Hal Nail

I'm not too sure about the main colour tbh which seems very dark but for me the bottom one looks better as there is a more blended appearance. It is relatively rare to get harsh contrasts in real life as weathering fading etc tends to mute things. We all see things differently though and I'm at the "impressionist" end of things. I'm sure those that like every detail modelled even if way out of scale would want to see separate stones and mortar! There probably isnt a straightforward anwer to this one.

Sadly this rules out most of the stuff that comes up every time, such as the Bristol, an ergonomic cab for lorries etc.

Historical reconstruction today :)

Mid 60s i think. Some stuff on this old thread. There were differences in the roof panels, battery box covers and the 46 didnt have the access flap on one side under the long grill. Here's one in 67 that has been modified. I found another from 64 too: https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p1065213468/h2cf56c6f I'm fairly sure, though have never seen it mentioned, the as built one piece type had a more substantial surround, which nibbled into the small yellow panel at the top, whereas those fitted with one piece replacements didnt.

They had the headcodes removed (usually plated over) by the time they got blue grey

I think you could do it The photo above shows it has an extended bunker, steam pipes, short safety valve and curved footplate. It wont be BR green in 1955 so the unnumbered BR black version looks basically right including the longer rear valance but you'd need to do a swap for an early cab roof, or add the rain strips.

I'm primarily after the body shell so an unmade kit, or one needing restoration would be ideal but I'd been the body to be in decent shape and not bent, dinged or damaged!

i bought my dream Leica about a week before. Apart from girlfriends, comfortably my most expensive mistake.

It is actually an instanter - just exactly sideways on. I thought you'd be pleased to see we've modelled the safety loops though :)

We've just got a big one from the stash! Here's the vac pipe for scale.

These threads always end up covering the same ground but since the OP was asking what green to start with, I would also agree with Precision. There were variations in appearance for all the reasons given but if you want a good looking model, it isn't irrelevant what base colour you start with, in my opinion.

Finished off an autotank. This started as a black 58XX which I'd tried to paint lined green but wasn't happy so it reverted to black, using various spares. 1438 fit the bill as a late black no top feed example, and a little variation in the tool box positions. A bit too dark for photos at 3pm so will take some more next time its brighter and then this one will be off to a new home as I've since picked up a lined green.

The problem with asking about colour on here is you will get 50 different suggestions and little context. Your best bet, if possible, is to find a model that looks convincing to you and ask what paint and weathering they used. Another thing seldom mentioned is the impact of the finish. I flatten off paint with 2000 grade wet and dry and then polish with kitchen roll and you end up with a much deeper rich colour even though its exactly the same paint. You can see the effect here to some extent just on a dubious factory colour.

Theres one on Colour Rail.

Ha! Don't get me wrong, I totally agree with you that there was a lot of variation, but its all about degrees (scaling of colour?!). Even if I do exactly the same painting and weathering to different models they usually come out subtly different. If I start with totally different colours to begin with, they just end up with one of them looking "wrong".

Stand by for the usual lecture about individual light perception, scaling, deterioration of film, impact of weathering and that my mate's cousin's uncle knew a bloke who bought ashford's paint from Woolworths and mixed in in a dirty bucket etc etc

I much prefer painting to building so have a few I've bought built and then tarted up, but the aim is to replace them eventually. Mind you eBay prices have gone through the floor so might rethink this. I bought some that had been fitted with home made rocking units in the style of Peco kits. I feel like i really should do this or some sort of springing to all of mine but thats merely meant the whole lot have dropped even further down the enormous list of things to finish!

In these days of small batches which can sell fast, this is something I'd like to see improved. We should have confidence the photos of every livery are of the final model, so we know what we are actually buying. I was planning to get a Lionheart 45xx but held off and in the event, the version I wanted is slightly different to the stock photos most retailers are still using, even after it has come out.

Usually this updates automatically when you enter the tracking info or simply "mark as despatched". Often it doesnt then update to delivered for ages, depending on the service used, but if you've already had feedback that's less critical.

Ah but assuming it lasts that long, in 5 years time, how much tax and insurance will you have paid? A decent O gauge model like that would be expected to go up with inflation so you can enjoy and then get your money back plus interest.

EBay has many faults but to claim it is any worse than anything else tech based is a bit harsh! Every company I've worked at the tech department has been utterly useless and nothing they introduce works. And every company I've worked at has let them loose on absolutely everything. Still, with a bit of luck the future will put our demise down to an asteroid rather than one crash too many. Afterall there wont be any accessible records.

Interesting. I'm doing either 7715 or perhaps 7709 so I don't have to change the injectors to the type running round the outside of the footplate. I picked up a Dapol top feed spare which has the tank top pipes attached but I do need to do the thick ones on the tank sides. For once, the Dapol totem is in the right place for my loco - then I noticed mine is one of the rare ones with right facing lion!

1 in 27 tunnel plank under the stairs?

There are various incarnations of the 1366 and I think they are all notoriously bad unfortunately. Finney, Mitchell, MOK, Connoisseur kits are all well regarded, to name a few. With the massive rise of r-t-r I suspect these will become scarcer and that's a shame. Referencing your van, Slaters kits make much more refined looking models than Dapol's versions for my money but I doubt they are selling that many now. Using a sharpie on wheel rims is portrayed as cutting edge modelling let alone anything as involved as gluing plastic together!

Given Rails says "new loco announcement" I would prepare yourself for disappointment.