Mucky Duck

All looking very effective, mudmagnet. The descriptions of how you've achieved it are most useful too, thanks.

I couldn't resist snapping my entire weathered stock in the sunset this evening… but then again, I was wearing my beer goggles!

Quite possibly the most realistic image I've seen on this thread.

Thanks Mike. To be honest I didn't give it too much thought except that Bachmann's grey was too dark for me, so I bought what I assumed to be correct. I brush-painted my wagons and the paint was thinned quite a lot. I haven't tried Phoenix with an airbrush yet…with any luck I may finally do so on my 504 EMU over the next few days. I'll be interested to see how you get on with the gouache and I also have some acrylics which I haven't yet had the courage to use either!

I just assumed – wrongly it appears – that Phoenix Precision P.126 BR Freight Wagon Grey would be the same used for mineral wagons. Well, you know what they say about assumptions…

Thank you sir! I adapted a version of Martyn Welch's method of dabbing Maskol over a rust-coloured base, brushing over it with the body colour before plucking the Maskol away when dry. Instead of Maskol I used Fixo Gum – a mild artists rubber adhesive gum – and applying it with a small stiff brush allowed for some reasonably fine stippling. A thinned coat of Phoenix Precision enamel was brushed on and given 24 hours to dry. In the meantime, I left a fair amount of the gum in a jam-jar lid, allowed it to set and then rolled it into a ball. Instead of plucking off the gum from the wagon with tweezers, I rubbed over the surface quite firmly with the gum ball – with a pointy end to get into corners! The few stubborn bits were removed with a sharp scalpel blade. I would imagine it takes a fraction of the time compared with using the tweezer method and it was a first attempt, so I think it's worth experimenting with paint viscosity to try to get the flaking finer.

Work in progress on a Bachmann welded and a Parkside Dundas riveted

I see a Wild Swan publication dedicated to this project… and I'm not referring to MRJ! This is a masterpiece in the making. If fun isn't the appropriate term, whatever is, looks like you're having a lot of it Ron!

Patience is a virtue. Beautiful work! Maybe you could post a couple of these shots in the Night Shots thread

There was only one team on the pitch after the first 15mins. And Barca weren't anywhere near their best yesterday… they should have scored five or six. I've watched them week-in, week out for about six years and the last team that I saw play such rivetting football (although of a completely different type) was Brazil's 1970 World Cup team. At least Rooney's back earning his wages after a year 'sabbatical', which is more than could be said for Valencia who had a shocker and in my opinion was lucky still to be on the pitch when he finally received his yellow card.

As my modelling hands will be tied for a while I can do little else in my 'spare' time other than tinker with photos I took some time ago… so happy to oblige. Wonky screw-link coupling will be replaced with Exactoscale version when I get around to it Aplologies for repetition… this image appears elsewhere on RMweb The regular view I remember vividly as a kid standing on the coal bunker in our back garden. In the summer evening heat haze, a light engine waits in the sidings just beyond Woodlands Road station before slowly trundling off in the direction of Manchester Victoria

Hi Tim, hacking off the flange doesn't create any problems with locating the tender body to the frame but it creates a gap between them. This gap is only visible from low angles but really needs to be covered with very thin plasticard or similar (see post 32). Also, if you want to open up the space between the drag box and the fall plate (post 41), do that first, as it also creates a gap that needs covering. It may be difficult to remove the tender valance without damaging the original Hornby mouldings even if some may feel that the Brassmasters white metal axle boxes and springs may not be worth it. They have better 'bulk' and profile than the Hornby mouldings but the definition of the springs varies an awful lot. The only thing that I may not attempt again is removing the tender rear platform to aid thinning the body (in the very first post). This did interfere with the locating tab for tender body/frame and I had minor problems solving it. My method of creating the open water filler on said rear platform didn't help either. I would also tackle the lubricators and ejectors on the footplate (post 19) in a different way, but not sure how yet. Other than the above, I think all the mods have been well worth it and I may do even more with the next (8F)… It's up to you how far you want to detail your locos, all I can add is that you choose the model version that is as close as possible to the prototype you aim to create… I ended up hacking bits and swapping chassis etc due to lack of attention. But the first is always the most difficult. Best of luck. stuartp, Mike and Wolfy… cheers for the compliments! Ryan

Interesting thread Carl… like the technique with the windscreens. I'll be watching with interest as I fancy doing one of these and a 'tractor'. Seems like Shawplan's the man for the bits!

