SSW 23586 in new condition.  This is a new Genesis boxcar.  It's a real thing of beauty as it comes out of the box.  It has metal wheels and McHenry semi-scale couplers.  This boxcar was built in 1973, so I set out to bring it up to 2006.

SSW 23586 in weathered condition.  The first step was to use a very fine grit sandpaper to remove most of the white lettering from the car.  Once this was completed, the entire car was heavily rubbed down with chalk.  Then the car was brushed in long downward strokes with a wet brush.  This causes the chalk to adhere to the car and form streaks down the sides.  On the door I used a mix of a little darker colored chalk.

SP 674475.  This car was weathered with the same technique as above, using a chalk and water mixture.  The car was over sprayed with Dullcote and the process was repeated.  The Dullcote makes the chalk disappear, so the process needed to be repeated to get the desired effect.

UTLX 641302.  Out of the box, this Walthers car was way too dark and shiny.  To correct that problem, it was over sprayed with many coats of diluted SP Lark Dark Grey acrylic paint.  This causes the car to take on a much more faded look.  Rust spots around the vents were created using chalk that was wetted down to form a paste and then applied with a brush.

Rail Box 37759.  This model was also painted using chalks diluted in water and pooled on the sides.