Fade to Brown

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I have now completed repainting my wagon fleet. A couple of years ago (covered in http://vrlatestupdates.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/colour-blind-spot.html), I realised I had painted my fleet in the wrong shade of red/brown. Since then all new stock has been painted in the correct shade, however this left the majority of the fleet still in the old colour. Over Christmas I worked through these wagons repainting in a variety of shades. Weathering outcomes today brings variety, and this was no different back in 1925-35 when more basic paints had a range of outcomes also.

Pictured below are the key paints and elements used:



In the above picture (from left):

1. Brushes - tape separating acrylic from enamel brushes, the twain used to meet but I have learnt they shouldn't

2. Tissue, cotton bud and toothpick - for re-decaling where this was done and the toothpick for chalk scribble

3. Humbrol Satin #166 enamel - for lightening my tarps (previously they were darker green/grey, photo evidence shows tarps in this period were generally lighter than later), diluted with turps

4. Tamiya XF19 Sky Grey acrylic - same use as above, diluted with water

5. Floquil concrete enamel - same use as above, use of three colours deliberate as tarps vary as much as paints, previous paint undercoat means even more variations

6. Tamiya XF2 Flat White - for brake squares and also chalk scribble on wagons, chalk writing of destination and like details on wagons during this period was near universal and in some cases prolific covering entire sides and ends!

7. Vallejo flat black - for buffer heads and couplings (I use it for axles also, but as this was a repaint of wagons they typically didn't need re-doing)

8. Steam Era Models Imperial decal sheet - where decals were re-applied, added or corrected (some of my early wagons had the incorrect later larger decals)

9. Testors dullcoat spray - used sometimes as a sealing coat for decals, and always as a last coat for all rolling stock

10. Tamiya XF-10 Flat Brown Acrylic - see below for use

11. Humbrol Matt #160 - see below for use

12. Australian Export (SuperCheap Auto generic brand) Indian Red spraypaint - see below for use

13. Floquil Roof Brown - see below for use

 

The brown selection used was primarily items 10,11,12 and 13 and typically in the combinations below to bring a range of colours, with 13 (Floquil Roof Brown) always drybrushed as weathering to various degrees but typically quite heavy on the chassis. I have also included a note as to how common this paint type is in my stock to give some ides of degree of use.

 

1. Using (12) Australian Export (SuperCheap Auto generic brand) Indian Red spraypaint, with (13) (Floquil Roof Brown) drybrushed and/or thinly coated as weathering to various degrees but typically quite heavy on the chassis. The following results typify the outcomes:

 

These two wagons have the spray applied directly to Steam Era Model's dark grey plastic, bring a more weathered outcome. Variations on this are my most common outcome.

 

This hopper has the spray applied over the previous Floquil Zinc Chromate Red, bringing out a more freshly painted outcome. Variations on this are relatively common outcomes.

 

This horsebox has the spray applied over a red-brown etch primer, again bring out a less common chestnut-type of weathering for a wagon that doesn't see much dirty use and is probably a few years into its paint. This is a rarer outcome.

 

2. Using (10) Tamiya XF-10 Flat Brown Acrylic: 

For a van that has not been repainted for many years, has been in much traffic (large percentage steam in those days remember) and is at the dark end of the outcomes. Variations on this are common outcomes.

 

3. Using (11) Humbrol Matt #160:

For a cattle wagon that has also not been repainted for many years, however has had less use and hence the paint has weathered to a lighter outcome. Variations on this are less common but nonetheless in some numbers for appropriate stock.

 

4. Using (13) Floquil Roof Brown: 

For a wagon that has not been repainted for many years and has been engaged in dirty traffic, in this case coal, hence the discoloured outcome. This is an uncommon outcome.

 

Three related notes:

1. There's obviously a range of weathering outcomes between these as I have tried to note, here restated for emphasis. One weathering outcome I haven't tried yet is where a wagon (eg. a W&W wagon) was parked with little use for some time where the outcome seems to have been a lighter brown-purple.

2. Cameras, screens, eyes and layout lighting make changes to colours so what is seen here may be close but is likely not exactly as these wagons actually appear

3. My choice of this colour range was based on what I view as the best evidence of colour for wagons during this era, others have different views so if embarking on a fleet during this era I recommend you look at the evidence, make a choice and (most importantly) stick to it.

 

All done with some relief at completion, and it has been great to get back to building new things in the months since. Trains looked different back then, and Glenburn's trains now show this: