Quite possibly one of the best tutorials on using an airbrush and weathering I've seen, and I watch a lot of KZfaq videos! Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us!

Wow. That hour sure passed by quickly. THANK YOU for showing us how it's done!

Love watching your videos they are so calming it’s like watching a modern day Bob Ross Video

That’s the best thing about this hobby, I’ve been in it 50 years ( wow, weird to say it) you might finish a model ( track , engines, cars, buildings, scenery? ) and when you do it and get it done to your liking you’re happy with it, great! Might stay that way for years, and then one day you look at it, and your skills get better ( practice) and you say I can do better or I think I’ll try this, whatever, any facet of this hobby lends itself to this, wiring, bench work, painting, detailing, I mean I look at your modeling and think wow! This guy knows his stuff! And you do, I model to the best of my ability, like we all do, but over time you get better at things, there’s still things I shy away from, but if you don’t fail? You don’t learn. I don’t subscribe to a lot of channels, but I look forward to your stuff, you have a knack for keeping it interesting, and teaching at the same time, and as far as air pressure, same here I like mine high, can’t explain it, but I’m comfortable with it, so once again thank you for doing what you do. Best regards, tom

Thanks for the Tutorial - I've never seen weathering without an airbrush that compares to weathering with an airbrush. Your time invested in your videos are much appreciated!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to thank you for several reasons. The first being these Canadian hoppers. I grew up in Nebraska, don’t ask me why, other than Nebraska shipped a ton of grain, but we always got those cars coming through the area when I was young. To me they were the most beautiful cars in any train. Then for years in modeling they just disappeared. When you did that first red one on your channel a year or so ago it got me to look for them again. I think I have a train full now😁 But that leads me to my second thank you. I worked for 40 years as a commercial artist, ( I was still in highschool when I got my first clients) but as a result I have this need to create style and I love pretty a lighter touch is always preferred to a heavy one. To me a perfect model railroad is a place you want to get lost in and dream about existing in… just me… so many channels and railroads go so overboard creating these weathered scenes that make you feel like you need a hazmat suit to enter them. Your railroad always feels right. Beautifully detailed, usually just enough weathering to make it feel in place, but still lived and taken care of, that’s important to me. Thank you for showing a different way.

Nice job Boomer... very nice. You are right ... we could never exhaust this hobby, it's one of the greatest hobbies that anyone could ever have. Thanks man!

Dear Boomer, what an awesome shoots. Love the thin paint, try and experiment, fail and try again. Loved the comment you made on social media. Simply true. Cheerio

Thanks! This has always been my approach to french polish finishes in woodwoorking. Sometimes I can put as many as 30 coats on and you can add hints of color as well. Nothing like that deep sheened rubbed look in woodworking.

...and yet another super useful video! Thank you Boomer! I saved as a favorite, for both the technique and the super white-faded prototype photo you shown. To answer one of your questions, reflective stripes are mandatory for all cars. They are added by the owner, and are usually cleaned or replaced when the car goes under reparation in any shop. Each strip is standardized, so as their spacing; at the ends of the car, doubling the stripes surface is mandatory (like it is on your red hopper). But again, the only important thing that matters is how much you like your car! (Being French, I love when you show Canadian products with their literal translations from English. :p )

I like watching good weathering presentations. It was a favorite part of my time in HO railroading; I still enjoy pulling out a bland railcar and bringing it to life.

Boomer, you make a great point that those of us who weather really don’t know what’s going to happen! I do a lot of weathering for myself and others and it is very true. So hard to say sometimes if a technique is going to work or if the car as a whole is going to turn out.

I've been staring at my brushes, compressor, paints, making tape, IPA etc... for way too long. Tonight is the night. You've inspired me once again. I have so much rolling stock in need of weathering that it's somewhat overwhelming. But now is the time. I welcome all the mistakes and trial and error. Would you recommend starting on cheaper, less desirable cars to get my feet wet? or just jump right in? Isn't it funny how modeling prototypes is a metaphor for real life situations, just on a 1:87th scale. Why do I fear it? Why do I let it hold me back? Just so crazy how all these nerdy things we do effect our everyday lives. Thanks Boomer, as always, your are best around. Tug

Dumbing down makes your channel the best Boomer! This is one of the best tutorials out there for airbrushing etc. you got me over my fear of using an airbrush way back on Glover Road and now you have reinvigorated my enthusiasm for the tool!

Great tutorial and commentary! Appreciate the comment “you can do the weathering in stages” after all that is the weathering works in real life. Than you for posting this process!

Thanks for the post as always Boomer and also nice to see Dusty 👍🏻

I had a nice, long message of gratitude almost completed, double-tapped the wrong place, and all was gone. I must say, you got me to laugh out loud with your "Here he goes again.....!" line and chuckle. So, before I lose all this message, I'll just say, Boomer, YOU ARE THE BEST!

Boomer, wow, that would have to be the best rolling stock weathering tutorial I have ever watched. You have given so much details and tips, that my brain is now swimming in trying to digest the content. This is one I will have to now watch a few times to get all of it in. Thank you for sharing, I really appreciate your techniques. Cheers, and stay safe, Michael

Howdy Boomer! Another gem of a tutorial! I know I have mentioned it before, but it is worth mentioning again - your tutorials are so good at breaking down the modeling processes into manageable steps. When I look at the finished product at the beginning I think jeez... I could never do that. But after watching how and why you do each step it all comes together and I think OK... maybe I can do this... I have a very analytical mind and thinking process which makes it kinda easy for me to duplicate what others do, but lack the creativity to come up with stuff on my own. So I think these tutorials help me with that creativity. Very well done and thanks for sharing 🤠

After numerous great videos of yours on the topic of airbrushing over the last few years, I finally broke down and ordered one!! Picked up some bargain bin rolling stock from a great local shop to practice on also. Thanks Boomer!

The masking for those fine lines and the Buff painting were eye openers. Thanks again, Rob

Thanks again Boomer, I'm hoping to start painting again this summer. Great tutorial, answered a lot of questions. I've dull coated a car then air brushed it with alcohol. It does that whitening thing rather well. If you do too much spray a bit more clear and it goes away. Your system is sooooo much better because you can control it better.

Poor hopper (the one in photo). Quite a good smack to require that thick steel plate to repair side sill. Those cars can spend pretty long time in storage, waiting for next grain shipping season. Depending on surroundings, in the sun, shade etc...they can age differently. Same also with tank cars. I remember a siding queen one that didn´t move in 17 years. Always in storage. Moss and trees can grow on lumber flat cars, not to mention birds nesting. Thanks for the lesson.

You teached me to take a lot of reference pictures whatever I build. Doesn’t matter if it’s a tree or a car. And it works!

I have recommended your site to many people as it is great. I got out of photography about the time when digital came in and I have a friend that lost all his senior work because the moms could take the student out and take 200 shots and could find one that was "good enough". I'm glad I quit when I did. I had to know how to do all of the things that they do with a computer now. My friend at Chadwick is doing a segment on airbrushing in his next video in 2 weeks and I am going to write him so he can look at this one...

That corrosion is certainly pretty accurate, especially for English trains!! Great piece of work.

Hey Boomer Just got a chance now to watch the video. Great work! My favourite part….? The last two minutes when you were giving advice to beginning modellers . Enjoy what you’re doing and have fun. Perfect! Cheers Bob

Right on spot, encourages me to upgrade my grain cars which I assembled wayyy back in time. Thanks!!

I like one side fits all... good compromise. Cheers and Hi to Dusty.

I deal with the historical accuracy associated with graffiti on freight cars by modelling a period during which there _was_ *no* graffiti on cars, public buildings, etc. In other words, all the years of my childhood and well into my adult years. I'm a boomer, too, and I prefer to remember and model the railroads when there were still dozens of class 1 roads, cabooses on the ends of trains, type-written train-order flimsies, and five-man crews. It was by no means a golden age, but I understood it and it made sense to me. I _don't_ understand blowing a $100 worth of spray paint (not that it's always paid for) to make "art" on someone-else's (including public) property. I especially don't understand it as some kind of social statement, protest, _cri de cœur_ , or folk art. If I understand any part of it, I see it as a middle finger thrown to no one in particular and therefore to everyone in general. It advances no cause, solves no problems, gives no hope or comfort to anyone. It's just vandalism, and the motives behind it are whatever twisted impulses are behind any such activity. So before _I_ do any railroad modeling, I set the Way-Back machine about fifty years and step into it. As a side benefit, there's no Taylor Swift, Donald Trump, or Elon Musk multiple times a day in the news back then. Wait . . . maybe it _was_ a golden age.

Awesome tutorial. Thanks Boomer.

Thanks Boomer! Always learn something from every video you do!

TY! A thoroughly absorbing LESSON in weathering, the spray gun method, as per usual...

Tamiya and IPA is truly magic. I did some water wet stain painting, and also tried IPA wet stain painting. I almost don't even know why modelers gloss coat and then use oil paint for weathering. I mean for some things yes, but dang almost no need. The IPA pressure wash makes anomalies I almost feel you could keep. It dries super quick too.

The pressure washing with IPA works amazing. Love doing it on tank cars, thanks Boomer for the wonderful videos

Another great tutorial! I am so glad you provide prior content/tips/techniques as takes me a bit to absorb it all!

Wow! During my learning journey I've watched way too many modeling videos and never heard the reason (beyond air underneath) why decals silver! The gloss coat smooths the paint surface--- thank you for this and all your other tips!

EXCELLENT! Great tutorial, Boomer. I wish I'd started using an airbrush 50 years ago.

Thank you Boomer

Please keep doing what you're doing! I'm just getting back into the hobby so I am just starting to watch your videos, and the nuggets of info you throw out for new folks and more experienced as well are priceless. Thanks for 'lifting the veil' on how to make such realistic models...you're helping many of us get a lot more enjoyment out of this hobby.

Great show!!! I will take the liberty of adding a bit on decaling... Personally, I use lacquers exclusively (since Model Master enamels are no longer a thing). I mix Minwax clear gloss(way cheaper to buy a quart of that, than model specific clear gloss), roughly 50/50 with generic lacquer thinner, for airbrushing gloss for decals. When ready to place decals, I'll brush on a little Pledge "revive it" (it started out as "Future" floor polish, then it was Pledge "with future shine"). Place decal...dab with paper towel. If the decal is going over any texture (rivets, panel line, etc) then I'll use some micro-sol on it. The (acrylic based) Pledge will fill any tiny voids and prevent silvering. A final clear coat, whether it be gloss, semi-gloss or flat will make any of the residue from the Pledge disappear.

Reminds me I need a bunch too as CNJ used the same type for captive service between a Glass Bottle plant and a sand mine only a couple model miles from each staging entrance. The cars getting a light sandblasting with every loading cycle made some funky weathering patterns.

Wow, what an awesome tutorial. The way you built up the thinned. paint reminds me of house painting I did. I never used paint right out of the can, I always thinned it first to make it flow better. This just shows what an artist you are. Thanks again Cheers - Donald

Thank you for sharing. Keep up the good work. It's your "Dumbing it down " that helps me learn to do better. Thanks again.

Another great video Thank you.

Thanks

Very nicely done! The model turned out great. I really like the other covered hopper at the end of the video. That car has got to be the best I have seen. I used to use weathering chalk all the time. I’m going to have to try airbrushing. Normally the ones I see air brushed have too much paint and almost looks like a repaint on half of the model. Thanks for another great video!

I like when you create a story to "justify" a mistake.

This car looks fantastic, some great tips,

I’m glad to see you making a really detailed model of this particular wagon. And by the way, I know that just about all railroad vehicles are known as cars, but as an Englishman, I know them as carriages for people and wagons for freight.

That's a beautiful shade of crud you mix i must say.

Excellent stuff again, thanks. And I don't even use airbrush... The philosophy, the attitude, just spot on. About graffiti, at least the passenger trains in North America seem to be pretty clean, not so much here in Europe. If I would be a modeller in N.A. hating graffiti, I'd probably go with passenger traffic modeling (mostly).

