Commission: Rapido Hunslet weathering…

This is the first of I’m sure many Rapido Hunslet 16” commissions to pass the bench and it is a lovely base model to work with…

My customer wanted a deluxe weathering, renaming and couplings fitted. I’ve also added coal to the bunker to complete the transformation. The paint finish on the Rapido model out of the box feels very good but needs liberal toning down for a believable industrial in any condition other than freshly built. First job was to affix the custom plates that had been supplied by my customer but I believe sourced from Custom Nameplate Studio at Light Railway Stores.

The finish you see here was achieved by starting with a couple of different washes, the usual chassis mix was 98/33 and this was also used on the footplate and tank. As it became tacky I used a wide flat brush to remove it from the tank leaving a subtle streaked appearance. The wash was also applied to the buffer beams with a touch more 33 and similarly ‘cleaned’. The smokebox was painted with a neat mix of the the two shades and the footplate washed with the same, stippled with 98 around the smokebox door.

Detail micro painting of the model included the staining around the water filler, rusty spots on the cab and the grease on the wheel rims.  

Next the airbrush was used to blend and soften some of these washes and paint finishes, especially effective on the top of the saddle tank and roof but also around the coal bunker to represent coal dust and built up of grime.

The final step is a dry brushing of the cab and step edges with gunmetal 53 and the footplate and buffers to give a scuffed look. The result, as I hope you can see here looks like a well cared for but hard working industrial. I have not sealed with a lacquer which preserves a little of the underlying sheen to the finish.

The patterns of dirt and wear whilst based on non one prototype are the result of careful study of similar machines. If you’d like me to take a look at your own model then renaming and weathering can be completed at the same time and I offer a one stop service including sourcing of all parts as required. Get in touch for a no obligation fixed price proposal, the contact form is in the menu here on the blog, or you can contact me on Facebook or the forums. Until next time, more soon…

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