West Scotland Group's Weathering wagons part 2

Help and advice for those starting in, or converting to P4 standards. A place to share modelling as a beginner in P4.
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Allan Goodwillie
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West Scotland Group's Weathering wagons part 2

Postby Allan Goodwillie » Sun Oct 04, 2020 11:15 am

Hello everyone, :)

DSC06884.JPG


Here as promised is part two again in the form of a PDF covering the actual techniques. There are a range of techniques mainly for open wagons, but I intend doing something in the future about wagons and carriages when the time comes as well as Locomotives which are better cared for in the press and elsewhere, but not in the next few months! Too much to do and not enough hours! :D

You will notice that quite a few wagons have not received their numbers etc. - but that is still to be done and I might cover transfers etc. if anyone wants me to. I tend to do them last. The eagle -eyed will also have noticed that the hopper wagons that I am working on have at the moment no compensation - this is a deliberate act as due to Grayrigg being damaged by rainwater last year I am going through a rebuild and I want a whole train of vehicles unsprung/uncompensated to act as a test train - The reasoning being that, of course, if this will run around the layout everywhere without problems then the compensated stock will behave even smoother and at mainline speeds. Something perhaps to cover at a later date.

This PDF has been updated after a few suggestions by Noel. I might point out that the selection of mineral wagons shown may be incorrect in certain ways – quite a number of them were built using Airfix kits in the days when they were 2 /- each, so they date from long ago when I was still modelling in 00 and at school in the 1960’s they were converted to P4 not long after when I was experimenting myself to find something a bit more to scale.

In these far off days the wealth of information that is available today was not even envisaged. Most images and details were taken from personal observation of what was going around and a few photographs where wagons might just appear mainly in the back of shots. You will see from the discussion during the thread that once built I have not gone back and rebuilt the wagons mainly because there were rather a lot of them and life moves on and better kits etc. develop in time, but I have never been ruthless with anything I have built. If it can still turn a wheel that is fine by me.

The first of me discovering all these wagons were incorrect in their brake gear, was when my old friend Don Rowland published his first book on BR wagons. By that time they had been running for at least 15 years as P4 wagons and no-one had complained. They are still the same after all these years and truly historic and I am unlikely to change them now, so I apologise in advance. I have taken out the “schoolboy howler” – which literally was.

Although it may not be immediately obvious, not all the wagons are from exactly the same period, although they are all in BR livery, some numbers were also fictitious as well as such info was not so easy to find.

Noel elsewhere has been kind enough to point out any other discrepancies, so this comes with a warning that not all that you see is bang up to date, however the information was put together to show specifically painting techniques as there was nothing for people to go on in on the Forum – so plenty of caveats! :cry:



Weathering wagons part 2.pdf


Weathering wagons part 2v2.pdf


Allan :)
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Last edited by Allan Goodwillie on Mon Oct 05, 2020 9:52 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Steve Carter
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Re: West Scotland Group's Weathering wagons part 2

Postby Steve Carter » Sun Oct 04, 2020 1:48 pm

Yet another very useful and informative resource. Thank you Allan
Steve Carter

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Allan Goodwillie
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Re: West Scotland Group's Weathering wagons part 2

Postby Allan Goodwillie » Sun Oct 04, 2020 5:52 pm

Thanks Steve, :)

I have pointed out that the images come from stock - some of which has been running for about 50 years and is not all correct in the numbers used or, sometimes in details of under frames and brake gear, built at a time and not having the information now available to us all as modellers. Noel has taken me to task on this in quite a detailed way, so I had better point to it and say guilty m'Lord.

However, I am very obliged to him for doing this, as the information he has supplied may help others looking at the photographs realise there are a number of things wrong and to be avoided. I hope I have given him an adequate response on the other part of the thread. I am really surprised at how many downloads have been taken already, when it has only been submitted this afternoon.

