1:13.7 Atlas Type G 1.5-ton critter

[billmart]

Here's a little critter I built a few years ago.  It's based on a 2-ft gauge Atlas Type G critter.  The prototype, which sold rather poorly, used the engine and transmission from a Cletrac Type F (string of pearls) crawler.  The model is a simple affair, as was the real thing.  The sides of the hood have no louvers; there is no fancy radiator shell; and no compound curves.  I had chassis and some parts of the engine enclosure laser curt from 1/15th inch plexiglas (acrylic sheet).  The axle boxes, radiator core, and coupler pockets are resin castings.  The rest is constructed primarily of styrene.  I wound the springs from copper wire.  It's painted with Testor's ModelMaster 'Light Sea Gray' from a spray can.

It is such a simple model (composed of basic shapes) that I hate to call it finescale, but though some of you might like to see it, and would give me some much needed assistance.  

I am soliciting ideas for weathering it.  My preference is for it to represent a little industrial critter that is used regularly, but not ready for the rip track.  Well used but not abused.
Here are a few of my thoughts.
1.  The cast coupler pockets need some bare steel showing, but probably not rust.  When I look at photos of small locos with cast coupler pockets, I see little (if any) rust.
2.  The axle boxes need to look a bit grungy, like a mix of dirt and leaking oil.
3.  Probably a little dark grime around the sides of the hood.
4.  Some dirt and grime inside the cab, with places on the floor where the paint has worn off and bare steel is showing.
5.  Some grime and rust on the springs.
6.  A little tan sand around the sander box lids.

Specific suggestions on how to achieve this look would be highly appreciated.  I am going to weather this model, and I promise to post photos of it after (and perhaps during) the weathering process.

Over the past year, I've read and reread a ton of weathering posts on this website, and purchased a boatload of paints, washes, pigments, etc.  Now I just need to get after it.

Bill Martinsen

[marc_reusser]

Cool little critter! Look forward to seeing wher you go with the painting.

There would likely be exposed dark oxidized and polished steel on the couplers..especially the center of the faces, fading towards the sides (as this surface might be used to push and cars, and would receive coupler face impacts)...and likely some at the top around the hole, as this is where the impact and wear from inserting and removing the pin would occur (there might be some small chips on the front of the frame at this area as well, from banging the pin into it) The exposed and repeatedly worn steel from the pin and coupler faces would likely cause some rust colored oxidation to occur and bleed into the edges of the paint at the chips....maybe even a small amount settling in the corner between the top of the coupler and face plate...but that would quickly be combined with dust and grime.

Some of the bolt heads at the sides could be shipped and showing dark steel...there could also be small random scratches and chips along the side frame from tools, equipment, or something that scraped along the loco. If painting the small scratches, a small piece of scrubbing pad can be used, by lightly dipping it in a slightly thinned steel color (Vallejo German SS Black Brown, or German SS Dark Grey are good colors for this)....then dab off most of the paint on a glass surface till only a very small amount remains...then lightly pull it across the surface in the direction you want the scratch. Of doing the hairspray method, use a needle and lightly draw it across the paint to create an almost invisible scratch, then use a soft brush dampened with water and brush back and forth across the scratch (perpendicular to the scratch) till it opens up and shows the amount you want.

Small chips can be painted with the above colors as well. just slightly thin them as you work, and use something like a 5/0 or 10/0 brush with a good tip.

NOTE: I am going to mention some products by MFR her, but that does not mean I am "pushing" them, it is merely that I have found these useful color-wise and such, so I use them for effects on my own models.

For grime and grime shaded areas, I have recently been using the AK dark grey oil paint, and the dark grey shading color from ship colors set. I have also found that their "Engine Grime", and "streaking Grime" work well. I tend to randomly combine brownish  and dark grey tones to create old oil and industrial grime type shades.

For grease around the axle boxes, I would use a combination of the AK "Engine Grime" and the MIG/Abt-502 "Engine Grease" oil paint. These can be mixed and layered. The engine grime dries more grey and matte, while the engine grease dries more brownish and slightly shiny....how much of eah and where is up to the effect you want to create. For areas of heavier build-up I would apply one of the above, then carefully spot apply a mix of black and brown pigments into it (I learned from Chuck, to also mix some extremely finely sifted dirt into the pigment for more structure).

The cab floor depends again on the painting and chipping process...and if the floor is smooth or has a diamond-plate texture....if this is the final paint, I would use one of the dark steel tones noted above to AB the areas of the floor that would be worn& showing exposed metal....I would then follow this up with a very thinned wash of Vallejo "Leather Belt", for a lighter oxidized rusty shade, and to add some variation. then I would lightly burnish areas using the AK "Steel" pigment. I would then follow this with some combination of earth toned pigments and earth toned washes.....I can't give too much direction here, as the colors would depend on your choice of "environment" and the dirt that exists there-in. I would do pin washes and  overall thin wash, then use a damp brush to manipulate the wash how I wanted (IE into corners, and under things and cleaning areas that would be clean from wear)...while this was still damp I might carefully apply some pigments in the areas I wanted heavier dirt/grime build-up...I would then repeat this as needed.

