SSW and UP weathering - Please comment

[SSWUPinSA]

Hi guys,

My name is Callum and i am based in South Africa. I am busy designing and building my first layout and while I wait to finalise my plan I have started doing some weathering. I would like your opinions and all honesty on what I have done. I have not super detailed the locomotives as these are first attempts... My layout will be SSW/SP and a little UP based... I have never seen one of these loco's in real life but there is something very special about the SSW GP40's...

[e-paw]

I was sold on the first pic... great job.

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Yeah, looks kick-butt!

[Ralph]

Looks very convincing to me! Beautiful job! The first photo looks like a proto pic at first glance!
Ralph

[yellowlynn]

If I could do half that good I would think I was a professional.

Lynn

[Steamtrains]

I have to wear a bib when I look at these locos..... And I'm not even a dyed-in-the-wool diesel fan....

[Gary S]

No doubt these are some great models. Especially the first two. Top notch!

[SSWUPinSA]

Thanks for the encouragement guys!!! I have some local guys asking about weathering as it isn't popular here in SA... I was going to offer to help them but wasn't sure I would be able to help if my work was not up to it. I haven't been at it long so at least this helps me have the confidance to offer what I know so long... Thanks to Pelle S for his tuts and books... "Done in a Day"

[nachoman]

Looks convincing to me, especially the first one. Keep in mind the SP had some VERY grungy looking locomotives in the 1980s and 1990s. The paint would be faded out, rusty, grimy, and sooty. I saw many locomotives that appeared a if they had been through a fire. In many cases, the lettering was almost impossible to read. I don't know why the SP was especially bad for having weathered locomotives - whether it was they used cheap paint, or painted/washed them less frequently. The locomotives you weathered are very nicely done, but by SP standards, they would be "clean".

[Herc Driver]

I can only add to the applause on this one...great weathering job. Really believable.

How did you get the white-ish appearance on the fuel tank and truck assemblies? That really gives it that "old metal" look to me.

[SSWUPinSA]

How did you get the white-ish appearance on the fuel tank and truck assemblies? That really gives it that "old metal" look to me.

I just airbrushed on a very thin mix of Tamiya Deck Tan Acrylic after I had sprayed the rusty truck mix and spotted the trucks with a sooty black airbrushing to simulate some greasy spots... Then finally used a light weathering powder over the details on the trucks to bring them out!

Not complicated but there are a few steps to it... Willl look into doing a pictorial when I have another loco to do...

[Steamtrains]

Hope you've got another loco to do soon....
The "look" on those locos might lead me to "grunge-up" my UP's diesels...

[SSWUPinSA]

[SSWUPinSA]

A BLI AC6000 - UP 7500 that was one of my first loco's...not the best weathering so I have touched it up, will post newer photo's of them soon...



My first loco I bought, Athearn genesis in the American Diesels... The SD60 and 70 are my favourite of all the UP and SP... Will run a fleet of these when I have the space in UP and SP...

[Gary S]

Those fuel tanks are the best! Callum, you definitely have perfected the technique of fading the blacks and grays. Also love the fuel spills on the tanks. As I mentioned earlier, I would be pleased as punch if my locos looked half as good.