Now then, where was I? Ah yes, that wagon. Well SWMBO took a look and said the wagon looks okay but the roof is too perfect and she was right (for a change) and I had sprayed it an even brown tone. Out with the airbrush and put things to rights:
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Now you may think I sprayed it grey then put on the green rot but no, the green-brown went first then the grey as I find this gives a better blending. Some experts say light colours first then work down to the darkest. I don't know not being an expert but I think this way looks good.
Next up? Well I need some materials to start with:
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and some tools:
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I ended up using more, much more. Scenic products were Vallejo paints and powders, Woodland Scenics and Noch for the main greenery and some unknown el-cheapo Amazon supplier for the tufts. You will see all these come together below.
Now let the fun begin! First off was the buffer stop, this has four different colours of paint and two different rust powders. The bit below the end of track sign took four goes to get it how I wanted and this isn't it:
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Next bit under attack was the section of track, first some distressing using a craft knife then four paints but only one rust powder. It must be Scrooge syndrome:
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That tree? Three different paints for the trunk and some matt varnish to stop the
flock falling off.
Next? Gluing things to very thin balsa using some lead liberated from the printers to stop the wood turning into a Swiss roll:
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Next a bit of a fast forward. Well a big one really as I forgot to take interim pictures - SWMBO was astonished as there was a bare board and when she next looked up the veggies had taken over. Note the various shades of rust on the bufferstop, to use just one on something this prominent would look monotonous and unrealistic, for the rails and chairs you can get away with it:
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Ignore the background clutter, I have to share the
workbench balcony table with Sh! You know who.
That is it. But as I am my own greatest critic there are a couple of things I would have done differently as in use darker clumps of bush as there is not enough contrast to the undergrowth and I am still not happy with the back of the bufferstop (rusty wood?). There again the sleepers under the wagon are also distressed and weathered, the face of the bufferstop is now right and the bird poop, which is streaked down the side of the roof, these are done but no one will ever see but I know they are there etc.
What am I going to do with this? Well the idea was to stick in a corner of the layout but when I looked where it could go I realised there was no space, so now a bit of a conundrum. Ho hum, bin it I suppose.
Remember this is HO, to do the same in 1:22.5 would be a much greater task although I might have had a go.
Now who was paying attention and saw why this wagon wasn't going to be run?
