main131 said:
http://youtu.be/SEKh-NI-VBU see video
Some would say that this weathered version is more realistic than running in out of the box condition. It asks the question, do you want to always have a 'just out of the paint shop' look or do you think you need the skill to convert.
Finally, do you think your lovely model will loose it's value by committing it to running on a railway!
Personally I love it. In my opinion locos never look as clean and shiney as they tend to when you take a brand new one out of it's box. When I took this photo the loco had only been in service for a matter of weeks and yet there are still plenty of signs of oil and water leaks and spillages.
Even when a loco comes straight out of the workshop, the motion is covered in grease and oil. The buffer beam is also not plain gloss red, there is all sorts of staining around the rivets.
The question of losing it's value is a difficult one. A dedicated collector will not usually want anything that has been modified in any way. But someone who wants their rolling stock to look realistic would be quite happy to buy a weathered model as long as the weathering has been well done.
I wonder how long it will be before a manufacturer brings out a ready weathered G scale loco in the same way as is done in OO and other scales?