# Saturday project



## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

I painted my first engine today

Started with this








Used some model paints I had on hand to come up wit this




































Its supposed to look like a Union Pacific switcher, the colors are a little off but I like it.
I need to order some decals for it.


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

a splash of red and you'll have a wringer. Besides, out in the yard with dust flying and sunshine beating, the colors would be "off" a bit soon enough anyway.

Looks good. :thumbsup:


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

Thanks!
When I decal it I'll add on some thin red striping

Steve


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Good start, and I wouldn't worry about the colors. By the time they age a few years, the colors don't look like the "factory fresh" ones anyway.


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## rdmtgm (Nov 25, 2011)

looks real good! anxious to see the finished project
Randy


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

It does look good, you going to weather it up too?


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

here's an update
I decided to make it grimey and used looking.



































This is my first attempt, hope I didn't over do it.

Decal are on order, looking forward to see them applied.


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

added a bit more red striping


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## Dano (Aug 26, 2012)

That looks really really good, but it was a MOPAR engine. Been watching on EBay for a reasonably priced set to give to my obsessed daughter!


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

Thanks Dano!
Yep a MOPAR engine...look close and you can still make out some of the letters!


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Looks good, who cares what it as long as,it serves you well! !


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

I think the paint job looks really good...nice crisp lines between colors. Well done! :appl:


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

I like the way you weathered it, not overdone at all. Good job. :thumbsup::thumbsup:
Great work on those bricks as well they almost look real. 

Magic


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Looking good. :smilie_daumenpos:

Though I think it needs some more, the frame & wheels, steps & handrail look too clean?
And I think you should wait till your done with all the decals then weather it.

How about some rust color coming off the hinges? 
I would add more black drooling off the top too, try to drool it towards the cab like the wind blew it. But that is me. 
One way to add a rust drool look is to apply your weathering liquid while the train is upside down. When the liquid drools it leaves more at the bottom then the top. It is easier to show than explain.
Some white could be added too if you want. See pictures.
One more thing is to take in account of the direction of travel, the wheels will kick up and spray it on the body in a distinct pattern.

Note I suck at taking pictures.
I am also not brave enough to weather any O, I can do HO and N but can't bring myself to weather any O. ?:dunno:?

This is N scale, over done? A little I guess but I think it came out good. 
I did this for another sites weathering contest, this was right after hurricane sandy blew through and the CNJ train just came back from running supplies down to the Jersey shore. 
Notice the wheels and direction of the spray from them. Your camera and light will affect what we see too. Some of these shots were taken before I was done, I tried to add some pictures with different light settings on the camera. Some without flash others with and different overhead lighting.As the light on the train will affect what we see in the picture.

Too much? I wanted this locomotive nice and dirty. :smokin:
What did you use to make it dirty?



































The other side is dirtier yet as the wind was blowing on this side. Missing a step too as it had to plow through some fallen trees. Looking at the pictures I see a few spots where I can add a little more.


















A picture with some clean CNJ's lining up to make their relief run to the Jersey shore. Note the flatbed canvas was made with a piece of masking tape then painted. An easy way to simulate canvas.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

big ed said:


> The pictures are a tad too big, HIT/HOLD THE CTRL BUTTON, THEN CLICK THE MINUS SIGN ONE TIME. It will fit them in.


Ummm, yeah.......


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Ed it "technology challenged", so I resized them. Hard to get them exactly in the previous order.


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> ed is "challenged"


ftfy


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Ed it "technology challenged", so I resized them. Hard to get them exactly in the previous order.


Tanks, it is funny that if I don't insert them so you don't have to go back and forth clicking to see the pictures, they come out the size you changed them to.:dunno:

Just a link they are the right size.
Insert them they come out big? :dunno:

It is in a camera setting too, I can't figure it out in the camera, when I first got the camera they loaded at a nice size.

Tell me any easy way to resize them, since I am technology challenged.
:goofball: Keep it simple please.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Fire21 said:


> Ummm, yeah.......


Fixed, hell it was only one click off.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

The New Guy said:


> ftfy



I got a dictionary now, watchout!








FTFY

Acronym for "fixed that for you."

Often used sarcastically - not to fix an honest mistake, but to sarcastically disagree with someone.:cheeky4:


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

The few pics I've posted have come out way big too. I was told it's a camera setting, but I'm not sure...it might be somewhere in the computer. :dunno:


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## DirtPiper (Dec 24, 2013)

That's a real nice switcher you got right there.

