For many years now (and under different guise) I've been developing paint and effects skills on models. Ever since my mid teens I'd always looked at models and found them to be little more than nice toys until they'd received some creative touches that brought them to life. Ever since then I've been on that quest to try and create a finished model that actually looks like a full-size piece of equipment hewn from metal or wood. Weathering is an over-used and not always fully understood term and I personally prefer to speak in terms of 'effects'. Various forces begin to play upon a locomotive or indeed any piece of heavy equipment once it leaves the factory and begins its working life. Yes, the weather plays a part; so does the immediate environment. Think steam age loco shed, ironworks or pithead for example. Lubricants, sand and the passage of crew and maintenance staff across the accessible parts all leave their mark. Cargos and the stresses and impacts of rarely gentle use in traffic all take their toll on the finish of goods rolling stock too. Over and above that it's desirable to create the effect of light and shade in order to generate the illusion of depth on what may otherwise be a fairly two-dimensional looking model.

With that in mind, I'll let the following images do the talking...