Weathered LMS Locomotives

[Brocp]

Hi everyone,

 

After lurking around the forum for a few years now and being inspired by many different displays of modelling I thought it was about time I added some content of my own. My passion is the LMS, especially post war and I am planning to eventually getting around to model 5A Crewe North Shed late 1947. Over the next few years I shall be updating this topic with locos i have weathered and shall be weathering.

 

First up is Bachmann's brand new standard compound, a absolutely brilliant model of a brilliant class. This is still numbered 1189, Bachmann's standard release, while I should have renumbered it to a Crewe North member, The Compounds are an absolute minefield to model without a suitable photograph of your wanted loco in the time period.

 

Not much detailing was done to the model, just fitting of the detailing parts, drilling out the loco lifting rings (which i drilled too large, grrrr...) replacement fireman's side handrail, opening of the tender tank filler, tender guard irons, crew, etched plates, lamps, coal, fire irons and of course weathering. I copied a colour picture of a Black 5 I had, while not a Compound, was the everyday well worked engine, not too clean, or too dirty.... just right!

 

Any tips and advice will be much appreciated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BRealistic]

 

... the everyday well worked engine, not too clean, or too dirty.... just right!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wonderful piece of weathering... yes. just right!!  Some lovely textures and finishes.

 

You're the one to be giving tips and advice... so tell us how you did it!!

[Brocp]

Wonderful piece of weathering...

You're the one to be giving tips and advice... so tell us how you did it!!

 

Thanks so much for the compliment BRealistic, it's much appreciated. Basically I follow Tim Shackleton's weathering techniques, but I probably spend a bit more time in what I call "finishing" the model.

 

By finishing I mean using powders, painting enamels on with brushes and using gouache. To me at least airbrushing is only the start, I personally don't think you can completely weather anything by just airbrushing.

 

On the Compound I spent probably 2 hours finishing the model of after about 45 mins worth of airbrushing. The under frame got the basic 60:40 mix of Humbrol Matt Leather and Matt Black. Always make sure to have powered track or a 9 volt battery on hand to turn the wheels, I've completely forgotten plenty of times and a 'nice' shadow mark is always left by the motion work. The same goes for tender wheels, which are also easily forgotten in the process. The loco body is weathered again with the leather and matt black, the proportions just swapped. For the smokebox itself I swap out the matt black for Humbrol 27004 Gunmetal an absolutely brilliant paint. When dry I give the smoke box a gentle rub with a cotton bud to bring out a nice shine sort of burnished effect on the smokebox. Streaking is fairly simple with a 1/2 flat brush only barely damp in white spirit (I find this the most 'gentle' of all that metho/turps family)

 

Powders come next. I originally used the Carrs powders but I find their Rust colours far to intense, however their greys and white are perfect for ash. Mixing up a few of the grey powders I will lightly brush some under the smokebox, where ash has been shovelled out and also after seeing it in several colour pictures, around the lubricators. I presume this is to 'mop up' any excess oil that may have been spilt in applying it.

 

Mig powders are next and they are just brilliant. The three main shades I use are Black Smoke, Track Dirt and Dry Mud. Black Smoke is an obvious in it's use but the other two I use as an alternative for rust, Track dirt for older darker rust and dry mud for newer rust. Application is fairly simple, I use soft brushes with as minimal powder as possible and lightly brush it on building layers and 'melting' the colours into each other. Dry mud is used on brake blocks to simulate that awful colour that builds on them, both colours are used and mixed in places like the bunker and near anywhere water has been. It is all toned down by the lightest of black smoke brushing, just to get as much sharpness out of the powders as possible, the photo I copied showed rust but it didn't stand out a great deal.

 

For the smokebox and top of the boiler I lightly brush on black smoke powder, then with a stiff brush, brush down, streaking the powder like the paint underneath it.

 

With the powders all done (hopefully) I turn to brush painting enamels. I usually begin by taking a newish tin of gunmetal metacote and patch painting handrails, grab irons edges of steps, Basically anywhere crew members come into contact with the loco, its done to show where the weathering has been disturbed, the dirt shifted and the black livery (and sometimes bare metal) shows through. That's left to dry for a little while I move to axle boxes. A much older tin of Gunmetal is used here, 'dabbed' on with a old stiff brush. I polish some axle boxes, giving the effect of spilt oil or leave it thus giving an effect of much older 'caked on' oil. Humbrol's brilliant Coal Black is sometime used to show 'fresh' spilt oil.

 

Humbrol gloss varnish is used to replicate water around the tender tank (inside the open tender cap I used deluxe material's 'glue n glaze') gloss varnish is used on lubricators as well.

 

Motion work is one of the trickier things to do in my opinion just because the colour can be a to get right. Sometimes the colour sprayed onto the wheels etc matches perfectly to the photo you are using, in that case I simply brush gloss varnish with a fair amount of thinners onto it.

