D&RGW Short Caboose, series # 0500 - # 0580. It is dry brush painted with a Polly Scale Oxide Red, with Reefer White used on the grab irons and steps. I like working with the water-based paints (even on this plastic surface) and use a dry brush application technique. The roof is the Kleenex-tissue-on-Tarnish-Black-paint technique (with a little fine-grained sanding after dry), to give the roof a "canvas-like" texture.  A little black soot and white ash Bragdon powders were added for weathering.   From a Precision Scale plastic kit.  My high-school built sheep car is in the background.  Built January 2010.

D&RGW Flat Car, series # 6000 - # 6099.  These 30' long flat cars were built in 1887.  It is dry brush painted with a Polly Scale Roof Red (darker than the Oxide Red), with a coat of Tarnish Black on the under frame. A little soot and ash Bragdon powders were added for weathering.  From a Trout Creek Engineering wood kit.  Built February 2010.

Top deck view of the D&RGW Flat Car.  Instead of using the one-piece, grooved floor planking, I separated the individual boards, stressing each with a file and weathered them.  Then I attached each board to the under frame, adding needle pricks to simulate the nail placements.   Hopefully this adds an appropriate aged look to this car. 

D&RGW Box Car, series # 3000 - # 3749.  They were originally built in 1903-04, and rebuilt  in 1924-26.  This was quite the project - I loved it!  So many details.  I really like working with wood.  Take your time with such projects.  I like frequent over-night pauses between each major construction stages, during which I think through just how I'll engage the next construction stage.  It was dry brush painted with the Polly Scale Roof Red, with a little Bragdon powder grimy gray applied along the sides and white ash on the roof for weathering. And I've become more comfortable working with the Rail Graphics wet decals.  From a Trout Creek Engineering wood kit.   Built February 2010.

D&RG High Side Gondola, series # 1500 - # 1899.  They were originally built in 1903, and rebuilt  in 1920s.  This model is of the original version.  As an aging gondola in use during the 1920s or 1930s, I sought to weather and stress this car a little more so than the other rolling stock. As with the box car, I loved this project, but it pays to take your time.  Think through the construction and options possible for each upcoming stage.  I did fashion my own working coupler lift bars for this model, using small eye bolts and fashioning the wire accordingly.  To simulate a wood grain texture on the side and end boards I scrapped the edge of a fine file across each board.  I also placed needle pin points in the interior of the side boards to simulate the bolt holes of the outer side stakes.  With only a wash of water and India ink on the interior of the car, the bolt holes came out nicely.  I stressed the tops of the side and end boards with a file, adding a little depression between the side stakes to simulate a history of some rough cargo loads being added and removed.  

To paint the external boards, I used a random combination of dry brushed Polly Scale Roof Red, some at full strength and some diluted with water.  All the external hardware was given a coat of full strength Rood Red.  Once the Rail Graphics wet decals were added and a protective coat of Testors Dullcote Lacquer added and thoroughly dried, I lightly sanded the lettering, some letters more than others.  A little Bragdon powder black soot was then applied over the lettering, and along the side and end boards.  Over some parts of the metal pieces, such as corner plates, coupler buffer blocks, side stake bolts, Kadee couplers, grabirons, wheels, springs and frames of the Blackstone trucks, and some of the "bolts" in the interior of the car, I brushed on very small dabs of Floquil Rust.  

One last step.  I realized I had applied too much of the black soot powder.   I first attempted to remove some of it by "blowing" it off using a "cleaning duster" (designed to remove debris from my computer keyboard), but with only marginal results.  So I then tried using small strips of transparent tape, applying each firmly to a small section of the surface.  Upon pulling off the tape, excess powder was removed, as was a little of the painted surface.  But in so doing it also helped re-expose the some of the itched grain of the wood.  I think it all resulted in a nice weathered finish, a technique that can be further refined in my next project.   I'm still learning.   When dealing with such tiny details and during the painting stages, it helps to use a magnifying glass.   Remember, all gets revealed after photographing your model.  From a Trout Creek Engineering wood kit.    Built February 2010

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The underside of the D&RG Gondola, with the detailed brake system.  With the edge of a sharp file, I first itched in the groves of the underside and sides of the floorboards, as only the top view was provided in the kit stock.  I covered the underside with a wash of water and India Ink, while the brake system and truss rods were painted with Polly Scale Tarnished Black.   A little Floquil Rust as dabbed here and there.  As with the flat care, I've added small strips of lead between the sills of the underbody over the trucks to add a little more weight to this car. 

An above view of the D&RG Gondola.  To simulate the bolts that are attached to the needlebeams and bolsters through the floor boards, I marked the location, drilled and inserted the ends of wire into the flooring.  I added a dot of Polly Scale Tarnished Black to each wire head, as well as a small dab of Floquil Rust to some of the "bolts" and surrounding boards.

Close-up view of the end of the D&RG Gondola, with a worker along side, to add perspective.

Close-up view of the wood grain of the D&RG Gondola.