The loco would likely have some grime and dust build-up in all the corners and around the things on the hood....this would result in some light streaking and maybe rain marks.....here you could try Chuck's method of Guache, or you could use something like the AK "Rainmarks for Nato Vehicles"....you could also use a very diluted wash of the proper color of Humbrol oil paint.

There would likely also be a bit of wear and chipping on or at the handles at the side of the hood, and at the retainer bolts and holes at the top.  Because this panel would wiggle and vibrate constantly while the engine was in use the steel at the holes and bolts would be in constant friction...creating a constant state of re-oxidation there...so you would likely have at least a small amount of rust bleed into the surrounding paint...and maybe even some streaking.
I don't think that actual sand grains would stay in the sloped hood for long during operation, ...it would likely slide/roll off...leaving behind a layer/area/streak of fine dust. Because the sanding lid would be removed and replaced frequently, there would likely some grimy hand-print areas on it...and likely a couple of chips at the edges where they were dinged against the loco while handling....for all one could know, the lid was probably dropped a couple of times. If one of those things on top is for filling fuel, you would definitely have fuel stains and streaking...these do not have to be heavy if you thing the crew was fastidious and wiped them off almost immediately or frequently...however, there would still be discoloration of the paint over time..and maybe some darker streaks.

Something to consider as well, is the overall sheen and discoloration of the paint. Depending on your reference images, I have seen may of these locos that when they were in use and reasonably maintained, they received a frequent "cleaning"...meaning a rub down with and oily rag. This of course gave the paint/surface a sort of sheen over time...but it also tended in areas that were not as easily wiped...such as the inside corners of the cab/hood/frame.... to accumulate more of the oily grime from the rag, and cause them to be darker than outside edges and easily accessible surfaces.

I better stop, before my soap-box collapses from my long windedness....

[marc_reusser]

Dont know if this is any use...but its from my Bman bash....and sort of what I was getting at above...just a bit more heavily weathered than what you are likely after (and it's not finished  )

Needed to test/experiment some techniques for dust, oil and grime using the new AK pigments and the the Engine Grease mix, for a currrent project, so I hauled out this old  build to try them on. (Also used the new Dark Steel and Med. Rust pigments for the seat and metalic areas at the top of the cab walls, as well as some dilluted pin washes of the Africa Dust wash on the bonnet and for streaking.)




Attached below...Heavy oily axlebox type grease mix at left......dust/dirt and verdure acumulation at right.

[Gordon Ferguson]

Marc

thanks for the details Marc, printed them off and now in the "how to" file

Bill

Nice model Bill remember seeing this one a while ago, did you get my e-mail on Gouache Paint?

[mad gerald]

Holy Moly ...

... every time I developed something at my little desk and think I'm gonna finish it ... another one comes up with something new, which attracts my attention ...  

... must resist ... must ... resist ... arrrrghhhh ...  

BTW: Biil, what are the basic dimensions (and wheelbase) of the prototype?

Nice model so far anyway ... and thanks for the "how-to" too, Marc .... ... will be helpful with my CAT ...

Cheers

[billmart]

Marc - Thanks so much for taking the time to respond in such detail.  Your painting and weathering skills amaze me, but even more amazing is your willingness to share your techniques with the rest of us.  Time is a precious commodity for most of us, so I truly appreciate the time you spent writing your response.

Gordon - Yes, I got your email (thank you  ) but haven't bought any gouache paints -- yet.  My latest "paint" acquisitions are a jar of AK-086 Dark Steel Pigment (which I have tried) and a 3-bottle set from LifeColor for Leaking and Stains (still to be tried).  I love the Dark Steel Pigment and wonder how I ever got along without it.

Gerald -
Wheelbase:  34 inches
Length of frame (without coupler pockets):  94 inches
Width:  44 inches
Height from top of rail to top of cab:  72 inches

I've made an AutoCAD (.dwg) drawing of it, based on the stated dimensions and two builder's photos.  I can email it to you if it would be of assistance.

Bill Martinsen

[mad gerald]

Bill,

Gerald -
Wheelbase:  34 inches
Length of frame (without coupler pockets):  94 inches
Width:  44 inches
Height from top of rail to top of cab:  72 inches

I've made an AutoCAD (.dwg) drawing of it, based on the stated dimensions and two builder's photos.  I can email it to you if it would be of assistance.

... thanks for info ... I really try not to be distracted, but I'd be glad if I could come back to your offer later ... 

Cheers

[billmart]

Gerald - Barring a massive computer crash, the drawing should be available whenever you want it.

Bill M.

[billmart]

Here is a small drawing of the 2-ft gauge Atlas Type G.  When making the drawing, I reduced the wheelbase slightly so the frame would match an Aristo Craft power block I used to power the model.

Bill M.

[finescalerr]

Good thread. I'm looking forward to excellent results. -- Russ

[Franck Tavernier]

Hi Bill,

Some painting Hairspray's technique samples / ideas, I tried on my models...




















Have fun,

Franck

[Erkut Baykal]

Franck & Marc

Those are excellent weathered models.
You guys should check out:

http://theweatheringshop.com/home.html

...and rightfully be there.

Erkut

[billmart]

Franck -  Thanks for the photos.  The level of weathering on your Davenport is about the level I'm aiming for.

Erkut -  Thanks for the link.

Bill Martinsen

[Franck Tavernier]

Thanks Bill! If painting samples could help you, I would be glad!

Franck