Weathered Locos & Stock

[Podartist79]

Saw this loco only a fortnight ago. Currently blue, in service on the NYMR.

I remember the ‘white marks’ represented on the bogies. Never knew the cause. But that is exactly the appearance.

Amazing work.

Thank you.

 

[steve50]

I've been studying the photo's for around 20 mins in awe! Keep zooming in and admiring the small details and the colours look spot on.
I'm interested to know how you did the roof, I've repainted a class 47 and want to replicate the grime that loco roofs were covered in. What colours did you use, did you use the method of painting on the wiping off and building up layers of paint as I watched you do in the video you did a while back?

 

[Podartist79]

Thank you as ever Steve, very kind.
I don’t use the apply and wipe off method on diesel roofs (or coaches and vans).
I actually used a pre-shading coat through the airbrush in a dark grey-black around seams, joints and hatches.
I then, using light layers of roof dirt (a mix, not the full ‘roof dirt’ colour as supplied by various manufacturers) through the airbrush, cover the whole roof but allowing the pre-shading to show through.
The next step was to add various weathering powder runs, that I fixed in place using the AK Pigment Fixer (airbrush) followed by further coats, thinly, of the roof dirt colour(s) again, using AK random pattern masks to get the small and random blotches etc.
Hope that helps.
Neil.

 

[steve50]

Thank you Neal, coincidently I've ordered some of that pigment fixer, I've heard other people using it to good effect, mainly mixing it with powders though.

 

[paulc]

Thank you as ever Steve, very kind.
I don’t use the apply and wipe off method on diesel roofs (or coaches and vans).
I actually used a pre-shading coat through the airbrush in a dark grey-black around seams, joints and hatches.
I then, using light layers of roof dirt (a mix, not the full ‘roof dirt’ colour as supplied by various manufacturers) through the airbrush, cover the whole roof but allowing the pre-shading to show through.
The next step was to add various weathering powder runs, that I fixed in place using the AK Pigment Fixer (airbrush) followed by further coats, thinly, of the roof dirt colour(s) again, using AK random pattern masks to get the small and random blotches etc.
Hope that helps.
Neil.

Hi Neil , so if i have this method correct you apply the powders as per normal then use the pigment fixer to seal it in .

 

[Podartist79]

Hi Paul,
I think you can use the pigment fixer both ways round.
In the first instance as a fixing agent after you’ve applied weathering powders.
In the second instance, you could spray/apply the fluid to an un weathered item, the powders would then adhere to it. It may require a further coat over that though?
The virtue it appears to have to me, is it doesn’t affect the weathering powder colour after application, or overly tone it down.
Hope that’s helpful.

 

[paulc]

Hi Paul,
I think you can use the pigment fixer both ways round.
In the first instance as a fixing agent after you’ve applied weathering powders.
In the second instance, you could spray/apply the fluid to an un weathered item, the powders would then adhere to it. It may require a further coat over that though?
The virtue it appears to have to me, is it doesn’t affect the weathering powder colour after application, or overly tone it down.
Hope that’s helpful.

Thanks for that Neil . I inherited a bottle of the pigment fixer after a friend passed away and have wondered what its use was .

 

[Podartist79]

Something ‘a bit different’ for me to undertake a weathering job on; a GWR Cowan&Sheldon crane.
Beautifully built and painted by David Merrell.

 

[Podartist79]

Thanks for that Neil . I inherited a bottle of the pigment fixer after a friend passed away and have wondered what its use was .

Sorry to hear of your friends passing Paul.

 

[Pencarrow]

Hi Paul,
I think you can use the pigment fixer both ways round.
In the first instance as a fixing agent after you’ve applied weathering powders.
In the second instance, you could spray/apply the fluid to an un weathered item, the powders would then adhere to it. It may require a further coat over that though?
The virtue it appears to have to me, is it doesn’t affect the weathering powder colour after application, or overly tone it down.
Hope that’s helpful.

Hi Neil, could you advise which pigment fixer you use please. I've used something previously but it really changed the colour of the model, spoiling the finished effect. Many thanks.

 

[Podartist79]

Hi Neil, could you advise which pigment fixer you use please. I've used something previously but it really changed the colour of the model, spoiling the finished effect. Many thanks.

I use the AK Interactive pigment fixer Chris.

 

[steve50]

Love that crane. The coal in the bunker is superb!

 

[Alan]

I almost feel like giving up. But not really. Smashing work.

 

[Pencarrow]

I use the AK Interactive pigment fixer Chris.

Thanks Neil

 

[Podartist79]

Love that crane. The coal in the bunker is superb!

Thanks Steve.
As I say ad nauseam, those are my favourite bits to undertake; the little details.

I almost feel like giving up. But not really. Smashing work.

You definitely shouldn’t give up Alan (I know you’re joking).
Thank you for the kind comment.

 

[Podartist79]

A weathering project undertaken some time ago, but only photographed recently, is this Bulleid Rebuilt Light Pacific ‘Appledore’ bulled up for rail tour duty.
I really enjoyed recreating where the dirt and grime continued to ‘show its face’, even on a loco extensively cleaned for the aforementioned rail tour.

 

[steve50]

The Bullied is fantastic, less is definitely more!
Can I ask about the 47 Neil, how did you treat the body sides, they look clean but not "out of the box" clean, if that makes sense?

 

[Podartist79]

The Bullied is fantastic, less is definitely more!
Can I ask about the 47 Neil, how did you treat the body sides, they look clean but not "out of the box" clean, if that makes sense?

Hi Steve,
Please forgive my tardy response.
It’s essentially much the same methods I use throughout when weathering loco bodies.
I apply a mix of grey-browns in oils, to the body sides, working it in around grills and raised detail.
I then wipe most of that off - in a vertical motion - with a soft cloth.
The next step I use, particularly with a pretty clean loco, is some very big soft flat brushes to blend the previous ‘wiping down’. Again I use these mainly in a downward motion.
I finally touch up/blend the lower half of the body sides using another thin dirt mix through the airbrush.
Hope that’s useful.
Neil.

 

[steve50]

Hi Steve,
Please forgive my tardy response.
It’s essentially much the same methods I use throughout when weathering loco bodies.
I apply a mix of grey-browns in oils, to the body sides, working it in around grills and raised detail.
I then wipe most of that off - in a vertical motion - with a soft cloth.
The next step I use, particularly with a pretty clean loco, is some very big soft flat brushes to blend the previous ‘wiping down’. Again I use these mainly in a downward motion.
I finally touch up/blend the lower half of the body sides using another thin dirt mix through the airbrush.
Hope that’s useful.
Neil.

Thank you Neil, it sounds like the old adage, less is more, which is very effective! I've re painted a couple of locos and after decals, etc I matt varnished them, that has made working paint around difficult.
I've been impressed with using oils and I'm determined to weather a whole loco using them now!

 

[Podartist79]

A matt finish can be quite difficult to work on with the techniques I describe Steve.
Although James Makin, a superb 4mm scale modern image modeller and weatherer always makes a matt cost his start point.
It’s hard - I find and as you point out - to push/move paint (oil paint in my case) around in order to gain the effects I try to recreate on a matt surface.
Any matting down, I tend to do at the end of the project, in areas, through the airbrush.