Little and large- DBAG and RüKB in H0/H0e
All the narrow gauge rolling stock and both locos are Roco products. The standard gauge coach is a Sachsenmodelle Halberstadt. The 202 has been rebranded and renumbered from a DR 114, and after being faded with multiple washes of off-white and thinners, was weathered with powders and sprayed paint, plus brush work around the grills. The chassis has only been touched with powders so far, but I feel there's more to be done. I'm trying to match photographs as much as my skills allow, and experimenting in the process- I've never used powders before for instance. All the weathering has been sealed in with Vallejo "Air" matt varnish. I dismanted models for weathering, meaning I don't have to worry about masking off the windows. The narrow gauge stock will be repainted to represent prototypes based on the Rügenische Kleinbahn in the 1990s. It does mean I have to find the courage to dismantle the loco though! There's work to do, but these are my first steps in both Epoch V and also East German modelling. Also, thanks to Alan Rees and Charles Schoon for their help with V100s! Cheers Rich

Rich 202 looks great. I'm experimenting with powders too, but I've got to say my results are not as good as this. David

Thanks David. By the way, the spare etches from this loco are in the post to you!

Thanks Rich. I'm never very happy with my loco weathering attempts. I seem to be good at painting and weathering buildings but not so good at locos and rolling stock. More practice needed, I guess.

Like anything else, it all comes down to practise and experimentation. When I first got an airbrush I gave everything liberal quantities of exhaust soot and road dirt, and I thought it looked like the dog's proverbials. When I occassionally dig such early efforts out, I shudder- now I think they look like a dog's dinner! This loco marked a return to enamels. I've been trying to get to grips with acrylics for a while, but with only limited success. I tried fading a couple of wagons with acrylics, and it was extremely tedious, trying to get the right amount off off-white into varnish. With enamel washes I can add layers until I'm happy with it, or if I feel I've been a bit too heavy it comes off with thinners. I found the powders great for small detail weathering, but not so funky for larger areas. I'm now hoping to try out Tamiya and Mig pigments, which are a stickier, so we shall see. There's also one tool which is often overlooked- the finger. Dirt gathers where it isn't easily washed off, and a quick wipe with a finger soon removes excess of just about any medium if it hasn't been on for too long. Getting back to my disollusionment with acrylics, they're OK, but really require more time. Whereas a dusting with enamels can be done in a couple of sprays, acrylics have to be sprayed in lots of very thin layers, otherwise surface tension can ruin the finish. You also can't do washes with them, or overpaint with enamels, so if using mixed mediums for weathering/painting you really need to plan! I do, however, get on fine with acrylic varnishes. They seem to spray extemely well. As varnish is always my final stage in weathering, this is OK.

That could be my problem. Acrylics seem to work really well on buildings. I'll try enamels on a wagon and see how I get on.

Rich, I am a little limited in English :oops: Your work is beautiful. Engine DR. 114 is very realistic. Roco model likes very nice. Do you think there is a big diference between Brawa and Roco models ?

I don't know about the Brawa model. £60 vs £105 meant that Roco won the day for me. The worst aspect of the Roco model in my eyes is that the cabside grills are printed on. It's an obvious economy measure, but it's not enough to make me want to spend 60% more on a Brawa model! The Roco one has all-wire handrails, a smooth mechanism, close coupling, basically everything I'd expect off a much more expensive model. And it's incredibly easy to DCC fit- the bonnet tops are removable, rather than needing to remove the entire body. The chassis is diecast, and as such the loco has plenty of weight. To my untutored eyes, it looks the business.

thank you for this point of view interesting and instructive :idea: I know that the model Brawa is much more expensive. "They worry to do" with this economic Roco model who seems very well :!:

I've started weathering my models and images can be found at http://papphausen.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathering. It took me a while to get over the inhibition, but once I did that it was easier. Of course, all the great visuals and tips from resources such as this help. p.

Hi Gents, Nice to see good weathering. :8) :8) :8) :8) David

Hi Rich: Lookin' good there! Charles