Friday, 17 January 2025

Ex-ROCK Boxcar Weathering Project

Thought I'd feature my most recent freight car project, another ExactRail Evans boxcar, that came rolling down the track here in the last couple of weeks.  I've just finished up the weathering on this boxcar.  I'd estimate I've put about 16 hours actual working time into weathering this one.  That time includes masking, patching, gloss coating, decaling, flat coating, rust pitting and streaking, and flat coating again.

On to my boxcar in just a minute, but let's start with the inspiration for my model.

I had stumbled across this photo by Ray Lewis somewhere on the internet.  At first, I thought it was an actual boxcar, but when I looked closer, the coupler trip pin gave the model away.  I printed the photo, and pinned it up at my workbench for reference as I began work on my model.

So, special thanks to Ray Lewis for this...

Here's my boxcar.
This is/was the starting point for my project

All taped up and ready to paint patch.  The other side used just as much masking tape.

The grey patch areas are a grey craft paint sprayed through the airbrush.  The blue patches are Microscale decal trim film.


With the new reporting mark and data decals added.  And the roof is done with 3 coats of Rust Texture hand brushed on.  That stuff clogs the airbrush up (believe me), so I do that step by hand.  Next step was to add the scratches and rust streaking.

Here's my completed car, rolling down the track on the JSSX.
I say completed, but I haven't decided whether to add some graffiti or not.  I'm happy with the way it is, so I think I'll leave it this way at least for now.

Here's a few more pictures of the boxcar all finished up, away from the workbench and in service on the railroad...
Beneath the Gratiot Avenue overpass

At one of my favourite railfan locations

And showing the other side of the car



So, this is what I accomplished over 16 hours or so.  I'm really pleased with the result.

In the real world, I'm not sure what the weather's like in your area, but this is how it was here in Sarnia one winter's day sometime back in the 1990's when I took this photo.  The view is looking toward the east.  I've always liked this picture, and I just learned how to scan my old print photos to the new laptop, so here it is...

That's a westbound CN train heading for the tunnel to Michigan. Quite a few cars in the station parking lot that day.  Now, we're not supposed to park or even enter that area, as it's been cordoned off with concrete Jersey barriers for a couple of years or so.  My guess is that the railroad figures if they block the area off, they don't have to maintain it.

That dark vertical sort of thing that is seen near the centre of the photo is actually an end view of one of the iron cast tunnel liners from the original St.Clair tunnel.  There is also one of the concrete liners beside this one from the new tunnel as part of the display there as well. 


That's it for now. But if anybody knows Ray Lewis, I'd like to message with him.

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