Somehow it looks slightly too heavy, though I assume it was a black loco. It may be it needs a touch of brown in it , and I think the number would have been kept clean - purely for practical operational reasons .Cab handrails would also presumably have been kept semi bright with use, and similarly the buffer heads wouldn't have been the general grey clag. Coupling rods would presumably be rusty or oiled steel simply because it's a working machine. The vacuum pipes would surely be brake dust brown. The overflowing water mark is a nice touch.

I share your instinct that it isn't quite where you want it to be - but it's difficult to put a finger on why. The only things I can think of are - too cold/blue-grey a shade of grey , and perhaps too uniform

Well, the ideal was to have her months, if not weeks before withdrawal/overhaul the number maybe could have been rustier in my eyes. She is incredibly uniform though I must agree, I think the frames could have been rustier as could have the smoke box & smoke box door. I also wish the bugffer beams could be more noticable. The buffers themselves, yeah, oiler and darker or rustier.

The coupling rods are oily brown it's just they don't show on the pictures. The brake pipes, no, but they should show a more material warth so a leather/brown touch most definatly.

Hmm... the phoes most deinatly don't do it justices, it's not as muted as it looks but it is quite cold and blue...

But thank you. I'll be taking this on board for future projects.