... The backbone of model railroading is the building of railroad models...
Ready to Work With Foam Roadbed?
Bob Fink has shared his approach to using foam on spline as roadbed. He has prepared some instructions, with photographs in PDF format so you can download and print the sheet. Bob has had a lot of luck with this fast and easy way to build track. Click HERE to view and download the file.
Tree Demonstration
Dave Decker, our resident tree guru, has made a sample tree demonstrating the different techniques used to get away from the "bottle-brush" look of many commercial trees. Click HERE for a look at the demo. If you missed Dave's recent hands-on clinic, watch Scale Rails for more information.
How a MMR Does It
Before there was "shake-the-box", long before RTR, there were still terrific models. This miracle came about by way of a technique called "scratchbuilding". If you read the mainstream magazines you might think that this is a nearly extinct side of the hobby, but never fear. It's magic is still being praticed in basements all over the Miami Valley!
This example comes from the workbench of Bob FInk, MMR. Bob needed some B&O Wagontop boxcars, but no kits were available. Starting with a formed wood block for the basic shape, Bob added handformed ribs, detail parts, and paint to achieve the delightful result shown here.
A scratchbuilt model won't be complete overnight, but it sure will be something to be proud of when it is finished.
Foam on the Fast Track!
Ray Persing has developed a fast and efficient way to build foam roadbed and risers. He has made a fully illustrated manual of instructions available which can be downloaded HERE in .pdf format. Ray is using this technique to build his Cincinnati and Western layout with outstanding results.
Click HERE for photos of the completed project.
Good News! Ray has promised Part 2 of this seminar in the near future! Keep an eye on this space.
Stomping some good looking Cliffs and Cuts
Bob Fink reports: I've been trying to find a way to easily get the broken shale look of a rock cliff or
sides of a railroad cut. While looking up at the upstairs ceiling it hit me! They
“stomped” them with a tool while the plaster was still soft and left a pattern . Why not
make a tool and stomp the wet plaster or spackling on a layout? I did and it worked. I
ended up with the most realistic ones I've produced yet. It was far quicker than carving
and a lot more realistic. Here's a link to the .pdf:
Note: Do you have an item for this page? bring it to a meeting to share and we'll photograph it, or you can send the photo(s) to the webmaster, along with a description of the project and he'll take it from there.
