Transport for James 150...

I am lucky to still be able to go 150 hunting for the time being - my favourite type of Sprinter still roams the rails in Wales - and beyond. Of course in miniature I have a number of examples, the most recent, and personal of which is this Transport for Wales example from the last release by Graham Farish...

After 7 months she is finally 'finished' - the weathered appearance adds to the re-numbering, the result is a deeply personal tribute to the most mundane and workmanlike yet reliable hard working work horse of the network - outside of London and the South East.

150280 is the unit that I adventured from Swansea to Shrewsbury last year and was an obvious choice. I drew up the renumbering decals using the Helvetica font, as the prototype didn't have the usual 'Rail Alphabet' style. This included the tiny car numbers on the sides too - luckily (or unluckily, if you're not careful) the black markings on the model become very very soft if touched with white spirit - so no damage to the models lustrous paint work in removing these before I could apply her new identity.

Beyond the numbers is a detailed weathered finish that picks out elements I've enjoyed observing on the prototype. The Welsh units in particular seem to have a black patch of repair work above the drivers cab window (tree strikes presumably), represented with some careful masking. The door window seals on the red doors rub on the frame/brush slightly wearing the paint away revealing a metal edge, picked out with a Posca paint pen. The usual Humbrol 98/33 wash gives life and contrast to the under frame and lower body sides.

Up top the roofs were given a coat of satin lacquer to kill the sheen, but keep the shinier finish on the sides - which worked really nicely on the paler grey. The exhaust 'grub' was added with an airbrush, blending across both sides of the roof, as of course, in service the exhaust from one is close enough to the second coach to leave a deposit. Carriage ends were treated to the washes and the inners had some airbrushed dirt to soften the edges of this finish - the results are subtle and bely the tiny size of these N gauge trains.

Posed here on Wrecsam Canolog, the original Mosslanda, I wonder about another suburban layout... perhaps I should dig out the Penardd plan I sketched some time ago - as it is nearly time for Night Shift to find a new home. For now though, the humble 150 sits at the platform and my imagination fills in the rest of the details, the noises, smells and sensations, sat aboard, waiting for the journey to begin...

Until next time, more soon...

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