Red shed…

This Revolution Class 66 is beyond superlatives. It was after I fitted sound to my EWS example that I decided to add a second to the collection, whilst I figured, they were still readily available. As a result the DB liveried 66128 arrived earlier this year…

There is nothing that detracts from the quality of finish, of finesse or of performance of this model.

The intention with ‘Modern Goods’ was to model something of today’s railway, but already things have moved on with DB Cargo up for sale… the ship has perhaps sailed. That said there is nothing that detracts from the quality of finish, of finesse or of performance of this model. Since purchase it has sat on display just being enjoyed as it came out of the box… all those complements aside, it was just far to clean!

Saying ‘clean’ though is relative. When I see these in real life they’re usually fairly well turned out with the red bright and shiny - so capturing something of that clean but dirty look is important to tell that story. My story.

A familiar approach, a blend of Humbrol enamel old favourites, 33 (Matt black) and 98 (Matt chocolate). White spirit and a passion for the prototype blend the colours to create shades of the same, lighter here, darker there - almost painted with a sixth sense, of the character and presence of the prototype. A little gloss lacquer stippled on for fuel spillage before airbrushed shades up top, to kill the sheen and suggest some life…

She is alive.

Character distilled, and performance sublime. 

I can’t quite explain it but there is something ‘just right’ about the model that Revolution have created here - an example of one that transcends scale comparison… character distilled, and performance sublime. Hopefully my sympathetic and heartfelt touches have breathed life into the finish, and you can almost imagine standing here in the yard, beside this beast and feeling the raw power constrained within that corrugated steel bodywork. Wonderful wonderful models, created by men who love model railways, built by women who probably don’t. Thank you all. Until next time, more soon…

(Apologies for the gender stereotypes, the men are Revolution - and are all men. The women are the amazing craftsmen who create these fantastic models from kits of parts, hundreds at a time. Incredible).

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