard weathering technique. In fact, I don't really think I'd even call what I did a "technique," but more of a "whatever makes the cars look dirty." So I whipped up some dirty-looking paint and chose a frayed brush. Using very little, thinned paint and wiping the brush so there was only a light coating on the bristles, I went to town. You can see some of the results below, along with some of the unweathered cars I still have to do.

The last one was something I decided to do last minute. Using two conductor's cars, I converted them into boxcars. The side ladders were shaved off (not the cleanest work, but it is what it is) and the window frames and glass knocked out. The paint is just Testors tan. I'm going to use black lettering, since I haven't used any so far. 

Flatcar Decks

And what's that you ask, "hey, are those flatcar decks weathered to look like wood?" Yes, yes they are! One of the most noticeably toy-like features of all the freight cars was the flatcar decks painted the same color as the rest of it. That had to go. So I looked up what colors to use, and to my surprise it was a white base with black over it. I think they turned out well, but could use a little more black. 

Humans!

Finally, you'll notice the soldiers. A few weeks ago I remembered I had them from a looong time ago, back when I was reenacting. It reminded me of how much time I used to have as a kid. Anyway, it turns out they're just a bit too big (15mm?) for N scale. Such a shame, because I have about a dozen or so of them painted and would've looked good on the layout. It's a huge difference to see people, not just trains. I have some track workers on order and should be here this week. 

Some Photos

I think I like the second one better. 

Adding decals to the boxcars

I started writing this post over a week ago, when I was already a week into applying Microscale decals to a few of the boxcars. Going into it, my biggest fear was destroying the decals in the process. I haven't applied a decal on anything since my last model car in, oh, about 20 years. As I started, it soon became evident my eyesight isn't what it was way back when. Not only were the decals small and on light-colored backing paper, but the numbers are spaced so close together on the sheet that you need to be almost perfect on every cut with the blade.

LOTS of MicroSol is needed when dealing with the surfaces on these cars.

After a few rounds, I got more comfortable and figured out a few techniques that worked best for me. I liked using toothpicks to adjust the positioning, since they're not sharpened to a point like the razor, but small enough to control just a corner of the decal at a time. Other tools were Q-tips, small paint brushes, and a lot of patience.

You'll notice some of the decals were damaged either as I was preparing them, or once they were on the model. Since the surface of these boxcars are not smooth gloss, I used MicroSol. That required extra care and speed to apply the decal without manipulating it too much. They started to get very soft the moment the MicroSol hit the decal and would tear easily.

Those numbers are even closer in person than they look here.

A frustrating issue for me followed a suggestion from the Microscale instructions. It said if you can't see the white decals well enough to cut them cleanly, you can color the back side of the paper with a dark ink marker. So I did that and the decals showed up great on the backing paper. However... something must have happened when the ink soaked through the paper, because it was MUCH more difficult to get the decals off the paper after soaking them in water. The ones without the ink slid off with little effort. Just a heads up to those out there considering using these decals. They work great, but practice, and expect to lose a few along the way.

I'll have a follow-up post in a few days.

Passenger Coaches Fiasco

After realizing the passenger car decals were only in black, I had to rethink the paint scheme for the coaches I'm trying to make from the old Bachmanns. First, I used too-strong of a paint remover. The plastic was damaged and now looks rough. I still have another three coach bodies to use, but it's still frustrating. Stay tuned for more.

A Few Parting Shots for Today

I don't post enough photos that are just for fun. I'll start doing that more.

From above. Yes, the track is still the worst part of all this. It's also the biggest
single expense to replace. Those two things are related.
The paint can is holding down the track on the bridge that needed re-gluing.

Evening freight train rolls into the depot.