I'm too scared to paint any of my stock, even though that confounded Christmas dump car has been driving me mad with its garish colors.


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

Guys,
Thanks for all the comments, I really appreciate it.

Ed, I like your filthy,rusty engines. I'll do more to the trucks of mine.

Steve


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

silver69 said:


> Guys,
> Thanks for all the comments, I really appreciate it.
> 
> Ed, I like your filthy,rusty engines. I'll do more to the trucks of mine.
> ...


Like I said I did mine wanting a real dirty look. 

I asked what did you use?
What do you have to use?


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

So far I only used a black wash of flat black acrylic thinned with water.


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

I decided to leave the speaker out and install an interior.
Very simplistic but looks pretty good.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Ed's in to very dirty locomotives.  My RR keeps the equipment a bit cleaner.


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

Decals came in the mail today.
Left side is nearly done


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## GK Trains (Aug 10, 2013)

Very realistic, great


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Where did you find the pieces for the interior?


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

I used a Lionel F3 interior.
I took it apart and attached the components to thin cardboard floor/bulkhead.
The unit was hot glued in place so it could be removed if necessary.


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

GK Trains said:


> Very realistic, great


Thank you


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Cool, you have to add some bodies now. :thumbsup:


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

I probably have some 1/48 guys from planes built years ago, I'll need to check.


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

pretty much done, turned out okay.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Very cool! I'm not very informed on locos, what is purpose of the hand wheel on the front above the headlight?


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

I'm like you, I haven't got a clue what its use is!


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

Fire, I looked on the web and found the wheel is an antenna for the in cab radio.
Seems not all railroads used them including Union Pacific but since there was a mount for it I'll leave it in place.
Steve


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Thanks Steve. I find it interesting the variety of antennas that were and are used. The shape must have to do with where the RR is operating.


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## rdmtgm (Nov 25, 2011)

looks fantastic!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

The decals came out nice.
Looks great, job well done. :smilie_daumenpos:


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

rdmtgm said:


> looks fantastic!


Thanks!


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

big ed said:


> The decals came out nice.
> Looks great, job well done. :smilie_daumenpos:


Thanks, Ed


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Now you have to do a bunch of UP's rolling stock, to go along with the locomotive.


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

Nice work. I especially like the crispness of the lines separating the paint colors. What did you use to achieve this? Masking tape? What decals are you using?


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

Thank you
I used a Badger single action airbrush and blue painters tape.

The decals are from Champ and the red stripes were cut with a straight edge on a glass pane from a solid sheet of red decal material.

The decals are not as nice as Microscale but they were all I could find.
The red stripes laid down over the uneven surface and looked like they were painted on, the UP decals were more difficult to work with and required several applications of Solvaset to lie down and still weren't as nice as I would have liked.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Nice job. Have you looked at Frog Tape? supposed to yield even nicer lines, though what you managed to do there looks right on with the blue tape.


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## dlbraly (Oct 13, 2013)

I LIKE it!


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

*I've*

I've never heard of frog tape
I'll have to check it out


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

dlbraly said:


> I LIKE it!


Thanks Dave


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Frog Tape makes cleaner lines, it's available at Home Depot or many on-line retailers.


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## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

Looking really nice good work.



gunrunnerjohn said:


> Frog Tape makes cleaner lines, it's available at Home Depot or many on-line retailers.


If you're going for really crisp lines, regular masking or painters tape won't cut it for finer work. It works good for latex based house paints on walls and such, but sprayed enamels and lacquers are much thinner. Instead use 3M plastic masking tape covering that with masking tape leaving a portion exposed. Available in widths from 1/4th in and up. If going for a really smooth finish shoot a coat or two of clear over it to help "mask" the paints seams.

http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/3m-scotch-plastic-tape-471-blue-p-11359.aspx


Carl


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Frogtape is supposed to be superior to the standard masking or blue tape, but I haven't actually tried it. I have a roll, one of these days...


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## silver69 (Dec 20, 2013)

I like blue painters tape, if I want a super sharp edge I cut it with a new xacto blade on a glass pane using a square.
Lowering the pressure on my airbrush results in very crisp edges, no bleed under.

Another trick I use when spraying one color over another is to spray the first, tape off, spray the first color again, let dry then spray the second color.

If there was any bleed under it would be the base color bleeding into the base color.

Many techniques and products out there for spraying, use what you like.


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