It does 'add to the mass of the thing' though doesn't it, to coin a phrase.  Nice.  I'll be brave with my stock one day.

Yes, given all the footage I have found of locos in the period I am modelling has them looking shocking its vital  Weathering stock takes ages but I have found matt black and a few highlights here and there works a treat

Keep up the good work, it takes a lot of courage to actually start to weather a locomotive, it took me ages to pluck up enough courage to weather a maroon loco in my fleet, but strangely I had not problems weathering black/green examples.