Now that’s what I call realistic!! Great paint job!! It looks wonderful and realistic with all that weathering!! Well done!!

Personally, I have never customised a railway vehicle of any kind. I have a light weathering done by a professional weatherer so that my layout just runs well and looks great!!

Don't worry about getting it right in one step. In real life, weathering happens in multiple stages!

Very good material, I'n going to have to watch again to make sure that I got certain things. By the way, I have also been adding some of the rust streaks on the seams of modern covered hoppers. but I often use colored pencils, One can apply from heavy to light, and if (when!) I screw up I canuse a bit of water or glass cleaner to clear the error. Another tip, for the modern-era modeler, MicroScale make "Mini Cal" MC-4389 "Data, Reflector Stripes, 4"X 18", Yellow". It's a whole package of the most common size strupes.

Nicely done. I'm going to switch over to using the Tamiya XF86 versus Dullcote for my "final" coat. Thanks for sharing these tips. Cheers - Larry.

On a scale of 9 to 10, I give this 12 stars! I've done minimal airbrushing so far, I have a cheap stater kit (Paasche) and a better quality (Grex) and both have worked flawlessly. I was very hesitant to use airbrushes because I always felt the maintenance would be meticulous and I would never keep or get it clean enough to have a second use as good as the first. But watching your videos, and how you stress the IPA, and how thinning the paint you can't go wrong, I followed that and like I said, they both still work good as new! Always impressed with your craft my friend.

Again a great model, great weathering, that got me thinking to learn airbrushing. Regarding decals, my models are unique in that way there are no decals available. So I use Adobe Illustrator to design the decals I need, and I found a printing service that print them superbly and they are 13 micron waterside. €10 for a A4 size

Another jewel Boomer !! Along with a wealth of tips and modeling philosophy 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 Good stuff as always 😊😊

GREAT! I have that exact car in N Scale. I have others too. I'm posting this compliment in advance as I'll watch this video in it's entirety later today but I also wanted to thank you for inspiring me to add even more detail to my locomotives, which look great if you ask me. Thank you again for what you do.

Love your attitude you are a very good teacher, also I might need some therapy and you might be a good therapist lol

Another great video✌️👍💜😊 I like what you said about taking risks, happy accidents I call 'mistakes' etc. I've been lucky enough to have my work published - people have been very kind about my weathering and the use of new techniques. I've often been asked to teach people or describe in even greater detail how I do it (outside of what I've written for articles) and I say 'I can't, I don't know how I do it, it's different every time'. I like to share techniques, but still I've been accused of being elitist or keeping trade secrets, it's not that at all. Also I've been told I'm too amateur if I do it differently each time. However the way you've stated it, is exactly how I work, I'm always bouncing boundaries and making mistakes 'happy accidents'. It's a risk but it's how I up my game, learn, it's not always fun when things go wrong, but one learns from it, turns it around. Sometimes paints play up - I've even had masking tape affect certain paint types (these days I use Tamiya tape for modelling). I mainly use water based acrylics with Ultimate thinners, and/or others' wetting agents. I use cheap IPA to clean the airbrush. My favourite paints used to be Airfix, sadly, NLA, then Humbrol. But due to health and working indoors I use WB acrylics with a small booth and/or a mask (acrylics become plasticised). If I use solvents for limited use I use low/zero odour thinners but one still has to be careful. I hardly use rattle cans nowadays for modelling. WB acrylic lacquer/varnishes can be a chore though. I wish I had more time for modelling, to watch more of your wonderful videos, sadly I don't. But your work inspires me to do the little that I do at this time. I tend to work at 15-25 psi these days too - no issues encountered if paint is thinned well🙏🤞✌️👍😊💜 BTW your cheap airbrush? Reminds me of a Paasche in many ways. I've two workhorse Paasche, a H (only ever clogged that once trying artists acrylic paint, I'd thinned it well but the particulates must have been larger and it needed thinning more, it became like plastic fast too - yuk!), and a Millennium. I've also three H&S airbrushes - superb. Two Sparmax for large scale RC models (both are trigger type) and a cheap GHAD39 by Galleeri (£30 to see what all the hype is about). I don't want to spend hours cleaning airbrushes (H&S are easiest to strip or partially strip and clean - closely followed by the two Paasche). I hope my little essay may help other viewers 🙏🤞✌️👍💜😊 P.S Dusty is great💜💜

Great tutorial..thanks for sharing boomer.. cheers.

