Model Railroad hints
and Tips:
Cleaning Model Railroad Locomotive
wheels:
This is a hint to with the
cleaning of your locomotive wheel sets and works on any modern
locomotive that has all wheel drive.
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With a pair of scissors or
a sharp knife and straight edge, cut some strong,
absorbent paper towel or similar material into smaller
squares. Use some non corrosive cleaner, such as
mentholated spirits or track cleaning fluid (ensuring
that it will not harm the plastic on your locomotive)
and apply a little to the paper towel.
Once your cleaning
solution is applied, place it on your track.
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Using a spare powered
track on your layout or test bench, hold
the locomotive with one hand and gently place it so that
one of the wheel sets is over the paper towel. Turn on
your controller and allow the wheels to drive over the
paper towel while you hold the locomotive from running
away, cleaning the wheels in the process. |
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Turn the locomotive around
and clean the other set.
Once this is complete,
change the paper towel and complete for another cycle to
ensure really clean wheel sets. I would suggest that
you do this at least annually, but this depends on how
often you run your locomotives and how often you clean
your track.
For the purposes of this
picture, I used a piece of photocopy paper, but you can
still see the wheel marks on the paper. |
Cheap Plaster Wrap:
Rather than using a commercial
brand of plaster wrap, I use paper towel soaked in plaster
solution to get the same results. First, I cut some paper towel
into smaller strips. Then I mix a batch of wet plaster mix.
The wetter the mix, the longer it will take to cure. The trick
is to make smaller batches of plaster mix to allow enough time
to work. The consistency I am looking for is about 3
tablespoons of casting plaster to 200 millilitres of water. You
can play with the mix until you are happy. Mix the batch until
you have a smooth consistency.
Once the mix is complete, soak
your paper, a few pieces at a time and place them on your layout
as required. I do suggest that you use between two and three
layers for strength, with adequate time between layers to cure.
Once hardened, they will be as strong as the commercial types of
plaster wrap.
Removing Shiny Surfaces:
Shiny surfaces can spoil the
realism of any model railroad and can make buildings and
locomotives and rolling stock look fake as though they have just
come off a shop shelf. A simple way to remove that shine is to
overspray the structure or rolling stock with products like
Dullcote (Testors #1260 clear flat lacquer overcoat). Dullcote
is available at most hobby stores and comes in a small spray can
like many other model car colours.
For an even cheaper alternative,
head down to your local art supply store and get a spray can of
matt clear or satin clear. Ensure you get the stuff that is
used for paper and does not turn yellow. This is the easiest
alternative to dulling your model railroad.
Track Ballast Tool:
Instead of buying a specially
designed and expensive piece of equipment manufactured to
ballast your track, get yourself a length of PVC pipe the same
width as your track, cut two grooves the same size as your track
so that it will slide over the rail. This will cost you a few
dollars and you can make a lifetime supply of ballasting tools.
When using the tool, I use a
funnel to add the ballast material and be careful not to add to
much ballast, only fill the tool with enough for a small amount
of track at a time.
Modelling Concrete:
A hint which I found in Model
Railroading Magazine. As soon as you paint the base colour of
your concrete, lightly dust some baking soda onto the wet paint.
This gives the surface some additional texture and the
weathering will have more depth. Start with Floquil's Antique
White with a drop or two of Box Car Red for the base followed by
dry brushing rust streaks as needed from attached iron parts,
earth colours at the ground level, grimy streaks following water
down the wall, and a bit of white where calcium would leach from
cracks. A good collection of photos of concrete walls,
sidewalks, and streets should be part of every research
collection; along with examples of brick, stone, and wooden
structures.
Abrasive Board:
When working on small plastic
parts, I found that by employing a finger nail abrasive board,
located in most beauty departments of various grits will help to
neatly remove the small burrs from these parts.
Cardboard Base:
For fast construction of cardboard
web scenery base, use a clamp-style staple-gun instead of glue
and clothespins to connect the cardboard strips. While an office
stapler may work, the industrial-strength staple gun will be
easier to work with and can use larger staples.
