MDC 3tr Shay

First paint

February 25, 2006

After reworking the stack I could do a first paint job. Finding out the paint scheme requires a good deal of thinking and some experience. First I had to determine a good color scheme. If your prototype has one, you don't have to think a lot. But in case of a Shay about everything color scheme could be feasible. Then, if you have determined your color scheme look at your model closely and try to think out a way to airbrush your model with as little masking and painting as possible. Until now I always found that I could have done the job smarter, better, easier.

My Shay will become mainly red, more or less inspired by the still existing loco of the Pickering Lumber Co

Photo by Sam Lindsey

My first go at paintbrushing

Airbrushing is still something you can't learn by telling. Alright there are basics. But it is something you have to learn by doing, failing, trying again, again and improving every time. I still have a lot to learn

The frame in red. Revell SM331

Well, not bad for a first timer.

This is the idea: the stack and smokebox are black, as well as the inside of the driver cab and the inside of the steam engine housing. Frame, tender superstructure, boiler and cab will be red. The undercarriage under the footplate will be black (matte). I will use white lines on the sides of the footplate to separate the two colors. I will use white letters and lines on the tender and cab.