Great vid! That patched "C" is pretty unique about your prototype photo if you ever revisit this car. Your flatcar from the Jersey barrier video is really good too. I looked hard at my stock after that vid for sure. I'm about to dive into airbrushing. I took Adam Savage's tool advice to get cheap everything to start and then buy the most expensive I can afford once my skills outgrow them. 👍 thanks!

Just a couple of days ago i found your channel. I like your Layout and The Videos are quite inspiring,... thanks a lot Keep having fun! Greetings from Germany❤

That weathering looks amazing!

Great Informative Video and brilliiant air brushing skills

Great tips. using scrap plastic to check thinned paint. I know varying the umber it's not as critical but to match a color of a previously painted model that's a great tool. Varying the spring tension on the airbrush is a great tip as well. It helps to comprehend the learning curve of the airbrush. Made my life easier. All new to me. You teach like we are all there at at the bench with you in person. Thanks Brother!

You should see the amount of graffiti on our trains here in England!! Well done for getting it to look half decent!!

Thank you putting in so much effort to bring us these videos. I am deliberating buying an airbrush as I love weathering but dry brushing and chalks is a little limited. An airbrush will bring it up a level.

Awesome! I never considered thinning the paint as much as you use in weathering. I must try this technique in using one of your key words. Layering! Thank you for taking the time to show less experienced modelers, like myself.

Good realistic weathering, like it alot. I thought your airbrush in this video was a 'suction feed'. Because all my 'gravity feed' airbrushes have the paint cup on top ! Anyways, Vallejo paint, you mention a few video's back, that you wasn't keen on the way they sprayed at low psi. (Me too). I was informed can be sprayed around 30psi + to flow good. Im still not keen, but maybe helpful to you. Great video. Thanks.

You expand my thinking and you nurture my courage. Thanks for the very helpful video. And........... "Hello" to Dusty! (with a light scratch behind each ear).

Who in there right mind is taking a microscope to Boomers work??couldn't imagine😅🚂🇨🇦Boomer. Still running laps so you dont have too😋🔁

Howdy Boomer. I loaded up a new video on KZfaq of my scratch built grain elevator. I gave you props or a recommendation for viewers to mosey on over to you channel. You Jive? Yehaw!

Great tutorial - I'm learning a huge amount from this video, especially on pressures to use. One question - do you thin X22 and XF86 the same way you do with the pigments?

Great teacher, great artist, great modeler, when painting wheel sets do you paint inside of wheels ?

Looks very neat, not neat, dirty, LOL DO YOU EVER USE WEATHERING POWDERS ON ROLLING STOCK OR FOR ANYTHING??? Do they have a place, like one being better than another or is it a preference? Thanks for sharing/educating us. Ron

Is there any methodology on how you chose between the two airbrushes? Like, one is for detail work and the other for bigger surfaces? thank you.

I would like to get a Cylinder hopper and weather it

How much whiskey thinner you put in that mug you drink from LOL😆

Boomer, a friend told me that if I use isopropyl alcohol in an airbrush, that I will destroy the seals. Is there anything to that? Is it true of some airbrushes, but not of others?

Is that a big cup of coffee or Tamiya Flat Flesh XF-15 on your work bench?

The biggest problem I find, with social media, is how many “teachers” are out there. There is so much bad information out there, because everybody and their mother, wants to make instructional based videos, when they haven’t put in the reps. You wouldn’t hire a plumber, to teach high school English, just because he speaks English lol. Maybe not the greatest analogy, but I think I’m getting my point across.

What is your go to for paint to ipa mixture?

I think it is perfectly valid to remove the Nigerian Manure tagging from your own people's creations such as Railway cars. More of a what might of been had we remained a free people...