'Doctor Bird' boxcar

[railwayman198]

This is the latest in my rake of Jamaican themed boxcars.

I had a Bachmann kit hanging around for a while so I thought it would be nice to have a design featuring the Jamaican national bird. It's the swallow tailed hummingbird, always called the doctor bird.

I googled an image and copied it onto the side of the car using acrylic paints and a very fine brush.

 

[railwayman198]

I then racked my brain for some suitably whimsical play on the 'doctor bird' name.

The best I could think of was 'Doctor Bird liver salts. Making you fly since 1927' applied with rub on lettering.

It's a pretty weak slogan but it didn't matter much because it became almost unreadable when it was weathered...

 

[railwayman198]

I then assembled and weathered the kit, using a wash of Revell 'tar black' and 'leather brown' straight onto the pale grey plastic that the kit is made from.

 

[railwayman198]

By happy chance the colour wash onto the grey plastic gives a fairly convincing representation of old bleached wood.

 

[railwayman198]

 

[trammayo]

Nice job - looks very convincing!

Mick

 

[railwayman198]

In case anyone was wondering - no I didn't have the patience to paint the bird on both sides. The other side is just lettered DRR for Dunn's River Railway.

Here is t'other side in part weathered condition

 

[themole]

Very nice job, Philip. Alyn

 

[yb281]

Great job Philip, especially the bird painting .

 

[Richie]

Very nice job

 

[Rhinochugger]

By happy chance the colour wash onto the grey plastic gives a fairly convincing representation of old bleached wood.

Looks really nice, and yes, the boxcars that have a fairly heavy plastic grain give a nice weathered effect with thin washes.

 

[Aljosha]

Philip,
It's me, Markus, you might remember me from the Zillertal Set?!
This wagon alteration is E X C E L L E N T !! You hand-painted the hummingbird?! As I'm into ornithology I am doubly impressed. Come on, you can do it for the other side, too!
Carry on, mate, this is great!
So long, best wishes from Paris!
Markus

 

[Old Tom]

Lovely bit of painting, and the weathering aint bad either!

Neat.

 

[railwayman198]

Philip,
It's me, Markus, you might remember me from the Zillertal Set?!
This wagon alteration is E X C E L L E N T !! You hand-painted the hummingbird?! As I'm into ornithology I am doubly impressed. Come on, you can do it for the other side, too!
Carry on, mate, this is great!
So long, best wishes from Paris!
Markus

Hi Markus, yes I remember your visit to collect the Zillertal very well. You gave my elderly cat a checkup while you were there. He soldiered on for a good while, finally dying about 6 months ago. I notice you have moved (twice?) since then. If ever you are nearby you are always welcome to visit and run a train or two.

 

[The Devonian]

Beautifully painted car Philip and subtly weathered: it has none of the 'fire damaged' appearance often achieved in weathering.  

No patience to do the other side?   Come on now: you had plenty of patience to do the first side, now lets us see both sides done.  

 

[royale]

Brilliant - very well done.