MT July Weathered Releases are Out

[basementcalling]

https://hogtrainz.com/MTGRAFFITI.htm

Looks like it's a covered hopper month. Liking the NS 2 pack, and that MKT weathered 2 bay.

[davefoxx]

Damn, MT!  Some of that weathering is approaching quality.  Wow!

DFF

[DKS]

Damn, MT!  Some of that weathering is approaching quality.  Wow!

Agreed.

Must... Keep... Wallet... Shut...

[Rossford Yard]

Agree these are great.  And what marketing, and just a nice way to repackage the leftovers at higher value, I suspect.  Of course, I have been predicting pre-weathers rolling stock and structures for a decade now, continuing the RTR trend to the next level.  These are hand weathered, (I think ) and better than anyone could do with a conventional printing process.

It's about all the rolling stock I buy anymore, at least until the IM 3247(?) covered hoppers arrive.  Trying to weather my collection one store bought piece at a time.

I can use the FEC hoppers for my Hart-Madov Stone Co., and the weathered covered hoppers (NS and MKT) for my Hardiss Cement company...….

Leaving for Salt Lake in morning.  Are these out or just announced?  Need to buy something to justify the trip!

[Cajonpassfan]

Yea. Though too modern for me, love that Grande car weathering. Got to try my hand on a spill like that...
The graffiti cars, not so much, but that’s just me.
So my wallet is safe again.
Sigh,
Otto K.

[DKS]

These are hand weathered, (I think ) and better than anyone could do with a conventional printing process.

Actually, I believe much of this "weathering" is done with an inkjet printer, with just a bit of airbrushed blending (like the roofs and ends).

[Rossford Yard]

They probably sell too many to hand paint them all!  And they do seem mass produced, but I can tell there is some airbrushing (I think) on the ones I have.  Again, probably got more popular than the early versions (which I do think were hand done) and had to make some production changes!

[tom mann]

Agreed.

Must... Keep... Wallet... Shut...

Damn, MT!  Some of that weathering is approaching quality.  Wow!

DFF

It passed me a long time ago!

[Chris333]

I think they are painted with masks for repeatability.

[peteski]

I think they are painted with masks for repeatability.

Most of the weathering, and fading is printed by an ink jet.  Just look at it using a strong magnifier and you will see the dot patterns.  Even the roofs are done that way.  All of those wonderful rust spots and streaks are printed. Then, like DKS mentioned, the trucks and the car are sprayed with some "grime" or "rusty" overcoat. 

The early graffitiied cars had a bit more airbrushed weathering. Back then the ink jet printer had much coarser resolution, so the airbrushed weathering hid some of that in the graffiti.

Even the non-weathered releases have majority of the decoration ink jet printed.  The entire sides (yellow background and the lettering/logos) are all ink jet printed. Very little is now Tampo printed.  The future is here now.   

[DKS]

Even the non-weathered releases have majority of the decoration ink jet printed.  The entire sides (yellow background and the lettering/logos) are all ink jet printed. Very little is now Tampo printed.  The future is here now.   

For all the crap MT catches here and elsewhere, they are innovators.

[peteski]

For all the crap MT catches here and elsewhere, they are innovators.

They sure are!  From what I observed, MTL and Kato were early adopters in direct-on-model ink jet printing.  I believe first time I saw that was on Kato Orient express set.  The pinstripes and emblems were printed using ink jet.  Then MTL did the Meat Reefer decoration using ink jet.  Both were fairly crude compared to where the technology is now.  I started a thread about it over 6 years ago. https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=28938.0

[dmidkiff]

Yea. Though too modern for me, love that Grande car weathering. Got to try my hand on a spill like that...
The graffiti cars, not so much, but that’s just me.
So my wallet is safe again.
Sigh,
Otto K.

While I model he mid 90’s, still too new for me as well with the conspicuous stripes. I really wish MTL would include those as decals and not print them on the cars. I’d have a few more weathered releases if that were the case.

Doug

[rodsup9000]

 At the convention in Chicago, I think it was the banquet car was done with pad printing. If I understood Eric correctly, all MT will be pad printed from now on.

[DKS]

At the convention in Chicago, I think it was the banquet car was done with pad printing. If I understood Eric correctly, all MT will be pad printed from now on.

I would not necessarily go only by what Eric says. Just sayin'...