One of my recent kits was the Erie Power Shovel from Rio Grande Models Ltd.

I weathered it by dry-brushing with a couple of colors, starting with brown and ending with rust.  I then used my India ink and alcohol wash to color the wood and darken the rest of the model.

After watching the almost completed model stare at me for quite a while I finally dedided to complete the model.  For this model I used commercial weathering poweders in various shades from red to orange, yellow and black.  These are slightly different than using chalk as the harder you scrub them the more vividly they apear on the model.  The major reason for them being so much stronger than chalk is that they are made from ground artists pigment.

I went heavy on the weathering because I figured that equipment like this  would see a lot of use.

This was another great model from Rio Grande Models Ltd.  The Linn Truck was in use  until the 60′s mostly due to its high traction ability.  It was common to convert them into logging trucks.

I used weathering powders heavily on this truck considering the front wheel was often converted to a more modern style for better traction.  I will most likely use this as a load for a flat car.

Here is a video that was recently posted by one of the people I follow on twitter and YouTube.  He does some awesome work and does all of his own music for the background.  One of his video’s was the inspiration for my static grass applicator.
Building the Excursion Train and Coal Mine

After touching up all the details, I decided to install the signs.  I followed the instructions provided with the kit and used rubber cement to secure the signs into place.  Before the glue set I used the edge of a fingernail to push the signs into the details.

Here is the view of the other side of the building.  Using the rubber cement method worked really well on this side of the building, really giving the impression that they were painted on.

I decided to wait on the chalk weathering until I have figured out the look of the layout where it will be place.  For now this model will be stored until I get around to building the next section of the GOP.

One of my recent small projects (mixed in the middle of all of the others) was this logging caboose from Kadee.  It was not very hard to assemble, with most of the parts being completely free from flash, requiring only minimal prep.  Of course the most difficult part is in assembling the couplers, however after assembling a couple you begin to get the hang of it.  I assembled the body of the caboose separately from the truck so I could prime them separately.

Here is a close-up of the caboose after I dry-brushed it with a medium gray.  It might look a little bit overdone this close, however at about 2 feet it looks much better.  I have found that it is better to slightly overdo effects like this, mostly due to the fact that the smaller an item is, the brighter it needs to be painted to resemble the large version.  Closely tied into this is painting so that the lighting makes it appear correct.

Also I intend to use chalk to blend it in, but want to wait until I add my road name to the caboose.

I went back over the field-stone at the top of the building and carefully dry-brushed a medium gray over the black.  I like how it turned out, and think that it will be better once I highlight the individual stones with white.  I also dry-brushed the roof and the chimney.

Here is the other side of the building.  I found that it took several coats to get the correct effect on the plaster.  The majority of the problems came from painting a light color over a darker color.

Next I will paint and install the door and windows.

After final assembly I used a rust colored primer to paint the model.  I decided that the color was close enough and used a wash of light gray to pick out the mortar.  In this case I made the wash using about a 50/50 mix of water and paint (I used delta ceramcote as recommended in the instructions). After painting all of the surfaces with the mixture I let it dry completely.  I then used a rag (old t-shirt) to rub across the surface of the model, taking the paint from the bricks and leaving it in the mortar lines.

Here is the view of the other side of the building.  I still need to paint the fieldstone at the top portion of the wall.  I painted the surfaces black to provide the correct base for my “rock” texture.

I added on the lettering using dry transfer decals.  After adding the small lettering I decided to redo it in another location.  I find that is one of the nice things about dry transfer is that they are relatively easy to remove if you decide against them.  I did this by using the tip of a hobby knife to scratch them off.

I then added all of the final details, using grab-irons from a detail upgrade kit available for this model.  I decided that buying the upgrade kit would produce better results than trying to make them myself.  For the next kit I will think twice about them, because while they certainly were convenient it would be easy to make them.  Included in this detail kit was an etched metal kit for the end ladders.  This would have been a very good looking upgrade, however I found that my soldering skills were not up to the task – they will make good additions to a scrap pile some where on the layout.

After final touch-up, I sprayed the model with dull-cote.  I didn’t bother masking the windows as I did not put an interior in it.  I then used chalk to weather the caboose.

I have to thank my wife for the beautiful picture of the completed project taken on my “work in progress” layout.

After reviewing some of my previous posts, I realized that I hadn’t put up the final pictures of this fine model.  So, without further ado, here they are:

(I just had to say that, lol)

Here is a picture of the rear of the house, showing off the back porch.

And here is a view of the right side of the house.  You can see the seams on each end of this wall.  This is so I can remove this wall with little damage to the building if I ever decide to put an interior into it.  When I place it on a layout I will cover this seam with ivy.  I will also lightly weather the house after it is in place to fit the location.