I went through a phase when I couldn't stop playing Midlakes' The Trials of Van Occupanther. Now it's Daniel Lanois: Belladonna

Having sat hunched over the thing for hours it wasn't until I saw at the photos that I was reasonable happy with the weathering job. So Michael, Tom and Arthur, your comments add to the relief that I haven't made a hash of it. They also encourage me to keep the momentum going and return to work on 44890's layout which has been seriously lagging behind! Thanks! BR(W), you may call me Mucky, Mr Duck, Ryan, I don't mind. I've acknowledged you because if it hadn't been for your suggestion way back, that vestigial vacuum pump operating arm may still be sitting there now… and thank you for the anti-Fireball XL5 tip too!

Cheatsville Central! Cheat 1: Add smoke. Cheat 2: Add slight motion blur to the wheels and track only. Result: a modern digital image of an old loco. There's something not quite working as far as I'm concerned, so… Cheat 3: Add slight red tint to image. Cheat 4: Add grain. Cheat 5: Soften image. Now it looks a little more like '60s loco shot on grainy '60s film and somehow a it's bit more convincing. Much easier to tell the difference when viewed full size.

I wanted to get some etched smokebox numbers for my locos but as far as I can gather, they only come with named locos, so I got a Modelmaster set for a Jubilee plus decals for all my wagons… but that was AFTER I'd bought the Fox decals. Sounds like another order from Modelmaster coming up… very friendly service I might add. Thanks for the tip on the springing too, I'll definitely be doing that as it really bugs me! That's high praise indeed, thank you iak, glad that you've enjoyed it! I never thought about getting it published as it's quite long-winded but in its favour it's quite picture-heavy, so I suppose I can give it a go. I think the photo you're referring to is a bit deceptive, that is filth – ash from the smokebox – which can be seen better below but for some reason it looks far less dark and contrasty in the flesh than it does in the pics. Bending a handrail, now there's a simple but effective idea!

