HELJAN CLASS 40

Whistling Giant gets the weathering treatment.

This is a project that I've been itching to start since last December. However, finding time for practical work has been something of a struggle recently. At last, though, I've found a slot in the schedule and work has begun apace, with the massive 'O' gauge Class 40 dismantled into more manageable, bite-size chunks.

I decided to try breaking the bogies and underframe into as many separate parts as possible, which has made life so much easier than when I last treated a large 'O' gauge diesel (a Heljan 'Western'). These models weigh a ton and, with their length, even when working on a turntable, you need a lot of space on the workbench. This way, though, my current cramped working conditions haven't proved too inconvenient.

I've given the bogie frames and fuel tanks a suitably grimy, textured finish, using a variety of acrylics and dry pigments, with the effects refined with an airbrush. The project will feature in the Class 40 Masterclass supplement that's being offered free with the next issue of Model Rail magazine (MR209), out on May 7th.

So far, it's all looking pretty convincing. Next up will be the bodyshell and the main chassis...