 

For the Compound though the photo I copied had basically a different shade for each 'rod'. As a Compound only has two, I decided to chose two similar shaded ones to copy the best I could. To do this I use Humbrol number 9 and again gunmetal mixed in various proportions and brushed on again with a lot of thinners, building up the layers and (trying) to make realistic oily tones.

 

After that is done I will go again with either a cotton bud or a stiff brush and in a patchy way run over the areas I painted with the gunmetal to bring out that little bit of shine on the handrails etc when they are hit by light.

 

Then it is a simple job of going over the loco looking for things I have missed (there always is) and then she is usually all done!

 

This is more of a general step by step in what I do but from now on I shall be more detailed in my step by steps for each loco I do. I hope you enjoy.

 

Broc

[BRealistic]

What a briliant 'How to do it', Broc.  Thanks so very much for taking the time.  I've already downloaded the pics, and I'll be doing the same with your 'method' so I can read it at leisure!

 

Totally agree with you on your balance between using an airbrush and hand-brushing powders and paint.  Much in line with maestro Chris Nevard's current approach (and others of this parish) that doesn't involve using an airbrush at all. 

 

Anyway, keep up the superb work, Broc... and keep us up to date with how you're getting on.  Inspirational, to say the least!

 

Best wishes

[Brocp]

What a briliant 'How to do it', Broc. Thanks so very much for taking the time. I've already downloaded the pics, and I'll be doing the same with your 'method' so I can read it at leisure!

 

Totally agree with you on your balance between using an airbrush and hand-brushing powders and paint. Much in line with maestro Chris Nevard's current approach (and others of this parish) that doesn't involve using an airbrush at all.

 

Anyway, keep up the superb work, Broc... and keep us up to date with how you're getting on. Inspirational, to say the least!

 

Best wishes

 

Thanks again BRealistic, it's an interesting point you bring up regarding the use or none use of an airbrush. I have seen some incredibly convincing weathering done with powders, personally for me I simply enjoying using the airbrush, it speeds things up and can give a good enough blend of tones into one another. But for fine detail stuff I always use powders and brush painting enamels and gouache. Airbrush weathering can be considered under painting, you want the colours and tones to show through, but the detail weathering is what brings it all together. As I said earlier I got inspiration from Tim Shackleton's methods, for me his weathering techniques are the most convincing for 4mm at least. Also and arguably most importantly, they are very enjoyable!

 

I have plenty of models already weathered that I shall be putting up over the next few months, my next new weathering project shall be Bachmann's 4f, when it arrives. After that I'm hoping for Bachmann/Rails LMS Twins, they will be a step in the deep end as I have never weathered a Diesel loco before.

 

Broc

[Nelson Jackson]

Such a beautifully weathered loco, and a brilliant tutorial on how you did it, thanks

Just one question, when you have finished weathering the model, do you protect the weathering powders with some sort of varnish, or do you just leave them on, without varnish?

Thanks again for showing us, please post up any more pics of your fantastic work.

[5 C]

I'll be watching developments on this thread closely as the subjects are very close to my own areas of interest in terms of location, era and company. Crewe North - fantastic! Great to see another WCML project lined up.

 

Andy

[Brocp]

Hi Nelson.

 

To answer your question no, I don't seal the powders with a varnish, I think it distorts the other tones some what, making them glossy or too matt depending on the area covered.

 

5C

 

Thanks for the kind words, I agree, more LMS/LMR region layouts are needed, way too much eastern stuff on here! (Only joking eastern blokes)

 

My next model will probably be another Compound this time Crewe North's own 1167, which had a tall Stanier chimney. Does anyone know a source for one? Any help will be much appreciated.

Edited August 14, 2013 by Brocp

[Jack P]

Any updates mate? Great thread!

[Brocp]

Wow... nearly 5 years since i posted on this thread.... i think it's time for a bit of a catch up...

 

Modelling hasn't exactly been the forefront of things as of late, with getting married and having two young children in the mean time, but i have found enough time to do a bit.

 

This model is a modified Hornby Royal Scot, it's an original release Green Howards that i wanted to make 6115 Scots Guardsmen, but upon removing the factory nameplates, there was a huge glue mark on both sides of the boiler where the crests had been, so it was decided that i would model another Crewe North loco, so chose 6147 Northamptonshire Regiment.

 

6147 was detailed with a Brassmasters detail kit, Comet bogie, Markits bogie wheels and Modelmaster nameplates.

 

Weathering consisted of the use of Humbrol Matt Leather, Matt Black and Metalcote Gunmetal airbrushed on, a selection of powders from the original Mig range and other medium from AK Interactive, Adam Wilder and Ammo.

 

I wanted a relatively clean loco, that still had the signs of use.

[sej]

Superb stuff, thanks for posting! Now to find somewhere in UK that supplies MIG powders...

 

Cheers

Simon

[Mick Bonwick]

Superb stuff, thanks for posting! Now to find somewhere in UK that supplies MIG powders...

 

Cheers

Simon

 

MIG powders ceased to exist under that trading name a while ago. You can now buy the same product under the name Abteilung 502, most of the colours and packaging are exactly the same except for the label on the jar. Several online suppliers now list these products.

