The art of subtlety…

Alongside 'the day job' I began my own personal H0 scale layout project because it gives me something that is just my own. As well as building the layout(s) I also have taken to buying up rolling stock, and then weathering it when I have a quick hour in the evening, as a mindful job that helps me switch off from the days activities...

One of my favourite items to work on is cylindrical hoppers and at the moment, especially, pale coloured ones. I notice these are often weathered when I see photos on the internet and magazines, they're a real challenge to get looking right, and not over-done or caricature. The best advice I can give is to take off as much as you put on! I've done these before, a pair of brown ones (Atlas cars) and then moving on to pale white and grey CN examples (Intermountain and Walthers) which were a challenge. This time I'm sharing a Walthers grain car (above) and Atlas cement (below).

I try and use weathering colours with a cool brown tone in general, so Humbrol 98 is great, but as is 245. In the case of the car above I started by adding a wash along the top under the walk ways and around the hatches. The same colour was dragged down the sides of the body and wiped off with a piece of kitchen towel in a vertical motion. However, this left too much colour on the sides and made the car seem too dark, although the build up around the ribs was very neat. This is what I mean about taking more off, as I then added some IPA to a wide flat brush and used this in a vertical downwards motion. This cleaned more off the sides, and also, by accident slightly dissolved the red in the CP Rail decal I'd applied and dragged this down the side of the car (which is an effect you sometimes see on the prototype). The remaining colour is very subtle streaks with a build up around the parts you can't easily clean up. Once dry the airbrush comes out for the dirt build up and I finished by dry brushing the step edges.

If you study the dirt build up on flatter surfaces it's pooled, not a constant shade. An airbrush alone cannot give you that effect, see the top edges of the cylindrical hopper, under the walk ways. Try and represent that without using a brush? It would be very tricky indeed. However, the sides don't really attract dirt, and the trucks are inboard enough for the frames that the lower body sides stay relatively clean as well. Prototype observation and careful practice will result in a believable finish.

The second car I'm showing here is an Atlas cement car. I wanted to represent a different colour of staining as if from cement dust. The prototypes remain pretty clean really, certainly no real over spill visible. I decided to use a Humbrol 245 wash along the top of the car here, and stippled with neat paint. The same colour was used in a thin wash down the sides of the car - and then wiped off with a towel in a vertical motion. Horrors, the Pi Cement logo which I'd applied and protected with a thin coat of lacquer was slightly damaged, but by some fluke, this actually adds to the overall effect nicely. Once this was dry I used Humbrol 98 and 33, along with some 251 on the trucks and under frame. Airbrushed road dirt followed by gun-metal dry brushed on step edges brought the finished model to life.

(It should also be noted that these models are fitted with 36" Code 88 Kadee wheelsets, Kadee 158 scale head couplers and the Walthers car has Kadee airlines - these smaller details improve realism as well and should not be discounted from worthwhile upgrades).

It would be easy to slap some pale grey about the hatches and let this dribble down the sides, assuming this is how a car would look. Close observation of both where and what colour the effects of the load, and of the weather make to a prototype will greatly improve your work. Remembering my mantra of taking more off then you put on will help ensure your results do not appear over done. These techniques work equally well on British prototypes, remember my Planet Industrials MDO weathering tutorial for example?

I'm working on Bear Creek again today, so will share a proper update on the layout tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy the day, more soon...