Part two of the loco painting.....

As with 37403, I had some issues with the paint not getting into corners.  The solution has been a lot more touch up work with a fine brush, I think the weather paid a part, as did the mix of paint, along with my experimentation with a different airbrush needle (using the medium rather than my usual fine). 

Once that was complete it was time to add the other colours, starting with the footplate / steps using a dirty black / brown mix of Vallejo acrylics, the smokebox and roof in grey black and the buffer beams in red.   

With that done there were a few minor repairs to complete, a rear handrail had snapped off the Bird and a casting was dislodged from the 73xx, both also needed buffers gluing in position.   The final task was to add the nameplates / numberplates to 3449, and the bufferbeam numbers / tender crests to all three.   I still need to get number plates for 7313 and 2213 which will go on my next Narrow Planet order (likely along with replacements for 1470 for which I cannot find the missing plate.)

3449 "Nightingale" 

7313 - should be 7316!

2213

Given I had some left over paint I have cracked on with a few other outstanding jobs, adding some additional weathering to my Grange, weathering 5108 (which if I can find the missing buffers will end up on eBay on Monday to partially fund a new Hornby example), and repainting the smokebox (and Gibson chimney) on my Bachmann 2251 ready for comparison with the Finney example.  It will eventually get a new brass cab using the leftover Finney parts...

While varnishing 37403 I decided to see how the GWR green looked with a coat of varnish.  Again I used the Simons clear gloss varnish.  Given it had worked perfectly in the morning I was surprised when the finish crackled.  I think the reason was holding the can too close to the model.  Thankfully its just the rear of the tender that’s effected.

The effected area 

Varnished vs unvarnished 

On Christmas day I will be getting the new chassis jig at which point I can crack on with building the new chassis for both 7313 and 2213 (although the latter will still need wheels sourcing), while for 7313 I am experimenting with Gibson wheels (and will do the build tests with an old set of P4 Gibsons to avoid having to take the wheels off and on too many times).  If they work ok then I halve the cost of wheels going forwards, if not it will get rewheeled with a set of Markits (eventually).  2213 will be tested with a set of Ultrascale P4 wheels to prove it works, before sitting on a set of Bachmann wheels until its new wheels are sourced.