[millerhillboy]

Lovely work, always on the lookout for new ideas I've stolen your 27004 idea for the smokeboxes to differentiate that area from the body.

 

Nice work again

[Brocp]

MIG powders ceased to exist under that trading name a while ago. You can now buy the same product under the name Abteilung 502, most of the colours and packaging are exactly the same except for the label on the jar. Several online suppliers now list these products.

I can confirm what Mick says here regarding Abteiling 502, they are the old Mig range. Ammo by Mig and AK Interactive (both of whom Mig Jimanez worked with) still haven't been able to match certain colours of powders to the older Mig range.

[Brocp]

Lovely work, always on the lookout for new ideas I've stolen your 27004 idea for the smokeboxes to differentiate that area from the body.

 

Nice work again

Thanks mate, 27004 seems to be hard to come by now in Australia for what ever reason, luckily i stocked up a long time ago, it's fantastic paint.

[Brocp]

This next model has been shown in the realistic model thread elsewhere on the forum.

 

This is 6252 City of Leicester. Originally a very damaged Hornby 6230 (it was a mess) i bought it cheap of ebay and set about my usual routine with Duchesses, Comet deflectors, door dart, whistle, front bogie and in this case a pony truck etch as well. Gibson bogie wheels, brassmasters cab doors and drain cocks (which aren't right for the Duchesses, hopefully soon I'll get around to getting correct cocks and by pass valves like 6220-6224 had 3d printed soon) plus other bits from plastic and other materials. Modelu printed crew reallu are by far the best and i think the headlamps may be from Lanarkshire Model Supplies.

 

The vast majority of the photos i have seen of 6252 in 1947 show her putrid, which is the look i went for. Her cabside windows were still blacked out until her first repaint in BR ownership (at least from the photos I've seen)

 

Weathering method was my usual mix of paints, powders and other medium to achieve the look i was after. This though was a lot more powders afterwards than usual, the paint side is usually like a primer for the powders etc so thwy can form the slight variations as to me it looks more natural than just mainly paint, at least on heavily weathered locomotives.

[Daddyman]

Super! 

[Alex]

some very nice work there,i hope i might get somewhere near that standard 

 

Alex

[sej]

Absolutely stunning work! And thanks for the information on weathering powders. While waiting for my Abteiling 502 (nee MIG) products to arrive I discovered that very fine real coal dust stands in well for "Black Smoke"!

 

Cheers

Simon

 

[Brocp]

My latest finished article, more pictures to follow

[Buhar]

That's excellent brocp, is there red lining under there or is it wartime/post war plain black?  I like the numerous variations of black/grey/brown that all seem to be in the right sort of place and blended well.

 

One less positive comment is the wet tank filler lid.  That's often suggested as a detail to include, but it doesn't sit right with me, it caught my eye too quickly when there's more interesting, well-executed detail on the tank tops.  By contrast, the oil spill by the lubricator is well observed.

[Brocp]

That's excellent brocp, is there red lining under there or is it wartime/post war plain black? I like the numerous variations of black/grey/brown that all seem to be in the right sort of place and blended well.

 

One less positive comment is the wet tank filler lid. That's often suggested as a detail to include, but it doesn't sit right with me, it caught my eye too quickly when there's more interesting, well-executed detail on the tank tops. By contrast, the oil spill by the lubricator is well observed.

Thanks mate. She is plain black, simply because as i wanted to give her a heavy weathering coat, the lining would not be visible anyway so i decided not to add it.

 

Regarding the water fillers, i agree that they do hide the weathering underneath, but as my future layout will be of Crewe North shed, i wanted to show a freshly watered and coaled loco moving on to shed.

[Classsix T]

Wow! Diesels are my thing, but I think that's some of the best steam loco weathering I've ever seen, seriously.

 

Do you do commissions?!

 

C6T.

[ikks]

Wow! Diesels are my thing, but I think that's some of the best steam loco weathering I've ever seen, seriously.

 

Do you do commissions?!

 

C6T.

Yes, this work is the best I have ever seen, most weathering I have seen, does not does not look authentic and I have

left my locos in plain plastic just because I end up with caricatures which end up scrapped.........beautiful work

 

Mike

[Brocp]

Wow! Diesels are my thing, but I think that's some of the best steam loco weathering I've ever seen, seriously.

 

Do you do commissions?!

 

C6T.

Yes, this work is the best I have ever seen, most weathering I have seen, does not does not look authentic and I have

left my locos in plain plastic just because I end up with caricatures which end up scrapped.........beautiful work

 

Mike

Thanks guys, truly appreicate the comments.Regarding commissions it's something i certainly would consider, the only issue i see is that I live in Australia, which might make it difficult.Again thank you for the kind and encouraging comments

 

Here are some more pictures of 2309, taken on the same day as the other two. Only difference is i used the photo editor on my phone to brighten them up as it was so dark outside when i took them.