Peco rolling stock weathering

[Stephen Rainsbury]

I want to improve the look of my Peco rolling stock by picking out the details

This is supposed to be a heritage line so the volunteers will have been out since 6:30 with the power hose getting things spotless, but I think that the planking and details of the running gear would benefit from a little emphasis, but not heavy weathering.

Does anybody have any tips or suggestions please?

Thanks

[Tom Haythornthwaite]

Bless those volunteers....

[JulienW]

It might be worth looking a little outside of the model railway world.

I've used Citadel Minatures / Games Workshop's "Nuln Oil", which is a brown(ish) wash that will pick out the details of things like plank lines, mouldings and the like.  It may need a bit of experimentation to get the application right - thin coats or possibly thinning the Nuln Oil to reduce the 'colour density' but it might be a start.

The other thought would be to try thinned paint or ink as that should achieve the same effect, but be careful as some thinners (white spirit for the enamels, Isopropyl alcohol for some of the water-based things) might lift the printing on the Peco stock.

As to running gear I'd probably go for dry brushing something like Humbrol's 'Track Colour' or what I like to call 'off black' (essentially a very dark grey).

Hope that helps.

[Stephen Rainsbury]

It might be worth looking a little outside of the model railway world.

I've used Citadel Minatures / Games Workshop's "Nuln Oil", which is a brown(ish) wash that will pick out the details of things like plank lines, mouldings and the like.  It may need a bit of experimentation to get the application right - thin coats or possibly thinning the Nuln Oil to reduce the 'colour density' but it might be a start.

Hi Julian, I agree with you about Nuln oil, I use quite a bit on Games Workshop figures (I still play occasionally) and it is excellent for bringing out detail and taking the unrealistic shine off off plastic and die cast models. 

As to running gear I'd probably go for dry brushing something like Humbrol's 'Track Colour' or what I like to call 'off black' (essentially a very dark grey).
Hope that helps.

Yes I think careful dry brushing is the way to go and I will experiment with "Track Colour" which is a bit more descriptive that "Abbadon Black","Badab Black and Chaos Black", which seem to be the current GW Range  :)

The main issue for me is the detail on 009 stock is so fine that it is easy to over do it, and then end up having to swab it off. To avoid taking the previous layers off I leave it for 24 hours between coats so it can take days.

This means it is easy to end up with a rake of wagons that look slightly different, which would seem to be a complete anathema on a heritage line :-)

[Stephen Rainsbury]

Look at Pendon Museum and book a one-day course with Mick Bonwick on basic weathering without an airbrush - you will learn how to do it quickly and realistically. You can look Mick up on Google

Thanks, its a bit far for a day trip for me from here but much closer to my new house after we finally move, but we still don't have a date yet.