Weathering locomotives

[wlenz781]

Does anyone know of any tutorials to learn how to weather a repaint? I want to create some old KCS White Ghost repaints, but I want some of them to look old and weathered. I need to old dirt and grime, along with good old fashioned rust to really give it some age.

[Chacal]

https://www.3dtrains.com/guides/painting/
https://msts.steam4me.net/tutorials/tra ... rial1.html

This one mentions weathering:
http://railworksamerica.com/index.php/l ... ting_locos

[wlenz781]

Chacal, I love the second tutorial and it is a technique I will have to learn to master. However, I do not think my skills are that advanced just yet. I was hoping to start with a weathered version of the Searchlight Simulations UP SD40-2 and then make a white KCS as well for the SD40-2. It might be better if another modder created a weathered version.

[Chacal]

The 1st one is really the basic method. Simple but it works.
Just spray (like you would do for a model engine) on separate layers and then adjust their opacity.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Just don't overdo it. Keep the weathering and rust/rot subtle. Especially when your locomotive uses auto numbers, and more than one can be put in a lash-up. It looks odd when all locomotives have the same pattern.

[BoostedFridge]

A suggestion for advanced weathering would be to look at lots of prototype images, and see exactly HOW the locomotives weather in real life.

Things such as: The paint on the roof will fade quickest, and most, as it is exposed to the sun's rays for more hours in the day than either side of the loco.

Diesel soot will be concentrated around, and below the exhaust stack(s), and more so behind them as the soot settles from the locomotive being in forward motion.

The trucks, underframe, and fuel tank (especially the front of the tank) will get covered in a layer of dust from use of the sanders. Also this dust gets sprayed up above the trucks to the lowest parts of the sideframe and running boards.

Sources of heat will fade the paint and decals around them. This is best illustrated on first and second generation EMD's with dynamic brakes. The paint, and decals underneath the DB blisters would discolour from the heat. (this is best illustrated on any CP Rail SD40-2 in their action red paint scheme).

[ET44C4]

Textures.com is your best bet. Download some rust and grime decals for free and add them in layers in your paint program.

[wlenz781]

Wow, thanks for the Textures.com site. It will be a great resource as I learn Blender and create objects.

[wlenz781]

Been working through the weathering instructions that you guys gave me. Here is my preliminary KCS White Ghost on the UP Snoot with partial weathering. Still need to blur and fade things together, but I think progress is being made.

KCS White Ghost Snoot Weathered.jpg

[BoostedFridge]

Coming along nicely

[wlenz781]

Making more adjustments to the weathered KCS White Ghost. Think I have it just about right. Had fun learning to add this.

KCS White Weathered.jpg

This is what I am attempting to create.

KCS 684.jpg

[wlenz781]

Added it in game and I think that it is too bright. Time to make adjustments to darken the whole engine.

20191201201111_1.jpg

20191201201046_1.jpg

20191201201020_1.jpg

[jalsina]

Added it in game and I think that it is too bright. Time to make adjustments to darken the whole engine.

20191201201111_1.jpg

20191201201046_1.jpg

20191201201020_1.jpg

The extreme white may be due to your ambient light, sunlight and contrast settings. Or even your monitor settings.
I have sometimes to change these parameters with black (NS locos), that look too black and hide details of the paneling.

Keep going. I like those rusty stains. You are doing well.

[BNSFdude]

I can tell what's wrong. Your alpha channel is either pure white or got removed.

[wlenz781]

Nope, the alpha is still the ones that you guys created. I think that the issue is that I have the white paint layer too bright. I need to drop the transparency level down from 60%.