End of the line To avoid the risk of boring anyone to death, I've decided to finish this thread by giving 44890 the incorrect riveted tender. She will get the correct semi-welded version when I've eventually made the Comet brass kit but unless there are any specific requests, it won't be recorded here. No doubt there are Comet tenders featured as part of loco kit-build threads elsewhere. I'd been holding-off on the weathering (my first attempt) until I'd purchased a compressor – a lovely little Testor from Eileen's – only to find that I couldn't get my very modestly-priced airbrush to work! One of the things I have realised whilst modelling is that cheap tools usually aren't up to the job. I've inadvertently bought some real rubbish on Ebay over the years… no more! So, without further ado, I elected to weather the loco by hand – a bit of a daunting prospect. I like my engines really filthy, as I never saw a black steam loco back in my childhood, they were almost always grey apart from the odd clanking rust-heap… usually a Dub Dee or Mucky Duck. I mixed a dirty matt grey wash from various Humbrol matt enamels and liberally applied several coats to the loco and tender bodies until the lining was just about visible… and then only in some places. The tender frames and rear platform received a coating of 'rust' which was then toned-down with the grey wash. The loco chassis was treated slightly differently, rust, dust or oily grit according to the area (the latter achieved with Carr's weathering powders and gloss varnish). Detail water streaking and touching-up was the final stage and the Black 5 is finally finished. Well, sort of… there are some minor details that still need to be added. I've tried to adhere to the mantra 'It'll do, just won't do' in my modelling so far, but for the desire to conclude this thread and move on, 'It'll do' will just have to do… for now! Blackening the wheels makes a big difference particularly on the Comet bogie. Loco was renumbered with Fox transfers before enamel washes were applied and rust added to the rear deck of tender Various shades of rust were used on the tender frames before being toned down. Carr's weathering powder mixed with gloss varnish gave the axle boxes their gungy-oily look. BR totem almost obscured by filth. Very difficult to avoid paintbrush marks but flattening between coats puts unwanted shine on the surface Rear deck of tender rust has been toned down and surface given a wet appearance. Springside lamp has been modified with fine wire handle Hornby's cab sidescreens were already broken (as is often the case) before the loco was removed from its box. New frames were fabricated from modified staplers and clear glazing added and weathered Another cruel shot. Oily gunge worked reasonably OK on tender axle boxes but not as well on the valve gear. Maybe I'll be re-working this Water streaking was done with very sharp colour pencil. This may be too much for some tastes but believe it or not, this Black 5 will be one of my cleaner engines!!! The slightly cleaner side; A gap between top of cylinders and footplate is apparent here… the loco also sits very slightly nose-up, so needs some fettling! Fox transfers smokebox number appears too big and doesn't account for fixing bolt space… or is it that Hornby's number plate is too small? Springside lamp is not ideal – apart from handle, the lens is a waste of time. Failed in an attempt to make a new lens with 'jelly' superglue. Still needs proper screw-link coupling and the buffer heads need weathering detail The Black 5 may have been 'as common as muck' but I've always thought it to be an attractive locomotive Looking forward to the next one and more control with an airbrush! Loco crew conspicuous by its absence Summary I feel a great weight off my shoulders as my first railway modelling project nears completion and I'm reasonably satisfied with the results considering I've never done this before. The Brassmasters upgrade kit and the Comet bogie really transform this model and both absolutely worth their modest amount of money. I made a bit of a meal of this project, mainly thanks to the Hornby tender which really is not up to today's standards but next time will be so much quicker as I won't need to sit for hours thinking of solutions. Acknowledgments I first got the inspiration to do this from Tim Shackleton's article in MRJ no. 138 and there's a slightly different approach by Gerry Beale in issue 184. The two books pictured below were the main ones used as reference. I particularly recommend Locomotives in Detail by the Brassmasters chaps as it's broken down into sections, each dedicated to a different aspect of the loco… very informative but I got it a bit far down the line to be most effective on this project. Finally, thanks must go to certain RMweb members whose knowledge, expertise and kind encouragement have provided vital information from their own threads (below) and helped with morale… so cheers! coachmann http://www.rmweb.co....ring-coachmann/ cactustrain http://www.rmweb.co....l__cactustrain/ Ben Adler http://www.rmweb.co....h__1#entry67006 Tim http://www.rmweb.co....__1#entry341928 BR(W)

Thought I'd finally have a go, with this Newton Heath-based Black 5, circa 1963

Blimey Larry, that does look real… is that O scale?

Hi Tim. Some lovely and very interesting work on this thread! It's great to see the Brit so filthy you can barely tell that it's green, makes me itching to do mine but I mustn't get too distracted, besides, finally I'm finishing-off my Black 5 using some similar methods to these you're demonstrating here (now that my airbrush has packed-up !). On the loco below, you've managed to achieve an absolutely perfect colour along the middle of the boiler – between handrail and steam pipe – with just the mearest hint of rusty red. Do you have a formula for that mix? Mine's looking very grey at the mo – also, whilst weathering it I've realised that adding any colouring makes the gap between boiler and footplate on Hornby's model more noticeable.

Here we go again… zzzzzzzzzzz! For the moment So… what is this, selective history? … like you never miss an opportunity to rub it in! Well I must say, it felt really good to be present as Man City booked the first Wembley visit for quite a while in a well-deserved, if frustrating game. When we get there, the usual suspects will probably find something out of nothing to make the difference, even if we out-play them… again.