Tips

I have collected a number of model railroad tips and techniques from various sources and am sharing them here. Do you have tips or techniques you would like to share with Model Train Tips readers? You can send them in using the form on the Contact page.

Columbia River Gorge Railroad Pictures

November 12, 2011 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

In a recent article, I asked which railroad you model on your layout. One of the areas I mentioned that I would like to model was the Columbia River Gorge area that separates Washington and Oregon. I recently had the opportunity to travel through that area and took some pictures to share with you here. There are rail lines on both sides of the river and run parallel to the highways on the Washington and Oregon sides of the river. I was travelling on the Oregon side on U.S. Interstate 84 headed east towards The Dalles. These two pictures show the trains on the Oregon side right next … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Scenery Tips

Airbrushing Tips to Weather Your Model Railroad

September 30, 2011 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

Weathering with an air brush is easy to do and gives excellent results. Start with darker colors and add lighter colors on top. Line up all your cars, structures and loco’s and treat them assembly line style, then change colors and do it again and again. Remember, weathering is a matter of degree and most rolling stock is fairly clean. The disadvantage of weathering with paint is that it is pretty permanent when you are done. Mac McCalla shared this tip for airbrushing: I have been weathering with an airbrush for many years and have done many clinics for Badger Airbrush and at … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Freight Car Tips, Locomotives Tips, Passenger Car Tips, Scenery Tips, Weathering Tips Tagged With: airbrushing, badger airbrush, weathering

Painting and Weathering Using Common Household Items

September 30, 2011 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

Always on the lookout for cost effective ways to enhance their model railroad layouts, modelers continue to come up with unique methods for weathering. Painting Here’s a tip where Palmer Schatell describes one way he paints some components of his layout: When airbrushing HO [cars & engines], with a little hand molding, the soft cardboard rolls that toilet paper comes on fits into the cars and locomotive bodies and provides a way of holding these objects. I used the cap from a spray can fastened to the center of an inexpensive Lazy Susan to allow me to turn the bodies without having … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Freight Car Tips, Locomotives Tips, Passenger Car Tips, Scenery Tips, Weathering Tips Tagged With: airbrushing, highlighting, painting

Model Railroad Weathering with Eye Shadow and Chalk

September 22, 2011 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

Model railroaders are continually coming up with creative and unique methods for giving their model railroad layouts a realistic weathered look. Here are a couple of tips for using eye shadow and pastel chalk. Eye Shadow Aaron Savoian shared this tip about using eye shadow for an interesting weathering technique for your model railroad: I have found that women’s eye shadow works well when wanting to blend colors on plaster castings. The eye shadow doesn’t need to be sprayed to adhere to the plaster and is easy to work with (no messy dust). I usually apply a slate colored eye shadow … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Scenery Tips, Weathering Tips Tagged With: chalk, dullcote, eye shadow, pastel chalk, weathering

Weathering Roads, Paint and Rust on Your Model Railroad Layout

September 9, 2011 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

Peter Plantec shared this tip about weathering roads, paint and rust on your model railroad layout: There are several brands of alcohol based asphalt patch material used to mend roofs and gutters. I found that I could dilute and pour it in a form made of strip wood to make a road bed. Before it completely hardens you can rub in some talc and cut in cracks and divisions. You can even carve scale bricks as the underlying old road bed. The surface looks remarkably real. Also, I almost never paint anything. I gesso it and then add layers of alcohol stain (used for shoes.) I usually … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Scenery Tips, Weathering Tips Tagged With: gesso, instant iron, instant rust, rust, weathering paint, weathering roads, weathering rust

Extreme Weathering for Your Model Railroad Cars

August 30, 2011 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

Pepper Kay shared this tip about extreme weathering for your model railroad rolling stock: Weather as you normally would your next box car, tank, hopper, etc. then, spray two coats of Dullcote on your finished car. When that has dried thoroughly, use your pump sprayer filled with 93% rubbing alcohol and give a good, wet coat to your finished car. The alcohol reacts with the Dullcote and makes the most faded, weathered finish you’ve ever seen. Careful, don’t do but just a few cars as the effect goes a long way. -Pepper Kay Note: I have not tried this tip yet but I would … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Freight Car Tips, Locomotives Tips, Passenger Car Tips, Weathering Tips Tagged With: dullcote, rolling stock, weathering

Tips for Adding Graffiti to Your Model Railroad Scenery

August 19, 2011 By Model Train Tips 3 Comments

We’ve all seen graffiti on trains. What would a realistic model railroad layout be without graffiti on some of the rolling stock? Here are some tips from other modelers for adding graffiti to your model railroad layout scenery and rolling stock: You know, I realized a great way to make graffiti without buying those expensive decals. I use White-out (a correction pen), the finer the tip the better. I even made up a cool scene with this- I painted an HO car, parked it in front of a university, and put an angry teacher beside it, like one of his students painted it! -asparuh frangov … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Freight Car Tips, Locomotives Tips, Passenger Car Tips, Scenery Tips Tagged With: Graffiti

Realistic Weathering for Roofs on Your Model Railroad Layout

August 17, 2011 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

Bob and Nick Lloyd wrote in and shared this tip for realistic weathering of the roofs of buildings on their layout. Okay, so my Dad and I are starting to build a platform for our HO scale trains. We are starting off with a platform upstairs, but after the holidays we are moving it down to our basement where we are going to build a permanent one. Recently we have been going through the process of taking all of our old plastic buildings and making them look more realistic by dulling them and putting on new roofs. Yesterday my dad decided to wrap the roof of our mill in tin foil and soak … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Scenery Tips, Weathering Tips Tagged With: dullcote, realistic weathering, roof, weathering

Is it Wrong to Mix Types of Track on Your Model Railroad Layout?

July 21, 2011 By Model Train Tips 1 Comment

Here’s a question from a recent Model Train Tips subscriber: Is it wrong to mix copper plated and steel tracks in a layout? The first thing I thought to myself was, “I don’t believe they make copper plated track.” Well, since I’m still learning, I figured I’d better check this first. I opened up my copy of Model Train Help by Robert Anderson and turned to the section titled What Are Tracks Made Of? Re-reading this section confirmed that model railroad track available today is made of brass, zinc-coated steel, nickel silver and steel. Based on this, I’m guessing the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Track Tips Tagged With: conductivity, model train help, robert anderson, track, track type

Boulders and Gravel for Your Model Train Layout

July 20, 2011 By Model Train Tips 2 Comments

Josh sent in this tip for using common rocks to model boulders for your model train scenery: If you want to add boulders to your HO, N, O scale train set, go out to your yard or a street and find regular rocks and shave the bottoms flat and glue them to your layout. This way you can use the shavings for gravel and this process is one hundred percent free. How have you used rocks or similar material on your model train layout? Share your technique in the comments area below. Do you have a tip or technique you’d like to share with Model Train Tips readers? Use the contact form on the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Scenery Tips, Track Tips Tagged With: boulders, free, gravel, layout scenery, rocks