Commission: Susquehanna 3040

Last year I owned an Atlas Susquehanna GP40 in HO scale for a few months. I loved it, but my heart didn’t feel like it quite fitted in on Beaverbrook…

However, what we have here certainly does sing! This is an N gauge version of the same model and it’s wonderful. The sound and performance are exemplary but more, somehow it captures the character of the prototype in a way it’s big brother didn’t…

That said, it was too clean and box fresh so as part of the ‘Fancy another beer’ layout commission I have weathered it with the same palette of colours and it has come to life.

The result you see here is just a 3 stage process. Washes and airbrush combine to add just the subtlest of panel line washes with a build up of dirt on the frames and roof. I’ve always found keeping things subtle is the only way to work in N and it chimes true again here!

The commission also needed a suitable covered hopper - this is a Pacific Coast Rail System car - and grey isn’t the easiest of shades to weather. Wet on wet used along with a wide flat brush to get the subtle streaking on the side. The end cages and roof have worked well too and a small spray of dirt on the underside softened the edges nicely.

Seeing the pair conplete here is exciting - their home is equally on the final straight and should, with a prevailing wind, feature in a video tour later this week. This project has really opened my eyes to the possibilities of N, again, and I hope with their North American subject they capture the imagination of a new audience for what can be achieved in the smallest of spaces. Everyone has a home for a model railway, but that story is for another day. 

If you have a model you’d like me to breathe some character into whether it’s a locomotive, wagon, road vehicle or structure - get in touch to discuss a fixed priced proposal. Until next time, more soon…

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