A U-boat for Beaverbrook…

The latest arrival in the Hilton Mears lease fleet is this tired U23B. An ex Conrail (ex Lehigh Valley) unit she has her mainline, even branch line running behind her! Today she is much needed muscle on our collection of small terminal switching operations…

You have seen and heard the model before - but now a chance to absorb ourselves in the finish more closely with some higher resolution photos - the model is a re-worked Atlas Classic, fitted with details and repainted. Under the hood is a Loksound v5 and Rail-exclusive ‘Big Boomer’ speaker. She sounds as good as she looks!

Weathering is an art. Whilst photographs provide inspiration they don’t instruct. Instead, through years of practice at the craft, a deep understanding of the processes that cause the marks, the streaks, the staining it’s possible to create a heartfelt model that just oozes character. Mind, neither is she a caricature - the finish is restrained, believable - realistic…

Upfront a white metal Details West plough with Cal-scale MU, Kadee air pipes and Juneco ditch light. Cab door replaced with a KV Models part. Kato aerial. Custom designed decals also work on the number boards. Cal-scale 3 chime Canadian horn too… Weathered finish uses my usual tried and tested methods, based upon years of practice and observation. 

I absolutely love the KV Models radiator. This etched stainless steel kit includes the core and the grill and replaces the Atlas plastic piece in its entirety. No cutting required, fixed in place with superglue.

Ditch lights by Juneco, Cal-scale MU hoses and a Kadee brake pipe. Plough and other details in the Atlas detail bag that came with this old ‘Classic’ model. Grabs came pre-fitted! Beyond these detail shots you’ll find some Details-West air filters under the walkway and A-line chain on the hand-brake.

All this without resort to any pre-mixed ‘weathering colours’ - nor powders or washes. Instead Humbrol enamels applied three ways… wet on wet washes, airbrush and drybrush. 

The finish is deeper than just the weathering too - as a model I stripped to bare plastic I could build up weathering in the paint finish, choosing faded shades for the main ‘blue’, and varied the density of this around the panel lines and grilles. Decals, custom drawn markings and Smokebox graphics warning labels, applied over a light gloss lacquer - sealed with a deep satin. The weathering then layers upon this, softening the edges, blending the results to a homogenous result. A living breathing locomotive, just miniaturised.

I love her. Not just the finish, but the process, the creation of something new from something old. Something personal from something mass produced. The craft and skills combined with artistic vision. This same approach, even if a different prototype, can inform your own work, breathe character in your models - and more, be a deeply satisfying process. Until next time, more soon…

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