Abrasive Board:
When working on small plastic parts, I found that by
employing a finger nail abrasive board, located in most beauty departments
of various grits will help to neatly remove the small burrs from these
parts.
Masking:
When you need to paint two colours on the same model,
first paint the first colour, wait to dry at least 24 hours, then use any
masking tape to make your line. Now, spray the area that is to be painted
the new colour AT THE EDGE OF THE TAPE with Dullcote, sealing the tape. Let
it dry for 30 min or more and then paint the second colour. What a great
paint line this leaves. No bleeding, just a great line.
Antennas:
Use the leftover plastic 'trees' that other model parts
are attached to. Break off one long piece about 4"-5" long. Hold this piece
by both ends about 4 inches or so above a lighted candle or other heat
source. (candle works best). As the plastic heats up and begins to soften,
pull the ends in opposite directions. Be ready! The plastic gets to the soft
stage all of a sudden, so it may take some practice to get good hairlike
strands, but the end result is well worth the practice it takes. Once the
plastic cools, simply trim the strand to the desired length. You will find
that these new antennas even have a whip/spring like effect and are pretty
sturdy.
Crystal Clear Windows:
Use Microscale Crystal Clear. Just use a small wooden
toothpick. Put the end of it in Crystal Clear and then apply on the
periphery of the window and then make a film using your toothpick
horizontally ! That's makes fine 'glazing' windows.
Windshield Wiper Streaks:
A subtle yet effective detail are Windshield wiper
streaks. These can be made by simply cutting a small piece of masking tape
to the shape of a windshield wiper blade arc and placing it on the
windshield in the area of the wiper. This will depict an area wiped clean by
the windshield wiper blade. Later spray a light coat of "Dull Cote" across
the entire windshield. When dry, remove the tape and presto you'll have a
clean windshield that was just wiped by the windshield wiper blade. The
"Dull Cote" will indicate a dusty or dirty windshield, except for the
cleaned area that was just wiped clean.
Retaining Springs in Place:
I can't take credit for this as I saw it on another
website. To keep those little bitty springs used for Kadee and Micro-Trains
couplers from flying away, run a thread thru the spring until you get it
placed. The thread can then be (carefully) pulled out.
Cast Your Own Abutments:
Noch or Chooch abutments arrive new in the shrink
plastic. As I discovered, this wrap if you remove it carefully so not to rip
it, can be used as a plaster mold, or even better, make a mould of the
original package using latex rubber.
Tire Tracks:
You can make it look like a car has driven through the
dirt or grass. After you have put down the grass, take an eraser and rub off
some grass to look like tire tracks.
Uses for Wet & Dry Sandpaper:
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Can be cut into thin strips to simulate tar paper
roofs.
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Can be used as a one piece for flat or sloped
building roofs.
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Perfect for sanding balsa wood to remove the "furry
stuff".
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The finest grade of wet & dry sandpaper can be used
for roads and parking lots.
Uses for masking tape:
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Makes easy to model tarps covering loads, if extra
holding power required then paint sticky side with CA Glue.
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Also good for different textured tar paper roofs -
will accept paint easily.
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Wider tape can be used for roads - paint with
desired colour.
Detailing Structure Roofs:
Most model railroads are viewed from a high vantage
point. As a result, the roofs of most structures are clearly seen. Just as
we add details to the various scenes that we create, the roofs of the
structures are just as important. For peeked roofs, vent pipes and the like
can be added for interest and or if you era allows, television antenna's
strapped to the chimney. For flat roofs, I will add almost anything, such
as, vent pipes of various designs and lengths, skylights, clothes lines
filled with drying cloths and last but not least, I'll apply a generous
amount of engine black paint and sprinkle black ballast on the wet paint to
add texture. There are many things that can be added to the roofs of the
structures on our layouts. It's only limited to your imagination.
Yard Office:
Railroads often build yard offices out of old cars,
I've seen boxcar, refers, and cabooses converted into office space. Just
remove the trucks, built up a foundation out of scale lumber (10x10's or
12x12's), add a stair case, doors and a window or two if necessary.