165DS in eye-searing colour

Most of the model railway rolling stock I build is, as far as the colours go, dull. Not the 165DS shunter though.

The specification calls for something 1970's and that was the era when industrial concerns decided that it would be a good idea for large lumps of machinery moving around to stop being camouflaged and instead get some of that hi-vis paint that we see so much of today. It seems that the bosses had become bored of people being sliced in half on the tracks.

This, and the improvements in paint technology, meant locos started to appear in wasp stripes, yellow and black checkers or just plain yellow. Moving parts such as connecting rods were picked out in something other than dirt in an effort to keep distracted shunters hands out of their way.

All this explains why this particular shunting locomotive has been sprayed with RailMatch 210 - Warning Yellow. And very bright it is too. To relieve the livery, red bufferbeams add some welcome variety. It's not based on a particular prototype but then there weren't any real standards with local sheds doing their own thing. If I was really keen I'd do some wasp stripes but I'm not and I don't think the results would be that good anyway so I've decided the in-house painters want an easy life too.

What I do realise is that it's looking more than a bit Big-big train. Good job the next task is to weather the model into proper industrial muck colour.