Spine Car Grime

[danpmeyer]

Everyone,

Having just completed a set of Alan Curtis spine cars in a factory TTX yellow, they are way too clean.  Does anybody have a good formula for the dirty, rusty grime that seems to just cover these spine cars from one end to the other? Grimy black and rust (1:2) just don't seem like the right mix.  Thanks in advance. Daniel

[ednadolski]

Grimy black and rust (1:2) just don't seem like the right mix.

Do you have any proto pics for reference?

It should be possible to come up with something consisting of a combo of artist paint colors:  raw/burnt umber, raw/burnt sienna, along with basic black & white.

HTH,
Ed

[danpmeyer]

I was looking for something like this, a TTX car that's no longer yellow.  Ha Ha!

http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=43685

or

http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=6464

I'm thinking something like rail brown, since it should be mostly road grime and brake dust.

Daniel

[Hyperion]

Rail Brown would likely come close, but may be a tad bit red.  Maybe some grimy black mixed with it would do it.

It's also common that the reporting marks, delineating tape, etc all have been literally wiped clean.  So if it goes on too thick, simply wipe it clear with a damp Q-tip, if not at the end of the process then certainly about halfway so it's a lighter shade of 'grime' than the rest.

[jsoflo]

I started with a "sand" fade coat to dampen the yellow and black, than hit them with a light mix of railbrown with some white mixed in to also dampen it (and it was a pretty light mix) and add a hint of red grime. I than used some rust colored powder which did not stick great but ended up forming a light film. Than sprayed a weathered black on it (which is quite grayish) before hitting them with a final sand colored fade coat:





I have done many sets of the AC spines in 48 and 53' lengths and have used different variations on weathering them, I see a lot of the real thing and they vary widely from a blackish grime to a brown grime to a faded yellow with little brown or red but a nasty film on them.





Have at them!
my best,
Jan

[GaryHinshaw]

Hi Daniel (welcome to Railwire, BTW!).  I just noticed this thread and I see some excellent tips already, so I don't have much to add, but I'll toss a few more ideas out anyway.

To date, I've built 2 AC/NSK spine kits and I'm not really satisfied with how grimy either of them has turned out.  I tend to avoid washes with these pewter kits because the surface can be porous in places, causing the wash to splotch.  Instead I start with a light and thin base coat of ~60-70% Grimy Black and 30-40% Rail Tie Brown.  Spray it on mostly from the side, and a bit from the top & bottom.  I finish the job with Bragdon Powders rubbed in as vigorously as possible (it's really hard to overdo it in this case).  Mostly Soot and Weathered Brown on the side.  Mix in some Dark Rust on the top surfaces.   In the future I'm going to heavy-up the initial spray coat.

As you're working with the powders, it's good, as Hyperion suggests, to wipe some off around reporting marks, conspicuity stripes and wheel well side walls.

HTH,
Gary

P.S. Here are a few shots of my under-weathered spines.  A 53' kit:





A 48' set:




And an old progress shot on a wheel tray:




I need to come up with a convincing way to put tread marks on these trays...

[James Costello]

Gary, with the spines do you paint before assembly?
Good idea, painting afterwards is a pain in the rear.

[GaryHinshaw]

James, actually this was just a spare tray I'd been using for weathering tests.  But painting before assembly is a good idea; wish I'd thought of it!   ;D

[tom mann]

I need to come up with a convincing way to put tread marks on these trays...

Roll the wheel through chalk...apply like a roller.

[ednadolski]

The weathering on those trailers looks fantastic too!

Ed