Someone (you know who you are ) messaged me on RMWEB the other week on how I go about creating my really filthy locos. I decided to put a little guide up on here to show you how I go about it.

Advisory - For those of a squeamish disposition the following contains images of a loco in the altogether

Here's the intended victim before I get started, in this case 34054 Lord Beaverbrook

First up I disassemble the loco in to chassis and body and mask up where I don't want the paint to go. I should point out I don't always take the loco apart as sometimes it's easier not too.

I then spray the chassis in a base coat of Railmatch Roof Dirt - a few coats are needed (I also run the loco in between coats to rotate the wheels to ensure parts aren't missed that are masked by brake rigging and motions etc. While the chassis is drying I will also spray the loco and tender bodies upper surfaces with Railmatch Weathered Black

Once these are completely dry, I reassemble the loco, remove the masking and re-mask area's that I don't want weathered. These include cab/tender interior, cab windows, cab-side numbers, nameplates and crests (if fitted) and BR Totems (not on this one though). I will also mask up the treads of a spare set of tender wheels at this point (handy for those loco's with tender pick-ups) I then spray the body sides again with Roof dirt at about 12" away with the aerosol - I'm not to worried about getting even coatings (as real weathering isn't like that)

Once dry I then change to Frame dirt to dirty the wheels (and the replacement set of tender wheels), frames and lower body. Aiming at a point below the wheels and at approximate a 30 degree down angle of the nozzle I make several passes and then allow to dry. I'll run the loco again at this point to rotate the wheels (I use a spare tender to aid ensure good current pickup )and repeat the process. Then I allow it all to dry thoroughly.

Then comes the hand painting and weathering powders. I primarily use Tamiya acrylics and their weathering powders for the weathering effects, oil leaks, stains etc. Firstly I hand paint in certain effects (limescale deposits, rust streaks) first. I use for preference matt Eggshell for limescale & matt Dark Earth for rust.

Once the acrylics have dried I use the various weathering powders to complete the weather stained look.

After this is all done I seal the powders in with a few coats of Acrylic Varnish, this helps to tone the weathering down a bit as well. Then I coal and add any oil and water stains using Smoke from the Tamiya range (you could use real grease aswell if you wanted)

As I type this Lord Beaverbrook is waiting to be coaled...