How To Weather a Modern Locomotive - Simple & Easy Techniques

www.scaletrains.com/ho-scale/ho-scale-locomotives/rivet-counter-ho-scale-ge-es44.html

[@beeble2003]

One important thing that's not mentioned in the video -- always look at prototype photos before you start weathering. The tan-coloured grime used in this video looks very accurate for the locomotives in question, but locomotives running in different parts of the country (or world) will likely pick up different coloured grime. UP locomotives seem to have a rather darker shade of dirt, for example. Also, when wiping grime washes off any piece of stock, make sure the final strokes are downwards, so that any streaks run the same way as the rain you're mimicking.

[@f4t4lity0r4]

Yup. Many UP locomotives operate in tunnel country so they get covered in soot.

[@JoeyBPhotography]

Very nice subtle weathering job on these locomotives! I like the weathering powder technique for the panel lines, I'll have to give that a try!

[@valchavez9163]

WOW....great video Josh...when I weathered my hi rail o scale locos...I always take off the side frame trucks...and weathered them by them selfs....thanks for the tip.....

[@RFMCabooseNP1713]

That was a great video. It leaves an amazing look.

[@zactherailfanner]

Bro you make these videos so real!

[@CM-ARM]

Thanks for your video, I'm starting to weather more so videos like this are very helpful, Chris

[@bostonrailfanner471]

Awesome Layout!

[@CRP7609]

Thank you!! For this I really needed it

[@peacemeal3196]

Love it - especially the music!

[@ThunderRiffs87]

Got to see the Interstate up close in New Albany, Indiana. And she was DIRTY. I’ve got an Intermountain version of that loco. Will definitely apply this to that piece, and many of my locos, including my new ScaleTrains ones.

[@OhioCentralModeler]

Can confirm, it doesn't get any bath besides the rain. Unfortunately the heritage units are about half a decade too new for my railroad's era...

[@dxr2002]

About to weather IC 3008. Perfect timing of the video

[@DowneastProductions211]

Thanks for the helpful info!

[@tracksidemike]

Excellent job on the weathering of the locomotive good tip on how too do it your self. Thanks and great video 👍🏻🚂TSM

[@oldgoat142]

Excellent tutorial showing good technique. Thank you for this.

[@kba3039]

Josh thanks for the weathering tips.

[@Longshadowsmodeltrees]

Outstanding weathering work Josh.....Nice.

[@canadianlocomotivelogistics]

Always good to see anoth NS fan

[@MaclearieFarms]

Luv the vids keep it up

[@pennsylvanianrailfan]

i'm not brave enough to weather my stuff

[@floppaeditz123]

Start with crappy cars your never going to use, thats what I do. I find the crappiest piece of rolling stock in my collection and try to make them look as good as possible.

[@pennsylvanianrailfan]

@@floppaeditz123 I've tried, i've weathered some rolling stock that looks really good but im still not going to weather my 300 dollar locomotive lol

[@floppaeditz123]

@@pennsylvanianrailfan Lol I understand that

[@tomclark4654]

Josh pretty much doesn't run a locomotive without weathering. I think they last about an hour on the layout to check out proper operations before they are off to be weathered. He's even taught dear old Dad to weather and if I can do it ~ anyone can do it. (I still normally let him do it ~ he's better at it than I am ... and quicker!) Tom

[@tomstarcevich1147]

Just practice you will be 🙂 fine

[@djcretsinger1928]

Have only seen 2 heritage units one of which was the Savanah and Atlanta last night 1/18/2023 the other is the interstate featured in video

[@WindCityRailfan]

Awesome video these techniques will be on my locomotives

[@LizakDominik1988]

It would take me half a day just to mask those tiny windows 😂 Love the video 👍

[@LoneRanger5150]

Normally, I distinguish between "lead" and "trailing" units. I don't mask the windows on trailing units, only the lights. Windows on any locomotives are usually dirty,especially the back ones, and mirrors are filthy! Windows are usually clean only if the unit has received a wash job.

[@usrails17]

great video! I wish to start my own layout one day!

[@additudeobx]

I think that you did a good job on this engine. A couple of mentions is not to overdo the weathering. I've seen some weathering that is so heavy, that it looks more like the engine sat in the yard all its life and was neglected and never washed. Second consideration is direction of travel. These engines go either forward or backward, that's the direction of airflow. Like a fan blade, dirt and dust forms on the preceding edge of the blade and not so much at the center and rest of the blade.

[@houseofrandomness]

Simple, yet effective.

[@Bload72productions]

Just like throwing real dirt on them.

[@train-addict4656]

Very cool ,have been looking for a good weathering Demo , just pop up on my sub .

[@jolla9963]

I too use the same system to clean my loco wheels, it's alsa a great way to get rid of unwanted aftershave. I find paper towel the best, and as the wheels are spinning, whilst moving loco back and forth, I slowly draw the towel side ways, this way I know the wheels can not have any grime on them. I also make sure the line they are going back on is clean beforehand, no use putting clean wheels on dirty track.

[@lukestevens8735]

"Email" is the German word for enamel. The manufacturer is Revell.

