"a perfect rainy day for working in the shop ruined "

you just need more unfinished projects laying around in layers on the workbench, then you can find something with enough materials to do something to it.......DaveB

Eventually I'll get there.  I

Eventually I'll get there.  I used to be heavy into R/C airplanes and I could still get any number of those projects done with what I've got in my 'stash'.  My train hobby is still growing so I don't have the same stock pile of odds and ends.  

While I was away at work

While I was away at work during the holidays Santa (a.k.a. The USPS) brought me the roof walk and decals that I ordered to finish my covered hopper.  It's a 6 bay hopper and I couldn't find any photos on the net of one in ADM stenciling, but I'm gonna claim artistic license on this one when I get to that point.  So far I've just completed installing the new roof walk.  It's a big improvement over the too thick plastic offering in the kit.  Next will be paint, then decals, and finally my first real attempt at some weathering.

After a coat of White Primer,

After a coat of White Primer, I mixed White with just a touch of Blue-Grey for more of a modern coloring rather than the (horrid) Sky Blue of the early ADM hoppers, though the decals I have are not as modern.  Oh well.

I didn't quite get it

I didn't quite get it finished before going back to work, but all that's left is the final weathering on the car with some powders and weathering the trucks and couplers.

The decal package isn't exact for this car, but I made them work with some artistic license.

This is how it looks now after my initial attempts at weathering with artists oils (thanks Tom Johnson - INRAIL) to simulate rust/rust streaks.  I don't think I did too bad.  I did spray, from the lower sill down, a very dilute 'mist' coat of a light sand color to act as road grime/dust, but I may have been too light with it.  It's difficult to notice at all.  I still want to add a bit more weathering with powders to simulate fading and rain streaking.  It might even need just a touch of graffiti, but I'm not sure about that just yet.

TJ!

It looks perfect!

Technique

As someone just about to get into the hobby, can you tell me what those pins are that are lifting the car above the block of wood?

Great job

Very impressive

TJR I reckon you've done a great job.

Mike

"I couldn't find any photos on the net of one in ADM stenciling"

Looks like 80087 and 80099 were centerflows( didn't notice if they were 3 or 4 bays)  so 80092 likely was too. 

   The weathering looks really good. Did the lighting change between photos to make the car look light grey instead of blue grey? On light colored cars I usually add a bit of darker road grime along the bottom and ends.Dark cars seem to weather lighter and light car weather darker, I guess they are both aiming for the mean....DaveB

Thanks guys for the

Thanks guys for the compliments.  I kind of impressed myself with how well it has turned out thus far considering I've never tried to weather a model before, not even plastic models.

lordscarlet -- The pins are just pieces of 1/16" music wire with 'Z' bends stuck into holes drilled into the wood and the other ends in the holes for the trucks on the car.  I saw it either here or on a Youtube video some time back.  It works great for keeping the work out of your fingers when painting or decalling.

ctxmf74 -- I suppose I didn't fully research it, but I don't really know what a 'Center Flow' hopper is.  I'm kind of new to this.    I think I will go back and hit it again with a darker mist coat along the bottom, the lighter coat just isn't working.  Oh, and yes, the lighting did change and I forgot to correct it in post processing.  The first one is probably a little too blue, and the second photo is a little more blown out.  Thanks for the feedback. 

Excellent Modeling

      (since we don't have stars)

Bernd

Thank you.  

Thank you.  

Looks terrific

For a first weathering job, that looks terrific TJ. I know my first attempt at weathering was probably way overdone. Yours is very restrained and so looks very realistic. I do agree that a darker spray along the bottom would probably look better and be more visible.

Well I haven't even been in

Well I haven't even been in the shop for a couple of months.  Again, life is pulling me in too many directions at once, and as of late it's pulling me to look for a new job.  I'm still employed, but changes are being made in the company and they are no longer going to provide me with a place to stay during my week at work, and I refuse to move to a state I have no desire to live in or any connection to outside of work.  That also means I need to pull the purse strings tight and cut out frivolous spending.  I've got some models to work on that won't require more spending, but my ideas of building/completing a module has been put on indefinite hold.  
 

It's not supposed to be too nice here today, so after I finish watching some Train Masters TV, I'll get into the shop and do some modeling.  

I'm not very familiarly with

I'm not very familiarly with modern modeling but this covered hopper looks great with its detailing, weathering/aging!

completing a module has been put on indefinite hold

Don't worry about that, modules can wait till you are settled again. Weathering or other small projects can be a good way to relax without much new cost so stay in touch. I'm glad my working days are over, companies these days just don't know how to treat employees with respect and make changes too often for anyone to enjoy stability in their lives.......DaveB

I've got at least another

I've got at least another 20-25 years of working ahead of me.  Unfortunately I put myself at a great disadvantage by never completing a college degree or obtaining any marketable skills.  GI Bill $$ is gone and my current job schedule hasn't been conducive to even doing on-line classes.  Looking for work at my age is no fun at all.

I'm calling this one done.

With the poor weather around

With the poor weather around Mobile the last few days, and having both my truck and my motorcycle in the shop at the same time, I finally got around to finishing the Bethlehem Steel 100 Ton Hopper that I had stripped the paint on in January!  Up until the ADM covered hopper I'd never attempted any kind of weathering before, but I'm kind of enjoying it.  One thing I learned though, dirty white powders don't show up after the dull coat goes on.  I wanted to simulate the streaking of the white paint that would happen from being exposed to the elements over time, but it doesn't show up now.  I'll have to go back with some dirty white oil paint to get the effect back, but I'm pleased with the outcome none the less.  I don't know how accurate my decals are on this one either.  I couldn't find any specific images for N&W on the web, but I found enough other road names to at least get the weathering I was looking for.  Initial weathering was accomplished with Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna Oils and Turpenoid.  That was locked in with Testors Flat Clear, then I added rust colored AIM weathering powders, and again sealed it all with Testors Flat Clear.