Wheel Weathering

This page will go over the tools required to weather the inside of wheels. and cover the colors that wheels commonly are.

Youtube video link going through it

Test line

Tools

• Paint brushes (I used a size 0 brush)
• Paint (Brown, orange, black)
• Wheel painting jig (add link)
• Wheel clear coat jig (add link)

Color Picking

There are 8 cars here used as an example for what wheel colors should be. They are from various rolling stock in various conditions from new to old.

Wheel notes for painting

• The color depends on the sun if it direct or in shadows.
• The brown/orange color appears to be releated to the coating application. The new orange is patchy but the older a car is and the more black it turns the more consistant the color becomes on the wheel.
• Orange for newer more black for older cars. I do not know the time it takes to turn the wheels black.
• Car age does not matter as old cars can have new wheels and vice versa.

Eight railcar examples are shown below with various levels of wheel ageing.

Newish autorack

Older weathering on a grain car

Painting

This section will discuss what the process and steps are to weather the wheels.

Clear Coating

Finish the wheels by spraying a clear coat over the paint to help make sure it doesnt rub off. Ideally we should cover the center bit so it maintains the metal on metal contact.