"Puckdropper" <puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com> wrote
>> I've been trainwatching for something like 61 years now, and so far I
>> have yet to see my first clean freight train.
>
> Keep in mind that most freight trains aren't super dirty, either. It
> depends on your modeling area, of course, but rail cars do get washed by
> the rain.
>
> Sometimes a little dullcote is all you need...
And sometimes one *does* see new -or freshly painted- rolling stock. But
that's only "sometimes" -not "often". Most freight trains contain multiple
cars that are (A) rusty, (B) dusty, (C) filthy, (D) greasy, (E) covered
with
graffiti, or (F) all of the above. (Cars that have been damaged in some
way
but that are still roadworthy aren't really unusual, either.)
And it's certainly possible to overdo the weathering bit: real freight
cars
come in all conditions from brand new to doddering, and
over-representation
of either condition detracts from authenticity.
But hey; if clean ****ny freight trains are what turns your crank, then
more
power to you: after all, it's a hobby and they're *your* trains.
But if you're going for a illusion of reality, having more than a few
clean,
freshly-painted-looking cars in a freight consist simply looks wrong. You
could call it the "Lionel Syndrome" and not be too far off the mark.
-Pete
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