Model Railroading > Sharing HO ATHG UP SD9043MAC Thoughts

This was a couple months of tinkering on weekends and weeknights after work, but finally got around to the final weathering. These two really tested my patience...I guess that's something you absolutely MUST have in HO scale modeling!

The first 3770, I tried weathering and ended up going wayyy too far with the fading and weathering and tried rubbing off the excess with acetone effectively dulling the paint and stripping off all the small lettering and details. I ended up accepting defeat and found a replacement DC-only 3770 shell to move to the DCC frame. On top of that, after weathering the DCC decoder seemed to die on me and give the dreaded 6-blink sequence. Somehow after power cycling and choosing "No" on the NCE Register, the decoder magically corrected itself and appears to be okay for now. I think a ditch light is out though... oh well, that can be considered prototypical. 

This pair is my first dip into Athearn's more recent Tsunami 2 Genesis offerings with LED's, truck lights etc... and I must say I am impressed. Additionally, I cannot say enough good things about True-Color's airbrush ready paints. Especially their RR Tie Brown for truck and frame weathering. I thin way down to 1:5 or 1:6 with hardware store lacquer thinner and just take my time. Airpods in with some good tunes. A 3M or equivalent respirator is a must-have. I use Testors Dull-cote ~1:3 in the airbrush to get a nice even coat and get into all those complex corners for a nice uniform look. I finish off with a couple of heavy coats of the Dull-cote-in-a-Can to protect the model from handling. 

Thanks for looking! 

-Alex Wilson
ApproachAspect



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/24 18:39 by east_bay_alex.

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...I must also mention taking the time to properly tape-off and mask the locomotive can really make a huge difference in the final outcome. Especially with the re-numbering patches coming straight from the manufacturers, masking can really show the effect of a fresh-patch job. Plus the satisfaction of peeling the tape off is awesome! 

-Alex Wilson
ApproachAspect



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/24 18:40 by east_bay_alex.

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Well done.  Look terrific to my eyes.
jb

Weathering is something that is far too easy to overdo, as I have done several times. Best to use a lot of restraint and just do a little and then let it sit for a day or two. You can always add more, but it's very hard or impossible to undo.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Excellent work!  Those patches really stick out, like they should.

Nathan

That RR tie brown is pretty effective for road grime. Looks really good overall, nice work.