You may also want to check out the photography on Lance Mindheim's website, lancemindheim.com. I had to look very close, and even then had my doubts as to whether it is a model. Lance's work, also featured in MR on several occasions, is also very detailed, which adds to the prototypical credibility.
Yes, the photo does look real. Also, focus on the track and ballast which are real-looking.
That is a nice model of a locomotive overdue for being repainted. My personal preference, however, is for well maintained prototypes to model. The front cover has some nice looking well-maintained Santa Fe F7's for example.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Jeff Meyer's pretty well known among the proto weathering gurus. Check out more from him here http://theweatheringshop.com/jeff.html .
Rob Spangler
I'm with you guys. I had to stare at that coupler for a long time before I finally convinced myself that they weren't pulling my leg and that it really was a model! Superb work on someone's part.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
Agree with that. It's the best weathering job I've ever seen. As you said it looked like the real thing.
I have been reading this magazine off and on since the middle 1950's. I have seen the art of railroading come a long way. When I first saw the photo on pages 72 & 73, I thought, oh! they put a 1:1 photo in there, thats not like them...
That is the best weathering and modeling I have ever seen. You fooled me.