Just out of interest, how many people who frequent this newsgroup weather their own models, and how many would be quite happy to purchase 'ready-weathered' versions?
I ask because I find the trend towards ready-weathered vehicles, particularly locomotives of the late logo British Railways period, very...annoying. I don't feel that the weathering applied is very realistic (I imagine most such examples are produced by a chinese factory worker holding a spray gun filled with 'weathering coloured paint' as the vehicles go past on a conyeror belt - no cuddly toy though). I much prefer to weather vehicles myself as I get the opportunity to apply as much or as little as I want, in ways that are far more appropriate to locomotive type. Most express locos get a light finish, while any neglected locos tend to be given a very detailed series of finishes.
The biggest problem I have is that my preferred modelling period for steam is circa 1962, in the middle of the BR late logo period, so I try to acquire locos with said logo, however, more and more examples for this period are being released 'ready-weathered', thereby preventing me from applying weathering in a more 'accurate' fashion. Is it me or am I the only one annoyed about this? I was looking forward to getting a late logo Q1 from Hornby, but they've changed their releases now so that the early logo version will be unweathered, and the late one weathered.
And before anyone mentions it, yes I have tried to get the early logos off both Bachmann and Hornby locos, only to be left either with a shiny rubbed surface in the case of Bachmann (this isn't so bad, it gets covered by weathering!), or an 'etched' impression of the removed logo in the case of Hornby, that cannot be properly hidden!
Ian J.