How do manufacturers decide on weathered models?

[BertFredStan]

The choices of weathered RTR stock have struck me as being quite random. Is there any logic behind it?

[Bealman]

Dunno! Never really thought about it, but now that I am thinking about it, I'm just as curious as you! 

[red_death]

My favourite way of choosing weathered items (and liveries) is to play a version of pin the tail on the donkey 😂

[Newportnobby]

As one who tends to get the weathered versions rather than pristine, I have 9 weathered steam locos of which 8 are late crest, so I assume that as standards declined cleanliness wise (especially in the 1960s) they tend to represent the poor unwashed, uncared for look.
Of the 11 weathered diesels 2 are shunters likely to have been pretty much uncared for, and 9 would likely have been shedded with late steam so would tend to be grimy by association.

[RailGooner]

  Dunno. I don't make the choices. You could try writing to the manufacturers and asking them.

[njee20]

I think sometimes it can be logical - Dapol's silver bullets and megafrets look extremely different in their 'in use' condition versus their factory condition (being chrome silver and bright blue respectively on delivery, and both filthy brown in use), and their rendition of the silver bullet I think is still the best factory weathering I've seen, the megafret less so!

Others seem totally random, with some models being re-run as weathered for whatever reason. I wish Farish would stop; given they still tend to just make things a bit brown. The PCA cement tankers show a very distinctive weathering pattern in real life, with the cement residue leaving a very obvious grey patina on the upper sides on the tank. I've never seen one even vaguely like Farish's effort!

[Steven B]

Farish's weathered Mk1s are rather good - certainly better than their wagons (and especially the PCA already mentioned).

Dapol go from the sublime (the superb Silver Bullets), to the ridiculous. Just about all their other "weathered" wagons appear to have been run down a length of track passing through the spray from an rattle can of mucky brown paint.

Steven B.

[njee20]

I know Dapol have used Mercig for the master on some things - the silver bullets and the Western, I believe, and it shows. I'd happily pay more for weathered items if they're done well.

I see Cavalex are doing weathered TEAs, using tampo printed weathering (this doesn't sound how I'd normally expect it to be), and IMO it just doesn't work, although I applaud their approach.

Edit: here you go, for me the base is too brown, you lose any sort of tonal variation and the solebar and bogies are essentially unweathered, which looks silly:

[Newportnobby]

The first 'really good' RTR weathering was done by Dapol on their class 22s IMHO.
They have followed up with the odd decent one but Farish have struggled to do anything but a grimy wash along the bottom half of locos.





Neither are as good as a contact I have on the forum

[njee20]

They look a bit Mercig-y as well! I imagine he's hansomely rewarded for his time producing the masters, but it's totally worth it IMO. That said I'm pretty sure he also did the JIA china clay tanks, and they look awful, but I think there's sometimes a limit to what can be achieved with layers of paint on a finished model on a highly repeatable basis.

Farish's HKAs are well done as well, another model where a factory finished model is totally inappropriate for their current condition (ie it's not just that they're a bit dirty), but then the problem is that a whole rake of them would look too similar. You need some variation between wagons. Cavalex have done different weathering on each side of each of the triple pack of wagons, so there are 6 variants, which I think is a good idea.

It's funny though that we do still get models, from both brands, which are just misted with brown!

[jpendle]

Coming at this from a tangent.

Why do the manufacturers and owners of the real things bother with corporate colour schemes if the stock is universally filthy?

To the casual observer any container wagon operating today has been turned out in a mucky, oily, grey/black livery, with the occasional data panel cleaned with an oily rag.

Pale blue Megafrets, Green FIA's; Green, Blue, and Red Ecofrets, etc.

It would be a lot easier for the modelling community if all container wagons were painted black or dark grey.

GBRF, Freightliner, DRS, & DBC, I'm talking to you 

John P

[Bingley Hall]

Micro Trains run a series of monthly weathered releases of their US prototype rolling stock which has to be some of the best around.

https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=63_69

I'm looking forward to a set of the UP coal hoppers dropping through my letterbox shortly.

Not outrageously priced either when compared to the un-weathered prices. 

[Bealman]

They look very good indeed. Mind you, Microtrains always have put out quality product.

[njee20]

Looks like their website is down at the moment. Monthly releases though?! Lucky you!

Pale blue Megafrets, Green FIA's; Green, Blue, and Red Ecofrets, etc.

It would be a lot easier for the modelling community if all container wagons were painted black or dark grey.

GBRF, Freightliner, DRS, & DBC, I'm talking to you

Whilst tongue in cheek it is an interesting point. Obviously IKAs and FIAs were painted by AAE and Arbel Fauvet respectively, rather than being anything to do with their operators. Certainly the blue Megafrets can still usually be spotted, but you wonder why they bother really!