Pristine or weathered?

[Allu]

To explain a bit, I have just started to move over to the 16mm after 45 years being on the "other side"; Z, N, HO/OO scale model railways. For many years, I have been used to the habit of weathering more or less all of my running stock. It has helped creating the illusion of a "real world" but it certainly does not help me now as I have been selling my old models in order to get some coins for the 16mm stuff, the resale value drops quickly with weathering at least in my cases!

So now, with the outdoor environment and bigger scale, I have been pondering is it worthwhile to do as I see the mother nature is doing anyway its stuff and I do not feel so confident of splashing washes and weathering powders to some factory-pristine engine, which most probably is much more expensive compared to some small scale indoor one...

I hope I do not open a can of worms here but would like to hear your opinions and maybe methods on the subject? And I have to say, I have seen here and in the 16mm Today really wonderful weathering stuff done!

[philipy]

Welcome to the forum.

The question of weathering comes up quite frequently and at the end of the day it's down to personal choice. Personally I have no confidence in my weathering abilities so I tend to leave things well alone in that respect, on the basis that its better to have a good factory finish than a botched weathered one.

[LNR]

Hi Allu, and welcome to the forum.
I agree with Philip, it comes down to personal choice.
The aim with my garden railway (the LNR) is realism, and to that end all my stock, engines, cars, even buildings are weathered so they appear IN the scene not ON it. I also think that in the last 20 or 30 years of railway modelling, good weathering has become far more acceptable to modellers and the viewing public.
Grant.

[drewzero1]

I've tried paints and washes for weathering on a few pieces with varying effect, but one of the fun things about garden railways is that you can get a lot more of the "real-world" aspect. To this end I've got actual dirt, dust, and grime on pieces of stock I've forgotten outside on the railway occasionally. Mud spatters from raindrops don't scale very well (it's raining buckets!) but it is at least the right color and consistency.

[GAP]

Whether you do or you don't also depends on how you view your models as investments assets or thing to enjoy.

[ge_rik]

I'm pretty much in accord with others' views. It's down to personal choice. I weather my goods stock but so far haven't got around to weathering coaches or locos. It's on the list. I think weathering locos is a fine art which I've yet to attempt.

Another reason for me to weather is I can use it to cover up some of my inept modelling and painting methods ......

Rik

[Wet Woking Neil]

OO 37 or Black 5 have to be weathered, working goods just look so much better. But outdoor quaint unusual engines and stock look so nice in pristine colours. Just my choice.

[Peter Butler]

Your railway, your stock, your choice!

However, having made my decision to represent a fictitious preservation railway I can have both.... some locomotives and goods stock can be weathered to suit their working life, or are recently acquired awaiting preservation. Others can be pristine to attract passengers (paying customers) to admire and travel in some style.

Win-win!

[simon25]

The peeling paint and cracks look very convincing, almost like natural weathering doing the work for you. As others have suggested, you could stabilise the crack rather than fully repair it, especially since it already looks so authentic.

[samlevy0515]

I'd say let nature do the hard work for you—start with a clean engine and just run it outside for a season, then decide if it needs your help or not.

[Keith S]

When I started building my garden models, I wasn’t as much interested in trains as I was in live steam, and I wanted my equipment to be more “miniature full-size” machines rather than models. They are all freelance. I looked at it more as a demonstrator of the technology rather than representing full-sized narrow-gauge practice. Therefore I kept non-functional details to a minimum. However, this quickly became boring, as steam models spend much more time being looked at than they do under steam, and I discovered that quietly crafting and installing little details on model trains is a nice way to spend time. So now, my models, which are for the most part still freelance, look more like real trains, and that includes a bit of deliberate neglect, to give my railway models the look of a railway that maybe employs volunteers to keep things shiny at the week-ends, but does accumulate a little grime. I mostly just let them get a bit dirty on their own. One thing I have done is to paint all my goods wagons with matte paint. That way, they do collect real grime rather realistically, especially from handling with hands grubby from running the live-steam engine. I have aluminium rails, too, which generate a black oily oxide slime as the steam-engine runs on them. This gets everywhere. The only real “weathering” I have done in terms of using paints and powders to simulate dirt, rather than simply allowing it to get dirty on its own, was to apply a bit of grime on the buffer-beams of my Roundhouse locomotive just above the railhead. A friend pointed out that even the most immaculately clean “shed pet” in real life will still pick up grime in this area after a very short period of running. I have to say, it really makes the engine look better. Otherwise, I simply do not clean it very often (besides the real running gear).

IMG_3295.jpeg (632.52 KiB) Viewed 154 times

[David P]

Those that know me well know I am a big fan of weathering - only hassle with large scale is the amount of effort it takes compared to my 1:48 work.

I have noted how much the general audience appreciate weathered locos and rolling stock at our club's open days - "Preston" is not quite the average look for a Roundhouse Davenport:

20250713_134155.jpg (4.6 MiB) Viewed 57 times

Had the horrible yellow cab when I picked it up (was supposed to be all black with the red roof - but that's another story).

The wagons behind are LGB and were originally green - loads are real coal.

And this is what a live steam NA should look like:

Na15-1.jpg (892.92 KiB) Viewed 57 times

IF I ever acquire one it will be weathered accordingly.................

[LNR]

And this is what a live steam NA should look like:

Totally agree David.
Grant.

[ge_rik]

Those that know me well know I am a big fan of weathering - only hassle with large scale is the amount of effort it takes compared to my 1:48 work.

I have noted how much the general audience appreciate weathered locos and rolling stock at our club's open days - "Preston" is not quite the average look for a Roundhouse Davenport:



20250713_134155.jpg



Had the horrible yellow cab when I picked it up (was supposed to be all black with the red roof - but that's another story).

The wagons behind are LGB and were originally green - loads are real coal.

And this is what a live steam NA should look like:


Na15-1.jpg


IF I ever acquire one it will be weathered accordingly.................

Not sure if beautiful is the right word, but that weathering is exquisite.

Rik

[WLR_CD]

For me weathering is the way to go, even clean stock in the real world is never totally clean.
All my 7mm industrial narrow gauge models have all been weathered along with the buildings and scenery.
I just cannot do out of the box shiny, although a lot of 16mm stuff is at the moment because I have got around to weathering it all yet, but I will!
I also don't do those caricature figures, does not work for me. I appreciate a lot of people like shiny and the figures, which is fine by me, we are all different at that's what makes it interesting, there is a space for everyone to do what they enjoy.

Weathering wise these days I use MiG Oilbrushers, they give a good working time and some really lovely effects usually very little oil paint. Topping up with weathering powders as required. A key thing with weathering is gravity, keep your weathering streaks vertical, unless your vehicles go at 200mph then you may get some horizontal ones!
To learn weathering techniques a great place to start is military modellers YouTube channels, they really have nailed how to do it.

Happy garden railways, be that shiny or weathered.

Martin