Chuck's Freight Cars

[TheKnighTT]

I finally got around to paint/spraypaint my first models.

The PGE box car came with a H.P. Products 0-6-0 and was probably the first car someone build. It had one door on one side, and two doors on the other side. It also had the reefer roof hatches. After having it first 18 month, I couldn't wait to get the airbrush going, so I painted it by hand to have something to stick decals to. I was not satisfied and tried the airbrush on the second one. In the past, I couldn't get the mixing right, having the paint either too thin to spray or jamming the airbrush. This time it worked. Paint is by Elita. PGE decals by K4 decals (and I think they are a tiny bit too large for TT), the CPR decals are of course by Black Cat Decals. The print on these was not very good. The decals for the hopper arrived as well, but I have to use more Micro Sol on these.

I know that car numbers are not correct and those cars do not really have a prototype, but I'm just getting started and I'm getting out of the arm chair.

[TheKnighTT]

And here's the hopper. I am not satisfied with the decals. It's a H.P. hopper, the brake wheel being an etched part from LnR. I only later realized, that I should have added a brake chain as well. Decals made by Black Cat Decals, spray painted with a rattle can using war gaming base coat. I found the coal, it's H0, but I have no idea who is the manufacturer.

[ConducTTor]

Yeah the decals can definitely be better. I've always had problems with decals but I don't know if it has to do with the decal quality or a bad technique by me.

[TheKnighTT]

As I recently learned, wheels in the transition era used to be a greasy black, due to the oil in the journal bearings. I got this frame from Digitalzentrale and spray painted my first set of wheels.

[Rich1853]

Yeah the decals can definitely be better. I've always had problems with decals but I don't know if it has to do with the decal quality or a bad technique by me.

Decal silvering
Silvering is air trapped between the decal and the model's surface. Silvering is more prevalent on surfaces painted with flat paints because by their very ature, flat paints have microscopic pits on the surface. Usually you can prevent silvering, setting solution or not, by gloss coating the surface you're applying the decal to.
Either by apply a gloss clear coat over your flat finish or to skip the application of a clear coat, use a gloss color, apply decals than a flat clear coat.

These are two tanker cars that were originally gray. I painted them gloss black and after applying the decals a coat of clear semigloss. My brother from N.Y. was supposed to pick them up but due to travel restrictions he couldn't make the journey last Christmas, note the dust layer.

[TheKnighTT]

Thank you Richard. Even though I have 3 cars ready for decals, I shall get some gloss coat and flat coat and try that.

[ConducTTor]

As I recently learned, wheels in the transition era used to be a greasy black, due to the oil in the journal bearings. I got this frame from Digitalzentrale and spray painted my first set of wheels.

Do you by chance have before and after pictures?

[TheKnighTT]

I did not paint all the wheels I have, so I can take a picture for comparison. I will also try out full glossy black, the wheels are not shiny enough.

[TheKnighTT]

Inspired by Bill's worktrain and encouraged by the book I got from Taxari, I rebuilt my first car from scratch. I got the side parts from an H.P.Products gondola off ebay and cut my first wood to complete it. It will become a ballast car in my worktrain, but it has to wait for another one for getting a paint job.

[TheKnighTT]

The first kit I began and now it's finished. One of the rare H.P.Products #750 kits with additional etched parts from Lok'n Roll and trucks from TitanTT. Color from Elita, decals from Black Cat Decals.
Thanks again to Rich, for giving advice on decalling.