Weathered by Philden Showcase 22

Not only have I gone and listed another batch of weathered Australian models for sale on my eBay page, but this week I'm also clearing my wardrobe of any distractions ahead of sitting down to start writing my next book, by having my biggest ever eBay sale!

Ever buy something thinking that someday you could build a little project layout of this, that or the other? Well... that's been me for the past 8 years! And I think it might have just reached the point now that my NSW North Coast layout is almost complete that I need to pick one, and only one, project to start early in the new year.... and simply farewell the rest.

Without going over everything I am culling from my timetable, tickets and trains collection, here is simply a sample of some of the weathering I have been up to since the completion of my latest book.

This Freightcorp NHFF coal hopper is by Auscision Models.

This N scale NHKF red hopper is hardly recognisable as red anymore...

Having always wanted to return to modelling N scale, I now doubt whether I am going to proceed in that direction, despite another jolt of enthusiasm when Auscision Models released their NHFF/NHKF coal hoppers in August this year. Instead, I weathered up the Freightcorp coal hoppers and have listed them for sale on eBay.

Auscision Models have produced a great looking N scale model of the NHFF and NHKF coal hoppers.

Then there are an assortment of HO scale Australian containers. If I learnt anything from attending two exhibitions with my new layout recently, it was that I simply had more containers models than I could poke a stick at!

So I've subsequently halved my container fleet and am still left with enough model containers to fill my container train three-and-a-half times over! Here's just some of the containers I have listed.

This Auscision Models 40' foot SCT container has found itself out-of-era on my layout...

...as has this Aurizon 40' foot container. Both need to find a new home.

I had a few too many of these great-looking On Track Models curtain-side 40' foot containers.

This SDS Models WGG Westrail gyspum wagon features some white-grey residue after it was emptied.

And a side-on view showing the rust beneath the gypsum spills around the door frames.

This WOAX Westrail open wagon has one of the rustiest floors I've ever modelled!

SDS Models once more made a fantastic model. Yellow happens to be my favourite base colour to weather a rusty wagon, and I've lost count of how many models I've weathered similar to the one on the cover of Model Railway Weathered Wonders.

Given the amount of airbrushing I have done these last few years, it is hardly surprising that my mini-compressor has given up the ghost this past week! Instead of the tut-tut-tut noise as the air pressure builds back up while you are brushing, it sounded like something inside got stuck as it tried to do its job. To the point where the metal body of the compressor heated up that much that it melted the fingertips on the latex gloves I was wearing while working....

I've added a new mini-compressor to my shopping list this week, ahead of a laptop upgrade as I prepare to head into a new year of writing. So I'll call this week my biggest ever sale on eBay as I work through what to keep and what to clear. Hopefully by the end of this weekend I'll have a clear favourite emerge for a new model railway project post Philden Beach... And the rest will follow the above as I turn a wardrobe full of one-day projects into some much needed cash!

Once more, all models weathered by myself come with a signed certificate of authenticity as a way of simply saying thanks!

There's only a few more surplus Australian HO scale models for me to weather and list on eBay in the coming months, before my modelling interests take me abroad to a change of pace, scenery and prototype. For now, this is still an enjoyable way of keeping my weathering skills sharp... and a means to justify purchasing a new airbrush!

Click on the above banner to view my current model railway items I have listed for sale.

For my own record...

Models sold 181/230