On my laundry list of projects for the early sixties version of the LAJ layout is to add to my rolling stock roster, especially what I call “plain janes”, unpretentious cars that look like they belong. Looking at prototype photos, there were more fifty-footers than forty-footers.
The old Walthers Proto cars are really nice models with a high level of ultra-thin details. The trucks are very smooth rolling. I did some basic upgrades which included swapping in a thinner brake wheel from Kadee, adding Detail Associates cut levers, and replacing the couplers with the Kadee scale version.
When it comes to weathering some lessons learned the hard way are:
-Before you do anything, do NO HARM
-Work in light layers
-Know when to stop
All easier said than done. Going in my goal was to simply knock down the shine and tone down the white for starters. This was done with a very thin wash applied with an airbrush. I filled my airbrush cup halfway with Tamiya thinner and added a few drops of Hull Red. Test the wash strength on a white card NOT the car, again a lesson learned the hard way. A similar wash of Nato Brown was applied to the roof. A wash of Dark Iron was applied to the car ends and around the doors. After looking at the photos, my sense was it “needed something more”. It was soooo tempting to keep going. Judgement prevailed, and I decided to call it a day. I can always add more layers but you can’t undo over-weathering.
Along with half the country, I’m homebound due to the massive snow/sleet/ice storm. It’s a good excuse to get some modeling in. It’s been an interesting behavior mod. challenge for me of late, going from a lifetime of “mission mode” model railroad construction to learning to slow down and enjoy the ride. I have to continually remind myself that the faster I work, the sooner I’ll work myself out of projects.
This weekend, I added an extension piece to the warehouse on the base layout, replaced the backdrop mockup with the permanent piece, and upgraded the W.S. Dodge mockup. The backdrop flat consists of three photos stacked on top of each other to give more of a 3D effect.
Here’s the artwork for the door on the warehouse extension if anybody wants to use it. Doors are eighty inches tall, which scales to .92″ in HO. (80 inches equates to 10 cinder blocks as another way to scale things)
One of the members of my Facebook modeling group suggested that I swap in some new trucks from 3D Central on my new Rapido reefer. They came in Friday and are smooth rolling beauties with narrow tread. Between the excellent base quality of the Rapido unit, the new trucks, and Kadee scale couplers, the car has ended up being a real gem.
When I first clipped the extension module in place, I was a little surprised that I got reliable power simply through the rail joiners connecting the module to the main layout. I left things that way for a while, but I wouldn’t call it a best practice standard. As with all turnouts, the frog is dead. That being the case, I was getting stalling when the short wheelbase switcher passed the turnout.
Time to do things correctly. I powered the frog with a Tam Valley Frog juicer and added two sets of 18-gauge feeders. Stranded vs. solid doesn’t matter. The photo above shows the location of the feeders, which I soldered to the bottom of the rail. The Walthers c70 turnouts have a tab for wiring in a power feed.
Here’s a view from the bottom showing the juicer. The module connects to the main layout bus via an XT60, 14-gauge quick-disconnect plug purchased on Amazon.
Overall view of the 54-inch-long extension with mockups in place.
Sometimes you need to thrash around for a while to find a path forward that motivates you. For me, answers come from “doing” and testing in 3D. Spending months (or years) drawing sketches isn’t particularly productive.
Two-dimensional drawings tell you very little. Testing in 3D with mockups tells you a lot. I’ve finally settled on a composition that I like, and was surprised by how much the extension module adds to the layout’s operational potential. Here are some progress photos, followed by images of the prototype that will serve as the basis for the structures.
Using “T” intersections at the backdrop interface gets you around the visual landmine of having a street running right into the wall.
Top view of the “T” intersection showing the one-inch gap for the suggested cross street.
The key to capturing the feel of the area you’re modeling is to study it and identify the signature elements. LA’s Central Manufacturing District is typified by boxy, single-story, slate gray or white warehouses such as this one at 5027 Gifford Avenue. The tenants of these structures often changed over the years.
Dodge Oil on Fruitland has a lot of visual texture without being too over-the-top. I’m going to use it as the foreground structure.
The side of this Art Deco structure at 4355 will serve as the background structure at the end of the “T” intersection.
Here’s the edited photo wallpaper file of 4355. Feel free to download and use it.
Aerial view of The Central Manufacturing District facing east.
Backdating the LAJ layout to the early 1960s has entailed educating myself as to the types of rolling stock that were on the rails during that era. It’s been a slow but fun process.
First up was the need for an era-suitable reefer for Federal Cold Storage. I chose Rapido’s Santa Fe RR-56 mechanical reefer (pn 156002A). This is simply an exquisite model with the finest of details. Many of said details are fine as a hair and therefore a bit delicate.
Today, I’ll walk you through the weathering process. With all things weathering, you want to focus on a number of light/subtle layers and shoot for finely feathered edges. The trick, and it’s a hard one to learn, is to…..know when to quit. Once you go one step too far, lay things on too thick, you’re pretty much screwed. There’s no going back. Not sure if you applied enough? Take a break. Walk the dog, mow the lawn, shovel the driveway. Then re-evaluate. You can always add another layer.
To build momentum, I start with the easier more forgiving steps, the underbody. I swapped in Kadee 158 scale couplers, cut off the trip pin, and carefully painted them with Model Master “Dark Earth”. Use a small brush and take care not to get any paint on the coupler’s hinge points. I painted the airhose Tamiya German Grey and the hose aircock Tamiya Dark Iron.
Remove the trucks and mask off the treads. Apply four or five light coats of Rustoleum Dark Gray Primer (rattle can). Spin the wheels between coats to get full coverage. Finally, dust on one or two light coats of Rustleum “Earth Brown” camo. paint (rattle can). If you need a break, nows a good time before moving to the next step.
Now for the primary step and one where you need to be totally rested and focused. This is where, if you’re too heavy-handed, you’ll ruin the model. Apply three or four light coats of Dullcote (rattle can) from various angles. I use a hair dryer to speed up drying time.
For coloring, we’ll be using Bragdon FF-69 “Weathered Brown” weathering chalk. It’s crucial to note that weathering powders are like paint from the standpoint that they bite hard and fast. Especially, with a dull surface, you can’t wipe them off after they’re down. Apply the powder with a 3/4″ wide, flat-tipped brush, starting with the roof.
Dip the brush in the powder. Now, the most important part of this entire blog, WIPE MOST OF THE CHALK OFF THE BRUSH, on a paper towel. Apply it exactly parallel to the roof ribs. Seal with Dullcote.
Now for the sides (and ends). Using perfectly vertical strokes, brush the chalk down across the car. It’s very easy to slant your strokes here and there. It’s not a good look and very hard to correct, so be careful. Work in very light layers. As before, know when to quit; better too little than too much. Because 3/4″ is a fairly wide brush, you’ll need to grab a smaller brush to work chalk into any tight spots.
To prevent damage to the underbody while you’re working, it’s easier to set the piece on a block of wood. Also, I always wear latex gloves during the weathering process.
Finally, we’re going to (very lightly) highlight the rivets on the ladders and grab irons. Artists’ felt-tip pens are very easy to work with and allow pinpoint accuracy. I picked up a pack of earth colors by a company called Tombow that I like. I think I got these at Michaels, but you can get them online also. Take a dark brown pen and lightly tap the ladder rivet heads. Once everything is done, apply one more light coat of Dullcote, and it’s a wrap.
