PRR and other dark coloured schemes in N & other small scales

[scaro]

I'm getting to like the PRR a lot, but I like second generation diesels, & when I see N scale and even TT PRR late-era equipment at exhibitions, it is a bit discouraging, since locos painted DGLE (factory painted, probably) always seem to appear as little more than shiny blobs. Is there anything much that can be done about this or is it just a function of the size of the models and how DGLE appears in a scale that small?  Wondering how weathering or varying shades of paint to pick out details, can remedy it, if at all ?

Do black schemes with more lining eg, SCL, stand out better?

regards,
Ben S.

[dem34]

On one hand lighting at exhibitions doesn't really help with that perception. On the other shiny factory paints can muddy the look with details not exactly popping.

Absolutely not the best example with it being O scale, and well 3 rail of all things.

But If you want an example of how good weathering can make even the Lacroix of Greens show some detail.

But a well done fade with some road dust and some highlight washes around vents will definetely excavate some detail without having to make PC rust buckets even if its subtle.

[scaro]

Haha.  I guess the fact it's O scale underlines the point, if anything. Great video.

With PRR, I've not often seen a good looking HO diesel locomotive, and the same for other 'dip' schemes like the Georgia Railroad. A larger field of colour lets the green in DGLE 'manifest' I think.

Discouraging. 13D dip is maybe an endeavour for S scale and above.

Wondering if the best scheme for small-scale is going to be something like L&N or Kansas City Southern.

[dem34]

Haha.  I guess the fact it's O scale underlines the point, if anything. Great video.

With PRR, I've not often seen a good looking HO diesel locomotive, and the same for other 'dip' schemes like the Georgia Railroad. A larger field of colour lets the green in DGLE 'manifest' I think.

Discouraging. 13D dip is maybe an endeavour for S scale and above.

Wondering if the best scheme for small-scale is going to be something like L&N or Kansas City Southern.

If it is just a case of paint scheme pop, have you thought about G&W? A very loud scheme with equipment that can go pretty much anywhere in the US and be fairly at home with a single decal application.

[scaro]

For those reasons I thought of Ann Arbor/DT&I which ran in some of the same regions. But, no cab units.

[dougnelson]

Not all PRR diesels have to be shiny blobs.  Lifelike C-Liners with some detailing and weathering.

[dem34]

Not all PRR diesels have to be shiny blobs.  Lifelike C-Liners with some detailing and weathering.

And yoinking that for when I go to detail mine.

[randgust]

Unfortunately that also extends to steam.   It's rather frustrating to spend a great deal of effort on getting N steam right, and then watch it somewhat disappear into the background of a finished layout with typical 'summer' scenery.

Lighting has a tremendous amount to do with this, and also the treatment of scenery.   I find that my more muted scenery colors on the Arizona layout show steam a lot better than my northwest PA logging and PRR modules, frankly, to appreciate an Atlas shay pushing cars uphill it shows up a lot better on a 'clear cut' than foliage scenery.

Inadvertently, I think proof of this is also in the leafless tree scenery that Ed K has put out, his Conrail power literally jumps off the page in those situations.  Kind of a revelation.

Two of my 'big steamers' in N are a Hallmark 4-8-4 in factory engine black, and a Jamco rebuilt 4-6-2 I finished in Grimy black.   The Grimy black just looks SO much better on the layout and you can appreciate the detail.   All my N logging steam is done in that tone rather than a jet black.  I think that's part of the problem.  And I have sufficient lighting that I just photo under layout light conditions, no dark spots anywhere.   I did a GHQ L-1 in DGLE, and ended up weathering it grimy black, what an improvement.


If you want to see WONDERFUL treatment of dark diesels in N, see if you can find reference back to Rich Yourstone's stuff.  That's all weathering, and I'd put that up against anything I've seen in any scale, anywhere.   I think you'll see he tends to lighten things a tone or two.
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/data/jknapp/20062382028_6.jpg

[Mike C]

On one hand lighting at exhibitions doesn't really help with that perception. On the other shiny factory paints can muddy the look with details not exactly popping.

Absolutely not the best example with it being O scale, and well 3 rail of all things.

But If you want an example of how good weathering can make even the Lacroix of Greens show some detail.

But a well done fade with some road dust and some highlight washes around vents will definetely excavate some detail without having to make PC rust buckets even if its subtle.

I was so distracted by the great modeling that I didn't see the 3 rail track !

[scaro]

I was so distracted by the great modeling that I didn't see the 3 rail track !

Yes, you just Samsung-filter it out of your consciousness after a minute.

[scaro]

Not all PRR diesels have to be shiny blobs.  Lifelike C-Liners with some detailing and weathering.

They are nice. Are they N or HO?

[scaro]

Thanks Randy.  Yes, when I was thinking of people who had managed to get N diesels to stand out better against background scenery, Ed K was the guy I thought of immediately. I will try to hunt for Rich Yourstone's work.

[dougnelson]

Not all PRR diesels have to be shiny blobs.  Lifelike C-Liners with some detailing and weathering.

They are nice. Are they N or HO?

N Scale.

[mark.hinds]

WRT dark-colored small scale models, you have to lighten them up a bit to achieve "scale color", and that's true for modeling outside of model railroading as well.  There is a good thread started by Gary Hinshaw on lightening N-scale paint schemes floating around this forum somewhere. 

EDIT:  Here is it is  https://www.therailwire.net/forum/?topic=16573.0

MH