[@CraigLYoung]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@sernajrlouis]

Great video

[@kylevice6768]

I actually took the Pennsylvania Heritage unit from Birmingham to Chattanooga a week ago to have new number boards put on. They were so bad we duct tapped card board over them and wrote the numbers with magic marker. Lol

[@1044fan]

Very interesting video 👍🏻

[@altec6]

Another great video. Simple and to the point.

[@dennisarmes3473]

hello josh ! first let me say we are very lucky to have you and your father giving us the great videos that you pass along to us. just watched your utah belt (pt 1) video of erics pike, raising questions in my retired mind !! first, as i received 10 pieces of cement tie ho scale track ( micro eng) as a gift and also see eric uses it on his main line ( 9:03/ 26:13) i would like your input on where to use it.... sidings where "heavier" trains may go ? or, do the real railroads use them prn ( aka "as needed") in place of traditional ties based on wooden tie availability or maybe cement ties are more weather resistant (regardless of creosote impregnation into the traditional tie) or less expensive ? also, as i have a medium sized layout ( bprr from buffalo, ny to pittsburgh pa) w/ double track mainline, could you please pass along your "recipe" for keeping track clean ? i am using 22-6 electrical contact cleaner/lube with a good wipe down along w/ brass cmx ( ? ) tank car and a trailing boxcar w/ fabric , replaceable cloth. i know this is a ton of stuff, but i can really use your advice here. blessings to you, josh !!

[@melissasmith7038]

Next time you weather some coal cars I would love to see it

[@Operator1652]

Nice

[@OldToby53]

yes..clean those wheels! #1 to do after weathering is done

[@MainTrack]

How would you compare the Krylon Matte spray to the flat coats made by Tamiya or Testors? I’m sure you get a lot more product for the buck with the Krylon!

[@randydobson1863]

hello nsmodeler its is randy and i like u video is cool nsmodeler thanks friends randy and my train is mr canadian 2036

[@aidansturtz2025]

One thing I would love for you to do is do a tutorial on how to remove a sill stripe/add one one to a unit.

[@richardcolemanjr3749]

NS use to keep those Heritage Units clean.

[@djlangle5526]

Thanks, great video! When you wipe the powders off, is that just a dry piece of paper towel you're using? Or should it be wetted with water or thinner? Edit: it looks like some times it's wet and others it's dry, just whatever works to remove the powder I assume?

[@nsmodeler24]

Hey, great questions - yes the paper towel is damp. I will dip it in some regular water and then dab it off before applying to the locomotive so it's damp, but not dripping. Occasionally I will use a dry paper towel piece to wipe up extra water, but the dry towel usually just smears the powder rather than soak up / remove the weathering powder.

[@djlangle5526]

@@nsmodeler24 Ahh that makes sense, thanks!

[@Azack-kv4cg]

Pls more. Maybe a GP38-2

[@Eagle91382]

@Josh Thanks for the tutorial. They look great. When you rub off the weathering powder, are you using a dry cloth or wet? If wet, are you using water or something else?

[@beeble2003]

He says damp with water, in reply to another comment.

[@Eagle91382]

@@beeble2003 Thank you!

[@DairyNS]

N-I-C-E

[@trainchaserlouisvilleindia7096]

You should make a video tutorial for adding custom horns and stuff to trains

[@ShukakuTheCrazy1]

I honestly thought at 8:52 that was the real thing, not the model. Man my mind nearly shattered when you grabbed it

[@kevinbohnenblust5844]

Great video -- thanks for sharing your techniques! Question: After wiping off the excess weathering powder, did you add another coat of the matte spray?

[@AbelG8781]

Yes. You have to layer and seal everything!

[@nsmodeler24]

Yes, I did. It seals in the weathering powders. Forgot to mention that, thanks!

[@kevinbohnenblust2930]

@@nsmodeler24 No, thank you! I enjoy your videos, and the how-to's are very much appreciated.

[@kevinbohnenblust2930]

@@AbelG8781 I thought so, but thought I'd better confirm before I started spraying! 😏

[@VirtualRailroad]

Can you do more es44ac's videos I love them

[@jakedoestrains1759]

Nice realistic layout can you add more updates on the ashville district?

[@nsmodeler24]

Yeah coming soon!

[@nsbfrailway69]

What compressor do you recommend for a the airbrush I’m looking into one any tips for what I should look at.

[@kcgrailgilbert8466]

How do you get ur locomotives sound so real

[@BCHonea]

Hey boys, you need to post content again. I know your prob in med school now but it’s not healthy to stay focused on all that, unless this is the pharmacology semester. Throw us a bone! We ❤ ya!

[@milesjones6851]

I am surprised you've never changed your profile picture. It's been the Interstate Heritage unit for years.

[@phildeckdeck1964]

Great weathering technique Josh! Big fan of your channel, but one thing in particular always hit my eye: Please consider this as a positive remark, not critisim: As the trains and surroundings are awesomly realistic, the suppot vehicules on the road are not. White maintenance or cement trucks straight out of the box with immaculate shiny bodywork and wheelarches, really? They all are screaming for the same care and attention that you give your locomotives and carts. It certainly will add a ton of realism to the whole experience. Hope you'll take this in considering, I’m certainly curious for the result. Best regards, Phil

[@floppaeditz123]

Great video! Just one question, wouldn't running an engine over a paper towl damage it, paper towels are really rough textured right?

