RED SHED READY

 DB Class 66 ready for action.

My recreation of an ex-EWS Class 66 is complete. I'm very satisfied with the weathering job, employing some slightly different techniques. Most of the 'dirt' is limited to underframe and roof - as per the real thing - while the body sides and cab ends are kept clean. And yet the paintwork has taken on a dull, lifeless lustre, suggesting a hardworking locomotive that has spent nearly 20years at the mercy of the British weather.

This has been achieved with an overall 'filter' coat, applied via an airbrush, while much of the rest of the weathering was undertaken by hand, using acrylic paints, powders and enamel washes. There are a few areas of chipped paintwork on the sides of the roof and a noticeably cleaner area of the gold banding, where the EWS vinyls have recently been removed. A set of cabside mirrors have also been installed, crafted from scraps of brass wire and strip.

Look out for the full demonstration, as part of a Class 66 Masterclass, in the next issue of Model Rail (MR225), on sale 28 July.

Early- and late-period EWS era machines: the vivid red/gold scheme of 66022 contrasts with the duller, careworn 66137. 

The real 66137, at work in the Peak District of Derbyshire, Spring 2015.