With preliminary detailing work carried out in part one, George Dent has begun applying a suitably weathered finish to his Sulzer Type 2
Although not the same prototype as his modelling subject, George has been inspired by this image of 26031 at Carlisle with a parcels service in 1982. As was typical of Rail blue diesels in the 1980s, the yellow ends are fairly clean, but the underframe areas are pretty filthy. The roof and sides show deposits of grime and dust. Working from prototype images during the weathering process is always helpful. COLOUR RAIL
Model: Heljan 2647 BR Class 26/1 26043 in Rail blue with Scottish Region DCE stripes and Haymarket depot logos
Price: £210.00 (get 10% off full-price models as a subscriber to the magazine)
Having already installed the optional detail fittings supplied with the newly tooled Heljan Class 26, as described in part one, attention soon turned to giving my model a suitably weathered finish. The body, which simply unclips from the chassis, was treated first, with work beginning with a coat of enamel washes.
I’ve yet to find a perfect shade for ‘general railway locomotive grime’, but blending a generic ‘Dark’ with a hint of ‘Brown’ seems to do the trick. It’s subjective, of course. Livery shades also play a role, with light base colours needing more subtle tones, for instance.
This can be quite an involved subject and – excuse the shameless plug – those interested in the nitty gritty of locomotive weathering may want to check out one of my books: Weathering for Railway Modellers, Volume One, published by Crowood (www.crowood.com), which offers hints, tips and step-by-step demonstrations for steam, diesel and electric traction, plus passenger and freight rolling stock.
George has written extensively on the subject of weathering, for both Model Rail and within a series of books for Crowood Press.
But, back to the Heljan ‘26’… there has been a raft of new acrylic-based weathering washes appearing recently, which can be effective for many scenarios, particularly on model buildings. However, I do prefer enamel-based washes for locomotives, due mostly to their slower drying time, which takes away an unhelpful need to rush during the manipulation stage. Furthermore, many of the enamel formulas have the added bonus of imparting a realistic sheen to a surface. Much depends on the brand, but the MIG washes I use are highly effective in this respect.
Brushing on an overall wash coat, then wiping most of it away, may appear wasteful and tedious, but I find it the quickest, easiest and most effective way of depositing grime into all the nooks and crannies.
Having a jar of enamel wash thinners on hand, preferably of a matching brand to guarantee compatibility, is useful, in case the effects do not turn out to your tastes.
One thing to remember, due to the slow drying time, is that the model will need to be left to dry for at least 24 hours after the wash treatment, and before the next stages begin. Even when the surface feels dry, it’s all too easy to deposit fingerprints in the finish before the solvents have evaporated completely.
So, what are the next steps? Firstly, I need to finish painting the crew and add incidental details to the interiors before the weathering of the underframe and bogies commences. Stay tuned for the next instalment!
What George used
◆ MIG Productions Dark and Brown enamel weathering washes and matching thinners
◆ Availability: Model Shops or www.scalemodelshop.co.uk
TOOLS
◆ Paintbrushes
◆ Cotton swabs
STEP BY STEP
1 A blend of Dark and Brown enamel washes (shaken thoroughly beforehand) was brushed liberally over one side of the locomotive, working it into any recessed areas. I did my best to avoid the cab glazing, but wasn’t too bothered about the engine room windows.
2 Almost immediately, I began wiping away the wash coat using cotton swabs. I tried to keep all strokes vertical in relation to the bodyshell, swapping to a clean swab as soon as they became clogged. With enamel washes, there’s less need to rush.
3 Although most of the pigment has been removed, a vertical streaking effect becomes visible as the surface dries, along with a slightly deeper lustre to the paintwork. The dark pigment has been retained in the seams and around raised details. Repeat on the other side.
4 Now for the roof, which was treated in a similar way, albeit with a darker blend of the washes. The excess was wiped away in lateral movements, again to promote streaking effects. More of the pigment was left behind, as the roof is likely to be dirtier than the sides.
5 For the cab fronts, the wash blend was skewed more towards the brown shade and was applied carefully to avoid the glazing. Most of the ‘dirt’ was removed with dry swabs, but traces of pigment were retained within the lamp recesses and around the raised details.
6 The bodyshell was put to one side to dry for 24 hours, allowing work to focus on the cab interiors. The newly tooled Heljan ‘26’ features an impressive level of detail, with various elements picked out in the correct colours. But it does look too clean for a workaday diesel!
7 The same enamel washes were brushed over the bulkheads, air tanks and consoles and left to dry for a few minutes before the cotton swabs worked their magic. This wait allows more of the pigment to be left behind, as it has more of a chance to cling to the surface.
LINESIDE HISTORY
A startling cameo scene has emerged on one of Peter Marriott’s layouts, as an archeological dig has revealed the fossilised remains of a dinosaur – a T-Rex no less – beside the railway. Created with the aid of a foam moulding from the Noch range.
HYBRID THREE-CAR CLASS 150 IN ‘O’
Fresh off Dave Lowery’s production line is this handsome ‘O’ gauge Class 150 ‘Sprinter’. The three-car unit carries the later style of Central Trains livery (with Centro branding) and is made up of a standard two-car class 150/1, plus an additional Class 150/2 vehicle placed in the centre. Peter Clark supplied the kits and extra parts, and the unit is fully equipped with working lights and sound (DCC), which really brings the model to life.
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