BC&W GP15-1 Weathering

BC&W GP15-1 Weathering (ex Missouri Pacific)

After patching and lettering my Athearn Genesis BC&W GP15-1, it was time to start the weathering process.

I decided to apply only light weathering. Since the locomotive was purchased in 1984 and the layout is set in 1985, I assume the engine would have been cleaned a bit when it was patched.

I masked the wheels carefully, just as I did when weathering the BC&W GP9, to avoid affecting electrical pickup.

On the GP15-1, I faded the paint slightly on the roof, and added some grime on the trucks and fuel tank. I used extra thinned Vallejo White (71.001) for the roof and AK Interactive rust products for the trucks and tank.

I sprayed a thin layer of rust on the cab roof, then sprayed Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan color along the lower part of the body to simulate track dust.

The roof was first airbrushed with Vallejo Engine Gray (71.048), followed by Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black, focusing mainly on the radiator grill areas. Afterwards, I added some vertical grime streaks on the sides near the radiators.

I airbrushed at low pressure, around 10 to 12 PSI, using Engine Gray first and XF-1 Black after to achieve a more subtle and layered grime effect.

I added fuel spills around the filler area with a fine brush using Tamiya X-1 Gloss Black.

Finishing

Finally, I sealed everything with a coat of Vallejo Matt Polyurethane Varnish (72.651). I find the polyurethane varnish far superior to both acrylic types and Tamiya XF-86 in terms of finish and durability.

Here is the final result, with the wheel, window, and light masking removed and couplers installed. The following photos were processed with Helicon Focus software to achieve improved depth of field.

The weathered locomotive now fits a layout naturally. The result is rewarding every time I run trains.