Jim - absolutely agree about weathering levels.

Over weathering, whilst technically appealing can result in a caricature of reality.

I'm not claiming that I achieve my goals (over weathering is a powerful "dark side"), but I constantly try to think of how old an object is in relation to the modeled "now" and weather appropriately.

I'm not sure if I agree with your comment about MRH and MR promoting the over weathered. As you say, many modelers weather the exceptions and this is reflected in the material submitted for publication.

Perhaps a self fulfilling prophecy?
Whatever, nothing wrong with attempting to redress the balance - you have my vote

Rob Clark
Cornhill & Atherton RR

I've only weathered about a dozen models, just trying different techniques to see what I find works best for my skill set.  The one thing that many people keep saying is to work from an actual photo.  If you are matching a photo, you aren't over-weathering.  Most of my attempts I would say are generally over-weathered as I was trying the techniques, not following a photo.  My future attempts will be at matching a photo, so hopefully I don't over-weather, but when I look at the railroad yard, there are a LOT of cars I think you would consider "over-weathered."  Locos are some of the worst.  Seems back 50 or more years ago, more care was taken to keep equipment clean.  Not so much anymore.  Too expensive is my guess.

Hi Rob,

I appreciate your feedback.!  I'll rephrase my statement that MRH and MR "promote" over weathering  what I mean is that to me most of the weathered models featured are weathered more heavily than the typical prototype freight car of the era represented.  I think this leads folks to weather too many of their models to such a high level of weathering.

Jim

Hi Dave,

I hear you. I agree that a lot of today's freight cars are heavily weathered, I still see them as a minority. The NS Chicago-Cleveland mainline passes behind my home. I see a lot of trains and only a minority of cars are heavily weathered.  

The heavily weathered cars are more interesting - granted. This is probably at least in part why so many of lean toward heavy weathering.

Jim Six

Certainly in days gone by, equipment was newer and better maintained, not to mention free of vandalizim but for today's railroads, heavy weathering is really becoming the norm in many areas.

Here is a video of a CN/BNSF 70 car interchange that happened yesterday in Emerson MB.

The motive power is not heavily weathered.

Of the 70 cars in this train, I would say...

• 27 cars are heavily weathered
• 31 cars are light to moderately weathered
• 10 cars are "clean" - these are mostly tank cars
• 2 cars are "shiny" new.
• 42 are noticeably vandalized with graffiti (most fo the non vandalized cars are flatcars or tank cars)

so 38% of the cars are heavily weathered and 60% are tagged.

I agree, not every car is a "rust bucket" but the percentage is quite high.

but I consider it almost an impossibility to " over weather" anything. I've had this argument with folks before. Mother nature constantly weathers everything. She even weathers your body. I guess I know what you're saying in a way but to me when I hear somebody say " over weather", it just makes me cringe. I've seen enough weather beaten and dilapidated cars and buildings to think they are more rule than exception. Guess it all depends on where you are looking.

Michael

The trains I see here in California look like poster children for the over weathered/graffittied contingent.

Personally I find "rustbucket" weathering one of the best things I've seen since returning to model railroading. MR may be showing more heavily weathered models these days but they still have their head planted firmly in the sand when it comes to graffiti, it is the kiss of death when it comes to submitting photos to them.

Michael,  

My definition of over weathering is this, when the average weathering of the cars of a train is noticeably more weathered than the average of a Proto train of the same type. 

Jim Six

At risk of stating the obvious; but for me graffiti/tagging  and weathering are 2 very different things.

If you are modeling "nowish" then Graffiti is a fact of life and a very interesting/hard to model feature.

Has to be there for authenticity........

Weathering is about degrees of decrepitude and this is where restraint gets hard in any era.
For the record - I am modeling the 30's and have to work hard to remember things like; a 1934 Pickup is going to look pretty Ok in 1937.

Rob Clark
Cornhill & Atherton RR

Once again I see you as on target Rob. I am modeling 1943 so I have similar concerns.

Jim