News from your model shop - 21st May 2023

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Don't forget to read our latest modelling tips and unboxing videos located at the bottom of the newsletter.

The latest Peco catalogue has just arrived. It includes 224 pages in full colour covering all their ranges: Peco, Ratio, Wills, Parkside, ModelScene and Tracksetta. You will find all their products as well as a few modelling tutorials on modelling techniques. Click on the picture for more details.

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Creating a realistic feel to a layout is a top priority for many modellers.  That means getting all aspects of the layout and its operation to be in balance and harmony.  For example, if the layout depicts a busy industrial scene, then having pristine locomotives and wagons rolling through will be somewhat incongruous.  As a result, many modellers may choose to weather their rolling stock to better reflect the all-weather, industrial environments in which they will operate.  For this week's newsletter, we will examine the options available to modellers when it comes to weathering locomotives and other rolling stock.  The great thing about weathering is that it is entirely subjective, meaning that items can be weathered as much or as little as the modeller deems necessary.  Weathering techniques are also quite easy to apply and it's hard to get things wrong.  Weathering is such a broad term in scope, that even if the technique is overdone it can be softened or removed with relative ease, often with water or careful and judicious use of thinners.

The Basic Weathering Set by AK Interactive is a great place to start.  This set contains a wash for adding grime, a 'worn effects' fluid for adding scratches and comes with its own thinner, meaning it has everything needed to start creating simple weathering techniques.  For those looking to add rusting, the Rust Tones Oil Brusher Set by Mig Jimenez offers a variety of tones to add simple rust or more substantial decay as required.  Likewise, the Soil Colours set, also by Mig Jimenez will allow modellers to create a simple build-up of soil and dirt indicating heavy all-weather usage.



The above-mentioned items are a great way to start for those new to weathering, meaning that for minimal expenditure beginners can start to create impressive and very realistic results.  For those looking to develop their weathering skills then there are lots of options available.  The Model Colour Set - Rust & Steel Effects by Vallejo offers a selection of 8 differing acrylic colours plus a pigment.  Also included in the set are two brushes, a mixing pallet and a colour chart to help modellers blend colours and textures to produce a range of realistic effects.  Similarly, the Old and New Wood Effects, also by Vallejo provides the modeller with 8 colours with which to create a pleasing mix of wood colour tones, great for weathering the flatbed base of a wagon.  The Slimy Grime Light by AK Interactive is a perfect effect for simulating dampness-related decay and the build-up of moss, making it perfect for both buildings and forlorn and forgotten wagons lingering on a siding.



For those looking to build up mud and other sediments then Vallejo has a range of acrylic-based pastes such as their Light Brown Thick Mud.  These can be applied in a number of ways including by toothpick or by brush.  They can be applied neat to indicate thick deposits or can be thinned to simulate mud splashes.  Also by Vallejo, the Chrome Oxide Green is a pigment that can be applied to indicate the build-up of verdigris.  The Wet Effects Fluid by AK Interactive is a great way to simulate streaking water and areas of dampness.  Although not a varnish, it can be applied to give a light sheen to represent dampness and moisture and is designed to blend with the surface resulting in differing intensities in keeping with the appropriate surface texture.



One of the easiest and most forgiving ways to represent weathering is to apply a simple wash.  In effect, a wash is a diluted colour pigment that uses capillary action to follow panel lines and other surface details.  The Dark Grey wash by Vallejo is typical of these pigments, offering a contrast to the surface colour yet subtle enough to realistically represent the accumulation of dirt and grime over time.  Applying weathering techniques is a simple process.  Many are acrylic based, meaning they can be diluted, thinned and cleaned simply with an appropriate thinner or by water.  Toothpicks and a small wooden spatula can be used in some circumstances, although most will be applied easily by brush.  With its variety of flat and round-tipped brushes, the 15-piece Art Brush Set by Amtech represents both a cheap and practical way to apply almost all weathering techniques.  For those tight quarters and otherwise difficult to reach locations, the Ultrabrush pack by Microbrush can be very useful.  Their applicators can be bent to the appropriate angle, meaning that even the tightest and most awkward locations are now within easy reach of a brush.



Applying weathering techniques to models has never been easier.  From the basic sets through to more specific and detailed products, modellers of any standard from beginners through to veterans of the craft can easily and effectively create stunning and realistic weathering effects.  The concept of weathering is also incredibly versatile, in that the very same effects applied to a locomotive and wagons can also be applied to other scene elements such as vehicles and buildings.  After all, any vehicle or structure experiencing long-term exposure to the vagaries of the weather are likely to suffer similar effects.  Why not experiment with adding some weathering effects to your next project?

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You can access all the unboxing videos by visiting this page or simply click on the link called "videos" on our website.