Commission: Weathered RTR wagons…

Take any ready to run model and add a little of yourself, the result is of your hand. As a commission modeller who usually focuses on larger or longer commissions when the opportunity to do some weathering comes along it’s a lovely break from tiny bits of brass or custom design work…

Today’s ready to run models often come with different numbers, different details, subtle changes in colour that lend them a believable realism, but with just a wash and some airbrushing carefully and artistically applied they come to life. 

This pair of BR 12t vans are both from Bachmann. They’ve had a ‘basic’ weathering, which means a wash on the chassis, a different colour on the body that is carefully applied and partially removed. Once dry the airbrush is used to suggest road dirt and shadow. The result adds a subtle variation across the whole model whilst not obscuring the original finish.

Open wagons offer a different challenge when applying a basic weathering, but by thickening the wash and picking out individual planks inside the result is pleasing. This is an older Airfix body on a new Hornby chassis with an LNER vented 12t van from Bachmann. The four models sit well together and as similar colours have been used to the previous wagons completed for this customer they should look very much at home with the 05 on Renfrew. 

If you’ve got some box fresh models you’d like me to breathe life into get in touch. I often find time to slot these commissions around the larger builds so you may find you get them back quicker than anticipated. In the meantime, more soon…