Commission: Tank wagons for Renfrew…

These Heljan OO scale A and B tank wagons are wonderful models and my regular customer David, whom owns and commissioned Renfrew had picked up a set incredibly cheaply and wondered if I could blend them in with the rest of the stock for his layout...

Wagon weathering can be tricky for a commission. As a model maker I can't justify charging a lot of hours but need to create a realistic and believable model with less input. The key is to focus on the character and work out what will really set the model out from the others - whilst still having a family likeness so they blend together on the layout.

A wash on the chassis kicks things off, the usual mixes - and the same follows on the tanks - though much thinner on this grey tank - removed with a wide flat thinner moistened brush. This gives not only some variation in colour and shade but also the sheen on the finish. A general dusting with the usual blend with the airbrush followed - which softens the edges of the wash nicely. 

The fuel staining was added to the tanks using a mix of Gloss and Satin black, with the airbrush, being careful to observe how this appeared on prototype wagons. On the Class A I then added some 133 (satin brown) to the edges of this streaking making this example really pop.

 

This trio will soon see use on Renfrew - and perhaps a photo or two will find it's way back to us here - in the meantime if you've got some wagons that are box fresh and need bringing to life why not get in touch and discuss options with me? I offer a fixed price based on your requirements - get in touch via the contact form or Facebook. Until next time, more soon...

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