Okay. I started by burnishing the body work with a fibre glass pencil to provide a key for the acrylic primer. I should point out that although considered, this isn't purely an exercise in detailing this Railroad specimen, although I have soldered up some simple brake rods from thin brass as their omission is glaringly obvious. I've also removed the name plates - thankfully they and their integral wheel arch faces were only glued on which I only discovered once I'd started attacking them with a cutting disc in a modelling drill - parting them from the wheel arches using a jeweller's blade in a piercing saw. Brackets were formed from thin brass and proved a nightmare to attach due to the overhang of the boiler. I tried soldering and drilling holes in an attempt to attach them, in the end, opting for 'L' shaped ones snipped off in situ once the cyano glue had hardened - once or twice this had to be repeated as the fine brass wire snapped off in the process!
Humbrol enamels have and will be used exclusively in this project (stocked by local model shop, therefore no dreaded postal charges or frustrating wait for them to arrive PLUS I've one or two pots of the stuff lying around the place already) although the accuracy of one or two shades is questionable e.g. Brunswick Green was the choice of B.R. Western region from 1958 or thereabouts, however, Humbrol's shade is nothing like the odd colour photo of the real thing that I can find- does a definitive photo actually exist? No two colour photos appear that same in my experience. Apparently mid-chrome green is the choice of the discerning modeller, but this would incur a wait and postal charges as mentioned earlier, so I'd rather press on with what I've got and see if I can at least achieve an approximation. I'll leave it to the reader to decide.
Anyway, back to the plot. A couple of thinned dark grey coats were washed onto the acrylic which, for no other reason, would serve to darken any further coats - or at least I'd hoped. In the event, I'm not sure if it's made any difference.
This was followed by Humbrol no. 78, a Matt Green, which caught my attention on my visit to the local model shop, which - to my uninitiated eye - looked more like a WR green than a Brunswick Green. It wasn't! That's the good thing I suppose about thin washes: they don't really make much difference to the finished article.
Next up was another matt green of a different shade - no. 75 - that I noticed shoved to the corner of my desk. A little like pea-green, it reminded me of traffic worn locos of the GWR pre-war period; nothing like the later stuff that in some photos was almost a metalcote-y grey/blue/green in patches. Grr!
But that was the key: in patches. A closer look at some of those later images- especially around tender and cab sides - showed a variegated green finish, so with that in mind it was onwards and upwards. Leaving the previous as a suitable base, I turned to the process of dry brushing; so it was back to number 78 followed by no.3 'Brunswick Green'. The results are as you see them. Personally, I feel the patina and overall effect are along the right lines, but the jury's out on the colour.
I've consoled myself in the knowledge that the whole thing will eventually be lost under a coat of grime, which will be applied by air brush using my new compressor, so perhaps I shouldn't worry too much.
Other techniques will involve the use of weathering powders - a couple of ideas, here - and an attempt at chipped paint around the smoke box using paint of different concentrations and Maskol.
The chassis will also be distressed with an airbrush, mainly using matt black, metal cote and leather in varying quantities as advocated by Mr. Shackleton.
I'm not going to line the loco as it's a filthy, careworn look I hanker after, however, BR insignia of the appropriate period will adorn the tender sides, having purchased Fox's transfers for the purpose - I think I'm right in thinking that a coat of gloss varnish will have to be applied under the area of the transfer prior to affixing?
One other point, about the Brunswick Green paint, before I close. This is a gloss paint which flies in the face of what I'm attempting to achieve, however, the dry brush technique has kept the shiny finish at bay, at worst giving it a slightly silky sheen in parts such as beneath the boiler, where I may want some of the green to show through under some steaks or runs.
I'm just off to apply a second 'thin' white wash of paint around the smoke box, to knock back that salmon pink colour further, itself a faint dab of signal red in matt White ( two coats applied as washes, of course).
Jonte
