I've been messing about with a new (to me) product - MIG enamel washes. This is also the first time I've used enamels of any kind (except pigments, I suppose) since I was a nipper. The aim was to get some streaks on 60014's flanks and ends.

I took some pictures to have a look in close-up before the second set of washes harden, so I thought I might as well post them and get some feedback I based what I was doing on a series of prototype pictures of the loco at Peak Forest around 2006, when it was still pretty clean, before the beasties got torn and whatever unpleasant thing happened that sprayed oil down one side!

The washes are some kind of pre-mixed enamel, probably with a flow agent added although they have some surface tension still. I've seen them in shops before but hadn't tried them - they were recommended to me by RMWebber Invercloy who was getting very nice results - many thanks for the tip! The reason I took the plunge is that I thought my usual acrylics would dry far too fast to get a good result on the large loco bodysides - it's already touch and go using acrylic washes with wagons. I didn't want to go totally pro and try gouache since I'd rather not have to apply a varnish coat afterwards if I can avoid it

So what are they like? In short I'm really pleased - they're fun to use and have (coming from acrylics) what seems like limitless working time. The colours, as is usual for MIG, are excellent - I used mostly "neutral" and then went back the next day to get "dark". 60014 had an overall coat of neutral (a warm grey) on the sides and ends, worked off with a 10mm square brush before the recommended time, so as to leave fine streaks. Tonight it's had the bigger hero streaks added using dark (dark brown) and neutral as appropriate. This time I left it to dry longer and then worked over the streaks with a mixture of flat, round and varnish brushes. The roof had quite a heavy wash to define the panels which was polished off with a rag.

Lots of interesting techniques seem possible - you can spread out the wash into a smooth toning coat with a rag or cotton bud by buffing it. You can edit and push it around with various brushes dipped in enamel thinner, and if you get the brush moisture right it's possible to pick up and put down colour in the same brush stroke based on how much pressure you apply (more to erase, less to apply). I had best results with relatively stiff brushes - the Taklon-bristled square brush was really good, and you can turn it edge-on to define streaks a bit more.

I realise this is probably old news to people who use enamels a lot, but I was pretty excited by the extra workability. I tried not to go overboard, but I think a few of the triangular streaks need dialling back still, I'll see how that goes. After that it needs to dry and I'll work on the mucky roof. I also need to bring some track colour up the lower bodysides (probably with powders) and work on details.