How much weathering for a couple of months use?

[garethashenden]

So I'm working to the assumption that my layout will be set roughly April 1950. March to May anyway. I just bought a flatcar with a build date of January 1950. I think the wheels should be rusty and a bit of dirt on the trucks. Is that reasonable or too much/not enough?

[jimmo]

I've seen em' rust before they made it from the factory to their buyer.

[tom mann]

Wheels would be covered with grease.

[jimmo]

It also depends on what kind of weather and environmental conditions they have endured in that period of time. It doesn't take much time for the ol' railroad grime to show itself. That's why my wheels get a concoction of road dirt and rust--never just rust. A nice coat of factory grease will attract a lot of... everything.

[Palouse51]

Just to clarify a bit on what Tom and jimmo said about wheels. Rust happens fairly quickly it's true, but on wheels with roller bearings. Most of your equipment is going to have plain bearings in 1950. The plain bearings grease tended to get all over the wheels pretty quickly and caused all kinds of filth to stick to them. That coating of greasy filth also tend to prevent rust.

As far as the paint goes, obviously the paint and lettering would be in good shape, but as jimmo points out "It also depends on what kind of weather and environmental conditions they have endured in that period of time". So use your own discretion there. Dirt on a car in good shape will look "weathered" but not in the same way as a car with old, and failing paint.