How to Weather Model Railroad Cars

Weathering your model railroad equipment, especially rolling stock and locomotives, makes them appear more realistic. Real railroad equipment begins to age, fade, rust, and collect dirt and grime almost immediately after the equipment leaves the paint shop. If you want to take your model railroad to the next level of realism, take the time and effort to learn to weather your model railroad equipment effectively.

A variety of techniques can be used to weather your model railroad's rolling stock, depending on the degree any type of weathering you are trying to emulate. I have used ground up pastel crayons and chalks, paint thinned with paint thinner, and even real dirt to weather the cars and locomotives on my own model railroad cars. The choice of weathering mediums involves a combination of artistic preference and a knowledge of how those mediums evoke different real-life weathering effects. For example, paints can be used to create rainwater washes, and various shades of earth-tone pastels can be used to simulate dust and dirt from dry or desert climates.

You must give adequate forethought to the weathering effect you are trying to simulate. For example, if you are weathering a tender from a steam locomotive, you should use heavier shades of black to emulate the grime, grease, and soot from the locomotive. If you are weathering an oil tank car, then you should consider using a shiny black to emulate spilled oil along the valves and connectors of the tank car. By contrast, if you are weathering a metal box car, you should use shades of brown, orange, and red to emulate the rust that can build up on metal rail cars. The exact shades of rust colors can be left to your personal preference and to the severity of the rust damage that you are trying to represent.

By no means should you restrict yourself to a single weathering technique for your model railroad rolling stock. Real life rolling stock frequently travels from place to place, and from climate to climate, encountering a variety of abuse along its various journeys. It can be a useful technique to weather your rolling stock in stages or layers, to represent your model rolling stock having been in more than one environment over a period of time. For example, a dusty boxcar that has been rained upon will show streaks of rainwater mixed with dust and grime. If you use a wash to emulate this rainwater wash, paint thinner can help keep the surface tension of the water low enough to keep the water streaks at a scale that is believable for model railroad equipment.

When you first begin to weather your model railroad equipment, you will invariably make several mistakes and ruin many pieces of rolling stock. This is a normal part of the artistic learning process, and you should feel free to experiment to determine what techniques you prefer and what techniques you find effective. If you ruin a car, or two or ten, throw them away and start over. But it is a good idea to practice on some cheaper model railroad cars before you attempt to weather the pricier and higher-quality locomotives and cars that will live on your more permanent model railroad layout.

Model shops and art supply shops are all good places to look for supplies with which to weather your model railroad rolling stock. Many hobby shops carry products designed specifically for weathering, but everyday items such as shoe polish and pencil erasers can go a long way if you practice learning how to use them effectively. But a good rule of thumb is that any weathering is better than none. If your model railroad rolling stock still has a shiny new appearance, the model reveals itself as a toy and not as a hobby or an art. Even the lightest coat of thinned black, gray, or brown can make a new model appear that it has been rolling behind a real locomotive for a few days, and your model railroad, no matter how basic, will look more realistic.

In conclusion, there are many weathering techniques ranging from liquid washes to chalk dust. Choose colors and textures that simulate those of real-world environments, and do not be afraid to combine or experiment with different techniques. Just be sure to practice weathering some cheaper toy train cars before you practice on your expensive or prized models.