Post by ptc on Oct 25, 2019 18:02:55 GMT
This goes to the very heart of model railroading, model airplanes, model anything. It is the desire to create in miniature, large physical universe objects, imposing, overwhelming things compared to the human body. Mans urge to do this goes back to origins of recorded history, cave paintings of large animals, carved icons etc. OK enough history.
Why buy a vision engine or super accurate MTH injection molded diesel? The desire to create the most accurate representation of a prototype. Wait a minute, why do guys still buy scout sets, and operating cattle and milk sets, and operating almost cartoonish representations of reality? Because as a Child these Were the real deal, these were accurate super detailed models. When you saw a scout, crude, out of scale 2-6-2 you really saw a Dreyfus Hudson storming past Bear mountain or a K-4 rocking telephone poles in Indiana moving 80-90 mph or a Daylight flying through San Louis Obispo and You were controlling it!!
The earliest records I can find of weathering are in the tattered dog eared pages of 1950's Model Railroader. John Allen and Bill McClanahan were doing it the hard way. There was nothing commercially available. Only chalk, India ink, alcohol and a lot of ability. The airbrush was gaining sway. HO was way ahead, mostly because there were a lot more HO'ers. The race for realism was on. Die cast HO was being replaced by built up models and kits produced by guys who acquired skill in fabrication, punching, jigging machinists, painting, casting etc during WWII. Brass engines came from thousands of out of work Japanese WWII artisans.
So here is the bottom line, if you like detailed injected molded freight cars, vision engines etc then weathering is the next natural step. Look at a book ie Morning Sun Picture books, Stauffer engine books. Few if any shiny new equipment. Everything weathered. Look at a string of hopper cars on N&W, C&O, PRR, and you can barely read the graphics. You can't see the rust because most photos are black and white. So why do guys not want weathered equipment? It has been said that a broad description of art is that which produces an emotional effect in the observer. Apply this to a comparison, apples to apples, weathered vs non weathered engine. Think about it for a minute. People are afraid of reducing the resale value of their equipment. "Nobody will buy my weathered stuff". I'll lose money."
1. If you're buying for investment, may I suggest the stock market. This attitude is particularly true in 2 rail brass. Did you ever consider that quality weathering increases the engines value? This is your hobby, your're doing this for enjoyment not to get rich. Hey try selling a set of used golf clubs.
2. What has passed for weathering in the past has not been very artistic. WIT-Weavers Feeble attempt at factory weathering. How did that work out? When I was 14 years old a guy in the Cherry Valley Club bought a pair of central (fallen flag) PA's. Handmade, custom painted. Then 6 hand punched, extruted passenger cars, again hand painted. Big Bucks, state of the art. Beautiful. He brought it back in a week. My jaw dropped. I was horrified. Said he "weathered it". Rubbed shoe polish on roofs with a rag. I was traumatized. He ruined them. If this is weathering I want no parts fo it. This was early 1960's. At least he tried. Don't know what if anything he sold then for. Look at the military modelers. Read their literature. Talk about weathering! These guys got it going on. Really-check them out. Puts me to shame. Why? Ask these guys? Don't think they sell their stuff. Enjoyment value only. Narrow guage guys the same way. In a weathered world of their own.
I do not consider a $2,000 plus composite engine a toy train. It is a scale model. I don't care how many holes smoke come out of. Real engines get weathered. I have had customers say "Make it look like its been on the road about a year". If a steam engine ran for a year unwashed, it would not be undistinguishable as an engine. Engines had huge parts which were exposed and needed to be lubricated. Side rod bearings, main rod bearings, driver and wheel bearings were wiped and pressure lubricated. Lagging sheets (boiler covering) was wiped with kerosene or "Russian Iron", to inhibit oxidation. A year would be unacceptable without many cleanings. Weathering does for an engine what makeup does for a woman's face. Accentuate strong points and de-emphasize weak points. ie Rust streaks draw attention to clean out plugs, handrail stanchions, check valves, lagging clamps, rivet strips. Shale streaks draw attention to pop turret, steam dome manifold, cylinder drain. Weathering is a detail. The greater the number of strokes per centimeter the more detail even an undetailed engine appears to have. Strokes per centimeter (SPC) a hiekeism. the only question is how to increase the SPC in a reasonable time for a reasonable cost. This is for the next issue.
Ok so here's an exercise. Go down to the nearest track. Study the appearance of the web, tie plates ballast, ties, inside and outside the rail heads, ballast. Take a photo or 2. Now go home and compare to your layout. See any difference? If no, schedule an appointment with optometrist. If still no go to a psychiatrist or take up butterfly collecting. For those saying yes, get more specific in the color and hues and location. Now how do you do this? Stay tuned for the next in my series on weathering.
