This is an Athearn Ford stake truck out-of-the-box in the "before" picture (on the left). The photos were taken on a Rix bridge over the yard tracks at Kearney Junction. Nothing has been done to the truck except the back tires have already been painted with Polly Scale Tarnished Black. (You'll see the same on the Boley ambulance tire compared with the front Ford tire.) All paint is Polly Scale except where noted otherwise.
Before you read the following details of the changes, just look at the two photos and see how many changes you can identify in the "after" shot! A hint: almost everything has been done with paint.
Here on the details for you to consider: The plastic cab color has been dulled with a coat of flat. The cab interior has also been painted (but it is hard to see in the photo). The front bumper was painted with primer gray and then weathered a bit with thinned (1:9) rust before the license plate was attached. The cab mirrors were primed and rusted in the same manner and the mirror itself was painted silver. A bead of thinned rust was added around the fenders and on the step leading into the cab.
The tires are painted with Tarnished Black as were the
mud flaps. The wheels
are primer gray and weathered with the thinned rust. As you can see
a bit better in this detail photo, all of the holes and openings in the
wheel disk were drilled through. That is even cooler when you see it
up close!
The truck bed is
painted Pactra Flat Dark Earth and the metal edging and the
stakes are painted boxcar red. The wood slats are painted Polly
Scale Earth.
(Whoops, I note that I have not yet painted the clearance lights
on the truck
bed — yellow on the front corner and red on the back corner.)
I think you will agree that the truck has changed from a toy-like appearance with these applications of paint. You can do it, too! Hmmm, there is even a different covered hopper down below in the "after" shot — the Cargill elevator is busy here in Kearney.