4mm Llanfair ....

[LarryG]

Larry it always amazes me how you make Peco track look so realistic and yes I know you’ve had many years perfecting the dark art but it still baffles me ……. (Note too oneself….) ’keep practicing and never give up ‘

Thanks Gismo. It's down to colouring really. I lay clean ballast and then weather it with a spraygun and portable compressor. Rails are brush painted with Phoenix-Precision 'Rusty Rails' paint. Sleepers are sprayed (rattle-can) with Howes 'Sleeper Grime' before laying the track.

 

[Gismorail]

Thanks Larry I will try it ‘that way round ‘ next time on permanent way duty

 

[LarryG]

I dont know if I am alone in thinking that weathered models look like models of the real thing while ex works models look like toys. Similarly, highly polished heritage steam has no chance of bringing back memories of the real days of steam for me. And so following yesterday's photo shoot of the '3-coach Inter corridor set', I weathered the other brake third. If nothing else, the coaches do at least match now...


PS: I like the idea of the 'inside out' brake. It mirrors the untidiness of BR.

 

[Focalplane]

I agree, Larry. Modelling what we remember (or what we think we remember after looking at old photos!) is why many of us model a period that we lived through. I certainly plan to weather just about everything on Moor Street, possible by letting off a “bomb” of fine soot over the layout!

Later, in the smokeless zone era, Birmingham started steam cleaning its buildings, changing the childhood memories for ever. I returned after a long gap (30 years) the year that Birmingham hosted the G7/8 and was astounded - no old prams in the canals, etc.

 

[Gismorail]

Your spot on Larry I hate out of the box models somehow the shiny plastic is all wrong and a simple coat of Matt varnish just gets rid of the plastic look and makes it look like metal.
Careful and considered weathering brings a plastic model ‘to life’

 

[paulc]

I agree Larry , unfortunately a large percentage of RTR buyers prefer the better than new look . Kit builders seem to be evenly split between clean and weathered. I recently asked a friend who has just completed a rake of six GWR coaches if he was going to at least weather the roofs from the gleaming white back to something approaching reality . He replied that he didn't want to do anything else with the ^&=$##% things .

 

[simond]

I usually get to that point before finishing coaches…

 

[Focalplane]

Simon, I don’t even get that far, yet! But it is my best intention to get going again after regaining my “mojo”. There are too many coaches waiting to be finished and I just ordered another SideLines open first to complete the Midlander rake.

One good thing about the Midlander was that only light weathering is needed. The Bushbury shed staff were famous for turning out their Jubilees, so why not the coaches as well? Here is the proof!

Birmingham New Street Station - BR Period Locomotives: Ex-LMS 5XP 4-6-0 No 45647 'Sturdee' is seen about to enter Worcester Street tunnel at the head of the up 'Midlander' to Euston

 

[LarryG]

Everything I painted professionally for builders was finished ex.works. It was understandable when a feller has spent months building his loco. I toned down the smokebox, cab roof and tender top to a dull finish, but that was the extent of 'weathering'. To add rust and muck would in truth have devalued the model. Personally, I like to see polished unpainted brass.

 

[Compton castle]

Im very much in the dirty camp, good weathering brings a model to life. I’m to young to remember steam so I go by colour photography and even clean locos had some dirt about them.

 

[Focalplane]

In the late 1950s I sent away for permits to various works before a cycling trip with a friend. At each location we had to find an adult leader and 9 other youths like ourselves. Never a problem. This was really the only time we saw ex works locos and then only a few as most were in varying degrees of undress. The three places were Crewe, Doncaster and Derby. I can’t remember Derby at all!

 

[Phil O]

Im very much in the dirty camp, good weathering brings a model to life. I’m to young to remember steam so I go by colour photography and even clean locos had some dirt about them.

As soon as a fire is lit and smoke starts coming out of the chimney, the weathering process has started, boosted when the regulator is opened.

 

[Quintus]

I showed this photo to a group of seven friends all with various modelling interests, from vintage tinplate to fine scale.
Three of them said they preferred the right hand straight out of the box wagon, which dented my mojo a little.
Oh well, each to their own!

 

[paulc]

I showed this photo to a group of seven friends all with various modelling interests, from vintage tinplate to fine scale.
Three of them said they preferred the right hand straight out of the box wagon, which dented my mojo a little.
Oh well, each to their own!View attachment 161546

Hi Mike , i looked at the two cement wagons and the one on the right is just way too clean . Then i studied the wagon on the left and decided it was too dirty . Logic tells me that these wagons would have been filthy considering what they carried but i would still prefer the L/H wagon to be a bit cleaner , but not too much cleaner .
Is it something to do with the colour yellow as i cannot weather my Saxa salt wagon apart from a light dusting although the rest of the salt wagons are dirty . We're peculiar creatures aren't we .

 

[Tim Hale]

I showed this photo to a group of seven friends all with various modelling interests, from vintage tinplate to fine scale.
Three of them said they preferred the right hand straight out of the box wagon, which dented my mojo a little.
Oh well, each to their own!

Mike,
Thanks for posting the image, I have a Ratio Ferrocrete van and your image provides the guidance needed.
Tim

 

[Phil O]

The dirty wagon does it for me.

 

[Focalplane]

I have two rakes of goods vehicles in the railway room, one out of the box, waiting to be weathered, the other all weathered except. I too prefer the weathered rake. My illustration of the Midlander with pristine loco still has the chassis of the brake 1st in a mucky state! Both Wolverhampton passenger sheds, Bushbury and Stafford Road, competed to keep their top link locos in good condition. This competition is mentioned in a biography of a Bushbury engineman, however, ignore the price, it can be found much cheaper.

 

[Stephen Freeman]

Living not far from Crewe on the WCML, we did see ex-works locos occasionally, I might have a not very good Black and White snap taken from the site of the old Minshull Vernon Station, public access was still OK in those days not now of course. Loco in question was an LMR maroon City class loco, not at speed as it had just come out of the works and was only going slow. In all the years of my youth, I only managed one visit to the works, where they were building Brush class 4s (I believe they are now known as Duffs) but they were still working on steam loco overhauls and painting. I might have a couple of photos if of interest.

 

[Peter Cross]

Hi Mike , i looked at the two cement wagons and the one on the right is just way too clean . Then i studied the wagon on the left and decided it was too dirty . Logic tells me that these wagons would have been filthy considering what they carried but i would still prefer the L/H wagon to be a bit cleaner , but not too much cleaner .
Is it something to do with the colour yellow as i cannot weather my Saxa salt wagon apart from a light dusting although the rest of the salt wagons are dirty . We're peculiar creatures aren't we .

I also think it's rather too dirty, the cement would be in sacks. If they leaked that much powder the company would do something about it. I would imagine that under the doors you may get spillage, but the rest of the van would be more road dirt and soot.

 

[simond]

As the masters of modelling chide us relentlessly, don’t do what you think, follow photos of the real thing. Anyone got any?