Why buy a vision engine or super accurate MTH injection molded diesel? The desire to create the most accurate representation of a prototype. Wait a minute, why do guys still buy scout sets, and operating cattle and milk sets, and operating almost cartoonish representations of reality? Because as a Child these Were the real deal, these were accurate super detailed models. When you saw a scout, crude, out of scale 2-6-2 you really saw a Dreyfus Hudson storming past Bear mountain or a K-4 rocking telephone poles in Indiana moving 80-90 mph or a Daylight flying through San Louis Obispo and You were controlling it!!
The earliest records I can find of weathering are in the tattered dog eared pages of 1950's Model Railroader. John Allen and Bill McClanahan were doing it the hard way. There was nothing commercially available. Only chalk, India ink, alcohol and a lot of ability. The airbrush was gaining sway. HO was way ahead, mostly because there were a lot more HO'ers. The race for realism was on. Die cast HO was being replaced by built up models and kits produced by guys who acquired skill in fabrication, punching, jigging machinists, painting, casting etc during WWII. Brass engines came from thousands of out of work Japanese WWII artisans.
So here is the bottom line, if you like detailed injected molded freight cars, vision engines etc then weathering is the next natural step. Look at a book ie Morning Sun Picture books, Stauffer engine books. Few if any shiny new equipment. Everything weathered. Look at a string of hopper cars on N&W, C&O, PRR, and you can barely read the graphics. You can't see the rust because most photos are black and white. So why do guys not want weathered equipment? It has been said that a broad description of art is that which produces an emotional effect in the observer. Apply this to a comparison, apples to apples, weathered vs non weathered engine. Think about it for a minute. People are afraid of reducing the resale value of their equipment. "Nobody will buy my weathered stuff". I'll lose money."
1. If you're buying for investment, may I suggest the stock market. This attitude is particularly true in 2 rail brass. Did you ever consider that quality weathering increases the engines value? This is your hobby, your're doing this for enjoyment not to get rich. Hey try selling a set of used golf clubs.
2. What has passed for weathering in the past has not been very artistic. WIT-Weavers Feeble attempt at factory weathering. How did that work out? When I was 14 years old a guy in the Cherry Valley Club bought a pair of central (fallen flag) PA's. Handmade, custom painted. Then 6 hand punched, extruted passenger cars, again hand painted. Big Bucks, state of the art. Beautiful. He brought it back in a week. My jaw dropped. I was horrified. Said he "weathered it". Rubbed shoe polish on roofs with a rag. I was traumatized. He ruined them. If this is weathering I want no parts fo it. This was early 1960's. At least he tried. Don't know what if anything he sold then for. Look at the military modelers. Read their literature. Talk about weathering! These guys got it going on. Really-check them out. Puts me to shame. Why? Ask these guys? Don't think they sell their stuff. Enjoyment value only. Narrow guage guys the same way. In a weathered world of their own.
I do not consider a $2,000 plus composite engine a toy train. It is a scale model. I don't care how many holes smoke come out of. Real engines get weathered. I have had customers say "Make it look like its been on the road about a year". If a steam engine ran for a year unwashed, it would not be undistinguishable as an engine. Engines had huge parts which were exposed and needed to be lubricated. Side rod bearings, main rod bearings, driver and wheel bearings were wiped and pressure lubricated. Lagging sheets (boiler covering) was wiped with kerosene or "Russian Iron", to inhibit oxidation. A year would be unacceptable without many cleanings. Weathering does for an engine what makeup does for a woman's face. Accentuate strong points and de-emphasize weak points. ie Rust streaks draw attention to clean out plugs, handrail stanchions, check valves, lagging clamps, rivet strips. Shale streaks draw attention to pop turret, steam dome manifold, cylinder drain. Weathering is a detail. The greater the number of strokes per centimeter the more detail even an undetailed engine appears to have. Strokes per centimeter (SPC) a hiekeism. the only question is how to increase the SPC in a reasonable time for a reasonable cost. This is for the next issue.
Ok so here's an exercise. Go down to the nearest track. Study the appearance of the web, tie plates ballast, ties, inside and outside the rail heads, ballast. Take a photo or 2. Now go home and compare to your layout. See any difference? If no, schedule an appointment with optometrist. If still no go to a psychiatrist or take up butterfly collecting. For those saying yes, get more specific in the color and hues and location. Now how do you do this? Stay tuned for the next in my series on weathering.