Pictures

My GMD1 (from Rapido) and my PSC van (from Trueline Trains).  Note, the Rapido gondola is a model I did, to compare Rob's work to mine.

More pictures

Conclusions

Unfortunately, my pictures aren't the greatest, but examining the models up close and comparing Rob's weathering to mine, it's pretty clear to me he is on a completely different level.  That isn't a surprise to me, after all, Rob is an artist.  And I am most certainly not.  What I see in Rob's weathering is the subtle variations in the colour he uses, as well as how he gives the illusion of texture.  

So, will he get more of my models?  Absolutely.  I am very pleased with how these models turned out and I look forward to having my high end locos dressed up using his skills.  Of course, I can't afford to do everything at once, but over time, I'll have him do all of my higher end models and I'll focus on my less expensive models.

Oh, and if you want to see some more of his work, check out his website at weathermytrains.com

" the Rapido gondola is a

     The gon looks fine in that photo. What don't you like about it? If you can see what's wrong with it you probably can learn to fix it using the resources available on the web and modeling clinics and DVd's?   The problem I see with farming out your weathering is you'd have to have someone do the whole layout to make a significant difference since a layout is an integrated whole  and only as good as it's worst parts. ......DaveB

I agree, about the gon you

I agree, about the gon you did.  Nice to see a close picture of your work, like the pics of Ron's.  Do you have any old train set quality cars you can practice on?  The biggest thing most of us do in weathering, is overdoing it, not sure when to stop, but then again, while train watching, a few cars will standout to you, and make you think, "wow, maybe mine isn't over weathered!  I guess it's a personal choice.

Mike.

Well

My phone pictures don't really show the detail you see in person.  I just took a few quick snaps last night, but if I got some better pictures, you'd see the subtle differences I'm talking about.  

I'm not disappointed with the gondola, I think it's pretty decent and I'll be happy with weathering much of my rolling stock.  But my locos are my centerpiece and I know I just can't do those to the degree that I want them, like Rob does (and others).  There is a difference between noticing the details and colour variations and being able to replicate them.  My wife is actually an artist (who does stuff like this) and I can see what she does, but I don't have the eye or skill to replicate them and I don't want to be a fine artist, really.  I'd rather spend that practice time on other skills.

Like all of us, I have limited time and I have to figure out how best to use the time I have.  For the 15 or so locos I have, I'd rather pass that on to someone I trust to do the work, and Rob has definitely demonstrated to me that he can do the job to a much higher level than I'm capable and I'm more than happy with that.

Rod Walker from Canada

Is the man to go! 90% of my Engines and some Cars are weathered by Rod.

See some of his work on my Youtube videos:

The key: weather from photos

Jurg

Without a doubt, Rodney Walker does some of the best Canadian stuff you will ever see.  I sent him an email a few years ago to see if he would do some for me and I never heard back, so I assumed he wasn't into doing that or his contact info had changed or something.  I've always loved seeing your photos with his (and others') fantastic work.

Joe

Definitely weathering from photos is key to realism.  And the many weathering videos on TMTV have been quite helpful in developing techniques.  But when it comes to my locomotives, they are almost all museum quality Rapido and Bowser and I want the weathering to look just as good as the model itself.  I know I can't make them look as good as I would like them to be, so this is a great alternative.

Rod still do custom work

Email: rodsporsche@shaw.ca

BTW, thanks for your nice comments.

"One key to more realistic

  Photos are useful but spending time around real railroads also helps. Seeing these things in person give a better understanding of the process involved in the weathering of the real piece of rolling stock and what we are really trying to convey when we model it. Modeling from photos or from other models doesn't give one the actual perspective of seeing the wear and tear in it's real habitat. We can create trophy heads mounted on a wall or we can create miniatures of the working railroads, there's a big difference....DaveB

prototype photos?

Joe,

are there any sites out there you'd recommend for finding prototype photos to look at when weathering. Obviosuly there's google but sometimes that only brings up so much

rrpicturearchives.net

just one of many....my go to site.

Sites I use

Whenever new cars are announced, I check these sites to see if any made it to my model year and what they looked like (paint scheme, roof walks, etc.) If I order something, I save hte photo to later use for weathering purposes, also in minor changes like COTS label, etc.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/railroadList.aspx

Search on reporting mark then click "Car# Ranges:    View"

http://freight.railfan.ca/cgi-bin/search.pl

Search on Reporting marks then scroll through until you find a number in your sequence. You'll see other reporting marks in your search beacuse it shows prior and or later users of the reporting mark you searched on.

http://www.railcarphotos.com/Search.php

I use the Series search field. You can type in PC and it will scroll down to the PC series it has, like PC 125530-126509. Click it and cars in the series you want comes up.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/

Just by railroad then look for freight cars if it's a large railroad.

Nice weathering...

No question, watching real trains work, rail fanning and really paying attention, can help you gain an understanding of the process behind the dirt, grime and the wear and tear we perceive in the real world and strive to mimic on our models using color and texture, etc.  Photos of the prototype are probably the best visual aids while at the workbench doing the work though.

My first attempt at weathering became a paint job, lol!  It's fine though as the rolling stock is of Tyco origin.  I aspire to one day having the layout far enough along to take some time to learn to weather rolling stock, at least to the point of being able to knock the shine off and dirty them up a bit.  I hope to one day feel confident enough to try dirtying a locomotive or two but I sure don't blame anyone for wanting to hand their Rapido GMD-1 off to someone with a proven track record.

I think they look great BTW!

Regards,

Thanks, Kevin

If you ever get up this way, you'll have to stop in and see them in person.

@Dave

It's on my mind to do just that. We will have to coordinate a visit so we are there when you are at home.

Regards,