Allan :)

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Allan Goodwillie
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Re: West Scotland Group's Weathering wagons part 2

Postby Allan Goodwillie » Sun Oct 04, 2020 8:11 pm

Hi John, :)

As you requested. Hope you find the plain background version suitable for printing.
You will find the light background version at the top of the page which I have updated after some discussion.

Allan
Last edited by Allan Goodwillie on Mon Oct 05, 2020 10:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Allan Goodwillie
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Re: West Scotland Group's Weathering wagons part 2

Postby Allan Goodwillie » Mon Oct 05, 2020 9:59 pm

Hi everyone, :)

I have re-issued the various versions of the Weathering wagons PDF's one with a plain background and the original with coloured backgrounds.There is also a page now within each volume making readers aware of the limitations of what is presented.

The altered versions are back now where they were at the top of the thread.

Allan :)

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Wizard of the Moor
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Re: West Scotland Group's Weathering wagons part 2

Postby Wizard of the Moor » Wed Oct 07, 2020 9:32 am

Those are really great tutorials. Thanks for sharing them! I especially like the effects on the wooden bodied wagons.

The only comment I have is that polished steel buffer shanks are only found on hydraulic or pneumatic buffers, such as those made by Dowty or Oleo. Many steel mineral wagons did have these, although mainly vacuum braked examples. I find that for normal buffers, highlighting the shank with a lighter shade of rust than that used elsewhere on the wagon is pretty effective. This works very well on self-contained buffers.

Here's an example of my own that shows: on the right, normal buffers with mucky/rusty shanks; in the middle, Oleo buffers with bright shanks; and on the right, self-contained buffers with lightly rusted shanks. Perhaps a bit too light...

The weathering on the Grampus has used many of the techniques in your guides - masking, fading, washes, powders and drybrushing.

223FBEAD-8F09-4493-BA24-3BAB578CB594.jpeg
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Allan Goodwillie
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Re: West Scotland Group's Weathering wagons part 2

Postby Allan Goodwillie » Wed Oct 07, 2020 11:38 am

Thanks James, :)

Of course, I was looking through my older wagons and they do not have the shiny shank! I did touch up my ones quickly before taking the photos! I am so used to looking at the trains as they are now and it had not struck me just what I was doing! I really must give up doing this sort of thing, however it has started a few like yourself sending in and adding to the knowledge, which is all good.

A very nice example you have sent in too, :thumb so good that you would have difficulty in telling whether you were looking at the full scale thing, or not, just going by the picture. Really brings it to life. I did not photograph mine on the layout, but a you know I spent some time watching your latest efforts at a recent show and thought they really caught the flavour of reality. There will be others I know who will only show their wagons clean and ex-works like they might be in a museum. This thread is not for them really it is for those of us who like to capture that atmosphere and look of reality. My Jackson couplings do not capture that, but they do not require the hand of God, also I am glad I do not have to hand uncouple these days, but having said that if you have them fitted it does look so much better in photographs!

Watching a long train roll past is a pleasure of its own and if each wagon has a character of its own, some standing out others less so it just feels right somehow. My dear friend Richard Hollingworth of Parkside was over one time, I think it was possibly the first time he had been over to the house, when I had Grayrigg working and was enjoying working train after train through on the main line with so many of his wagon kits in tow. We were discussing weathering and I asked him what he thought of my various efforts. There was a fully fitted freight rolling down the grade and he stopped the train and pointed out one of the vans, not particularly interesting I thought, but the one he chose was fairly understated with just a coating of overall dirt just changing tone as you went down the side and the lettering barely legible. "That's How I remember most of them was his remark most modellers make every one a "character", in real life many did not stand out and that's what I like about this, there are quite a number like this." I have remembered that remark and have continued to make sure that the blend is about right ever since.

Feel free to send in others - I am hoping that everyone starts sending in really nice examples that they have a certain pride in. I will not criticise severely as you know I am an encourager it is not in my nature.

Allan :)


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