Tuesday Tip: What NOT to do . . .(freight car wheel faces)

Some years ago (I don't remember when, and unfortunately can't find it now), a Model Railroader article mentioned using a mixture of PollyS Grimy Black paint and baking soda to paint the wheel faces of friction-bearing (aka "solid bearing") freight car trucks. The idea was to replicate the caked-on mixture of journal oil and dirt that was so common during the Steam Era.

So when it came time to build my first steam-era resin freight cars, I decided to go all out and try this technique (though I used my "grimy black alternative" craft paint instead of PollyS). As you can see (especially if you click on the image to enlarge the view), the effect is pretty great:

Click here for more photos

Here's an even closer view:

Looks fantastic, IMO. But unfortunately, this great effect eventually - and explicably - deteriorates . . .

Note that the white baking soda is beginning to show through. I'm really not sure why.

Here's a more-recent, and more obvious, example:

I built - and weathered the wheels on - this car a bit over 4 1/2 years ago (click here for the build). Lots of white baking soda showing through. Compare this view of the truck to the closeup photo above. I think it's actually the same truck(!)

But looks are only part of the story. The real problem comes where the wheel meets the rail . . .

If you want clean track, you need clean wheels. And if you want clean wheels, you need to clean off this gunk. . . . and probably resolve NOT to use a baking soda mixture on your wheels again.

And that's your Tuesday Tip!

Having said all that, do you have a preferred method for weathering steam-era freight car wheels - the ones used in solid-bearing (aka "friction bearing") trucks? If so, please let us (aka "me" :^) know in the comments!