Lets take a minute to talk about the MTL weathered cars

[Albert in N]

 

Their lightly weathered cars are also nice.  I could not resist buying one not weathered and one weathered.

[tom mann]

The work @Shipsure and his team is doing on these is great.  In fact, I’m not even sure Ed K posted the best examples.

I have a few of the early examples and I even was going to devote a chapter in my new book on what to do to improve them. But some of their latest work doesn’t really need too much - maybe just a coat of DullCote to knock back the shine/sheen that they have and more time spent on the trucks/couplers/wheels.

[ednadolski]

maybe just a coat of DullCote to knock back the shine/sheen that they have and more time spent on the trucks/couplers/wheels.

If it's a UP car then you get to add your own graffiti, since UP won't let MT put tagging on anything that is UP licensed.

Ed

[OldEastRR]

I remember a while back Ed asking us if he should buy that Reading pair, but it seemed like people had  convinced him that the PS-1s were out-of-scale too high. Apparently they hadn't.
I've cut-down MTL PS-1 bodies (not any 50's yet) but those were unweathered versions. Hiding the roof-wall and end corrugations seams would have to be much easier with weathering. No need to exactly match the original factory paint.
I've got more than enough PS-1s of various brands I don't see myself buying a weathered one to see how reworking it to correct height would work out.

[bbussey]

The ACF Centerflow hoppers have showcased some of their best work, and the models are the correctly proportioned and ride at the proper height above the rails.  The Conrail ghost-EL release is the best weathered offering they've ever done.

[Rossford Yard]

If it's a UP car then you get to add your own graffiti, since UP won't let MT put tagging on anything that is UP licensed.

Ed

Interesting to know.  I understand that under trademark law they do need to do things to protect it, and I guess that qualifies (after licensing fees, or course)  Wonder if anyone would ever question it if they don't repaint their tagged cars as soon as possible?

[Dave V]

As far as I can tell, Micro Trains is the only company doing this kind of work.  In my HOn3 world you can buy pre-weathered cars from Blackstone, but I tend not to.  I have a few of them but generally their weathering consists of a single pass of grime from an airbrush.  I prefer more variation and sometimes more subtlety.  That said, Micro Trains did offer some pre-weathered HOn3 stuff that looked really good, but I doubt I'll ever find one for sale in my lifetime:



I'm hoping that Micro Trains continues to move forward in HOn3 (such as with their new log cars) given the vacuum left by Blackstone's China hostage status, and maybe even offer pre-weathered.  I've been asking @Shipsure about continuing the Colorado & Southern prototype line by doing a steel-underframe C&S/RGS boxcar (could also be lettered for White Pass, Unintah, and a bunch of foobie roads too).  I can dream!

[basementcalling]

The ACF Centerflow hoppers have showcased some of their best work, and the models are the correctly proportioned and ride at the proper height above the rails.  The Conrail ghost-EL release is the best weathered offering they've ever done.

And because their 56' GP tank cars are not proper height, I have not bought any of those weathered offerings. But gotta second the love for the hoppers.

[Ngineer]

They may not be great for actual PRR or Reading modelers (see the ACI labels), but for PC or Conrail guys like myself? Fantastic.

I remember a post in which Micro-Trains explained how to remove them without damaging the underlying paint, but I can't find it anymore. Any advice?

   Javier

[peteski]

I remember a post in which Micro-Trains explained how to remove them without damaging the underlying paint, but I can't find it anymore. Any advice?

   Javier

Back when these details were Tampo-printed, the could be removed from the base color on un-weathered cars. But on the current releases the ACI labels are ink-jet printed along with the rest of the car side. So, it is all single printed image.  I don't see an easy way to remove it cleanly - it will just leave a stark blank spot on the car side.

There might still be few cars issued where ACI label is Tampo-printed, but probably very, very few.

[ednadolski]

Wonder if anyone would ever question it if they don't repaint their tagged cars as soon as possible?

It would cost a fortune, take forever, too many cars out of service being re-painted, etc... and after all that then they would get tagged again in no time... 

Ed

[Ngineer]

I don't see an easy way to remove it cleanly - it will just leave a stark blank spot on the car side.

Thank you for your advice.

   Javier