I would like to weather some things on my layout with coal dust. In particular some buildings and vehicles. 
What should I use, I was thinking of a weathering power but I’ve never used them before. Once applied are they dry to the touch or does residue come off if you see what I mean. Thanks. 

Hi Gray,

Glad you got your profile avatar sorted.

Coal dust weathering needs careful controlled application, as it is so easilly overdone and can ruin a well construced scene. The most important thing to do, after you think you've decided how heavy the coal effect is to be, is to find several photographs of the weathering you like and then copy them. I've seen so many layouts where weathering has been applied according to how the modeller thinks it should look, rather than how it really looks in real life and that's an important lesson to learn, which was driving into me on the weathering courses I've attended at Pendon Museum.

The research is enjoyable and can gives essential knowledge in making it look real.

When weathering stock, I start with an airbrush and use powders very sparingly during the final stages. Coaldust powders do give a very deep sooty effect if not also used sparingly and the tip I was given was to shake the tub of power vigourously, then tap it down once onto a hard surface, carefully open the top and pick up the particles out of the bottle top with a thickish dry paintbrush and apply to the building. Then sit back and compare with your photo and repeat to achieve your desired effet. You can always put more on, but taking powders off can cause a shabby mess.

I find vehicles a little easier and are rather fun and I have a lot ofthem still to do. This is a tractor I weathered earlier: Newton Regis, it'll never be finished, hopefully! - Your Model Railway  See post 16th November on that page showing the build up of wash and powers.

Hope this helps and have fun.

Bill

Hi thanks bill. I’m just going to try a bit of light weathering with powder. 
My concerns are that , I know it’s dry brushed on , but once it’s done is it dry to the touch or does it smear off if handled. 

I have been using powder weathering for around 15 years now. I also use other methods but most of my work is powder. 

Different brands of powder and different surfaces (mostly plastics in our hobby) react differently. Some powders grab better than others; some plastics accept them better than others. 

Unsealed powder can come off on your fingers. Sealed powders cannot readily be changed if you don’t like the result. 

Trial and error is how I learned and how I still work. 

It is possible to achieve very good results with powders. Unlike airbrushing you can (carefully!) clean them off and start again if unsealed. 

I use Monroe Models powders from the USA. They are of good quality and work best in my opinion. I also use my remaining stocks of Carrs (now unobtainable) and have tried - with lesser degrees of success and satisfaction - DCC Concepts (slightly sandy texture) , Revell (gritty), Peco (doesn’t grab) and Tamiya (greasy).  I stress that none of these cannot be used - more that my experience with them is not so good. 

Importing from the US can attract import duty and collection fees but the product quality makes those worthwhile. 

My suggestion is to set yourself up with some basic kit and give it a go. 

I am entirely self-taught and have in recent years given weathering demonstrations at exhibitions. None of us knows what we cannot do until we try. 

Here’s a couple of views showing my work.  All the weathering in the first is powders - from track through the crane to wagons and the loco. The second shows a kit-built coal bunker which came as a brown matchwood kit which has been weathered entirely with black powder and has small coal glued inside. The wagons beside it were bought with professional airbrush weathering but the loads and interiors were done by myself. 

Hi. Thanks for the information, it looks impressive. I’m only going for a light weathering effect, what do I use to seal it when I’ve done thanks. 

Gray said

Hi. Thanks for the information, it looks impressive. I’m only going for a light weathering effect, what do I use to seal it when I’ve done thanks. 

From “Post #290,981”, 10th January 2025, 9:20 pm

There are numerous sealants available but my normal one is ….. cheap hair spray!

A word of caution.

Hair spray is not designed to seal weathering powders. It can craze glazing material. Don’t get it anywhere near windows.  

All it takes is a very quick and light spray from around 6 - 9 inches away. Too close and the pressure will remove the powder. Too much and it will “fix” your powder as blobs not nicely worked weathering.  

Powders are dry pigment. Get them wet and they behave like paint. That can be to your advantage if you wish to create streaks or spots. Or it can work against you if too much fixative is used. I allow the spray to fall where it will and do what it does. 