[@Northwest_Railfan]

Paper towels are pretty soft, no where near abrasive enough to damage metal wheels. If you used sand paper then it'd be an issue.

[@AbelG8781]

LOL

[@nsmodeler24]

As long as the paper towel is laid flat, it wont interfere with any of the details on the locomotive!

[@coreywarren-wx1xe]

@@nsmodeler24 it would be cool if you modeled a chemical plant or a steel mill

[@jeremycross8598]

Have you ever painted or weathered the outside face of the locomotive wheels brown? I've seen someone do it before with a paint pen.

[@nsmodeler24]

Yes, I typically do that to all of my locomotives!

[@iatif1995]

What iwata airbrush did you use?

[@johnoneill5661]

I might try this on one of my old athearn blue box locomotives but I'm terrified of ruining one of my Scaletrains or Intermountain locomotives as they are not that easy to get here in the UK and I'm sort of stuck with what turns up on eBay ☹️ mind you I would probably end up bankrupt if I lived in the US (sooo many trains) 🤣

[@AbelG8781]

I see ESU still hasn't updated those ditch lights 😑😑😑😑

[@ns_sd70acu]

What was the title of the the video you guys made when the real Asheville district went to just one or two locals a week?

[@Hunter_Dawso]

One question: wouldn’t you want to airbrush the engine while it’s running in place or hold a brush with some umber colored paint up to the wheel, again while the engine is running in place? Otherwise; you end up with half the wheel dirty and the other half clean, which kinda takes away from the realistic/prototypical look.

[@nsmodeler24]

Hey, weathering while running it can be difficult, but I always go back afterwards and paint the wheels so that they look even when running.

[@user-bm5rs4cm3e]

What solution do you use to wipe off the grimy black weathering powder?

[@AbelG8781]

It's just water

[@nsmodeler24]

Water!

[@davidstewart5694]

Why not use actual dullcoat mixtures made for modeling giving a much better finish being you're using a airbrush?

[@southpacificcoastrrproductions]

What railroad is that heritage unit #8105 representing

[@southpacificcoastrrproductions]

Interstate? Never have year about it

[@southpacificcoastrrproductions]

Heard*

[@alexalvarez7727]

Do a Amtrak locomotive 🙏

[@crystallawhorne7328]

Request:can you weather 2 CSX engines in ho scale.1 an sd70mac.and the other CSX 3194 police unit.🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃

[@timlennon4571]

So I have a question and it’s kind of personal but I’m curious, what ballpark would you estimate a layout as detailed as this to cost?

[@modelrailwaybackshop]

$10K or more.

[@mms8393]

Way more.....@@modelrailwaybackshop

[@vuurvrrailfanner4656]

Dont you have the NS 8102 Heritage unit? also is there a way to let scale train locomotives like the NS Heritage units run on the bachmann ez track? do i need the bachmann DCC Commander if you dont know much about bachmann its fine

[@AbelG8781]

Track brand doesn't matter. As long as it's your scale. DC or DCC

[@vuurvrrailfanner4656]

@@AbelG8781 i searched a scale trains locomotive is 8102 i see DC/DCC Ready so does that mean it works for DC im betting?

[@AbelG8781]

@@vuurvrrailfanner4656 yes 100% correct

[@vuurvrrailfanner4656]

@@AbelG8781 thanks im planning on getting NS 8101 for DC

[@AbelG8781]

@@vuurvrrailfanner4656 you'll be happy with it trust me!

[@TrainBandit]

Do you still make videos

[@beeble2003]

I'm not convinced by the powder "wash" technique. The results are nice, but they're no better than you'd get with a standard oil pinwash. The big disadvantage of the powder technique it that it requires getting much more physical with the locomotive, so it's more likely to result in broken details. Also, if you are going to try this technique, try it on a freight car, first. I suspect that some combinations of powder and dullcoat products may be very difficult to remove, leading to a model that's just caked in black dirt.

[@chriskuhn219]

I've done this to a ton of locomotives over the years in both HO and N scale. Super easy. You'll find that it really doesn't take much force to remove the powder, and the biggest risk is that you use too much water on the paper towel and remove more powder than you wanted to. Easy to fix that, of course.. For areas with delicate details you can use a Q-tip or microbrush.

[@scottk9806]

I have loved my revolution. BE VERY CAREFUL ON THE NOZZLE WHEN CLEANING DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN. Or you will snap the head off.

[@tas7997]

I'm always scared to spray locos because of the wheels. Shees.

[@MatitimeMan]

you forgot to hit 8099 with a rock

[@Hunter_Dawso]

🤣

[@PacificNorthwestRailfanner]

That just made my day!

[@ModelRailroadTips]

"Revell" isn't a new brand by no means... just showing up more with Testors disappearing.

[@ModelRailroadTips]

Side note... what "thinner" are you using? Slight warning for new modelers because some thinners will melt the plastic!