The Hornby Class 56 made its debut in early 2009 and weathering gives this heavy freight workhorse the realistic appearance it really needs. MIKE WILD shows how in this step by step guide.
THE CLASS 56s sound and look superb. Their V16 turbo charged Ruston-Paxman engines are instantly recognisable while they were once a dominate force on heavy freight trains across the British railway network.
Above: The finished model of 56103 Stora now looks the part of a hard working freight locomotive. All we need to do now is weather a full rake of HAAs to go with it.
Today there are just a handful remaining in service with Colas Rail Freight, DC Rail and GB Railfreight while the latter has taken a batch in for re-engineering to create the Class 69 fleet which sees the original bodyshells rebuilt to accommodate an EMD engine as well as modern lighting.
Our project here is the revival of a Hornby model. It had languished awaiting attention for sometime and had a rather unrealistic weathered finish. Our first stage was to remove the majority of the original weathering with Isopropyl Alcohol and a flat brush, but taking care not to work the paint too hard and go through the ori…
