Another Scottish 37 (Part 2)…

Complete, yet far from finished. This wonderful N gauge Class 37 is done. Sat on Lochdubh it feels real, it has presence, it has mass, it has character…

In part 1 I talked about both ‘why’ and ‘how’ this model was created, and closed with a tempting photo of her part weathered. The only change from here to there was the airbrush, and the transformation by adding roof and frame dirt and the way this softens and smoothed the transitions in the wash. As an artist we’re telling a story through plastic and paint, informed rather than instructed by the prototype.

A word on method, the bible, Welch’s ‘The Art of Weathering’ gives some ideas on how to achieve these results. Read it, absorb it, practice the craft and focus your attention on what and why you’re working on something. In this case I used a mix of Humbrol 31, 133 and 27004 to blend across the nose and roof panels and along the bottom edge of the tumblehome.

These photos, which allow incredibly cruel close ups compared to the tiny size of the model I hope show just how right the basic proportions of the Farish model are - yet too, how much the lowering, detail and weathering have transformed the donor from a toy to a ‘work of art. Here is a model that literally oozes character.

This isn’t the end of the story, just the beginning. Above, 37035 arrives at Lochdubh with the 11:55 departure from Inverness. We see another new arrival, a Farish Mk1 buffet coach… these models look great and ignite my imagination on this small cameo for now, but the longer term plan for some sort of exhibition layout based on a passing station further up the line continues to fuel the interest in 80s British Rail in the Scottish Highlands. Until next time, more soon…

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