Another trick I taught myself is “reverse-fixing”.  Load a brush with powder first and have it to hand. Apply hair spray in a quick sweeping motion along a roof (roofs tend to be the least-accepting of powders) and quickly brush your powder on. Hair spray dries in 7 - 15 seconds so that is all the time you have. But it holds the powder and leaves a nice matt finish. Once you have some powder on you can apply more if you wish because powder grabs on powder even if it refuses to grab on perfectly shiny plastic. 

As before a little trial and error on perhaps a piece of scrap material can help build confidence and skill. 

Thanks for the detailed reply, I’ll give it a go. I’ve done some dry brushing with acrylic paints before I suppose it’s a similar technique. 

As Rick suggests, weathering is something you only get better at with practice, so don't try on your new or precious items first.

When you get more proficient with application, try replicating the real thing from photographic evidence.

Have fun.

I tried a light weathering effect, it’s not too bad. It takes the shininess away. 

It looks better now it’s a bit grimy. 

Looking good 
 

I used my wife’s weathering powder. Looks better in real life ( the railway). 

 my wife’s weathering powder.

Now that made me laugh. And will be “copied and pasted” to other sites. 

Nice one. 

You’re welcome thanks. It’s done the job. I might seal it with something. But for now it’s ok. She’s got loads of it, a palette full. And a decent set of brushes, saved me a trip to B and M. 

Gray said

It looks better now it’s a bit grimy. 

From “Post #290,999”, 11th January 2025, 1:08 pm

Hi Graham,

Wow, what a difference, this scene is begining to look much more realistict. Will you be weathering the trackwork soon?

Best,

Bill

Longchap said

Gray said

It looks better now it’s a bit grimy. 

From “Post #290,999”, 11th January 2025, 1:08 pm

Hi Graham,

Wow, what a difference, this scene is begining to look much more realistict. Will you be completing the ballasting and weathering the trackwork soon?

Best,

Bill

From “Post #291,021”, 12th January 2025, 5:14 pm

Longchap said

Longchap said

Gray said

It looks better now it’s a bit grimy. 

From “Post #290,999”, 11th January 2025, 1:08 pm

Hi Graham,

Wow, what a difference, this scene is begining to look much more realistict. Will you be completing the ballasting and weathering the trackwork soon?

Best,

Bill

From “Post #291,021”, 12th January 2025, 5:14 pm

From “Post #291,022”, 12th January 2025, 5:21 pm

Hi, yes it looks a lot more realistic now. As for the track work I’ve laid it on ballast mat. I didn’t want to put ballast directly onto the track and points. But I think I will weather the tracks with some proper weathering powder, and put a bit of ballast down the sides of the tracks. I don’t want to use gravel, I was thinking of something a bit finer in grade to achieve something like this. Do you have any suggestions as to what I could use. Thanks. 

Hi Graham from a very sunny day with below freezing temperatures. Roll on spring!

A few things for you to consider .  .  .

I've yet to do my balusting, at least not before the boards are completely wired for power, point machines, signals, decoupling magnets, etc and then not until it's been rigourously tested with extensive running sessions with all potential stock types to iron out any faults of potential difficulties. On no account do you ever want to have to modify track after balasting!

Ballasting is often considered as boring, or perhaps difficult job and as I haven't done any for 40 years, I've some catching up to do. However, when done well, it can transform a layout into a thing of beauty.

Type and size of ballast is important and many 00 gauge ballast can look very much over scale. The colour of ballast will vary with the era of your layout due to useage and motive power. You are in a more modern era in an industrial setting, so it will not be prestine such as a steam era main line. The coal yard will be dark and with loco spillages, whether steam or diesel. Look at colour photographs for similar settings and date of your layout, then you can consider types and of prices of available material; there is a large choice and much advice on railway fora for hint, as well as pros and cons for actual ballast to be used. I have bought some DCC Concepts Legacy ballast for test purposes and may even use a mix some N and 00 scale material.

At some stage, you might also like to consider trackside infrastructure such as point and signal control, equipment boxes, barrow crossings, etc.

Rick's photos show well modelled trackwork in a coal rich environment with much evidence of coal and coal dust present.

Best,

Bill