Model Railroad Tips

More Model Railroad Tips & Ideas

Quick Tip #1

Shiny surfaces can spoil the realism of any model railroad.
Shiny surfaces can make buildings and trains 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 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 colors.

Quick Tip #2

Ballasted track adds more scenic realism to a layout.
However, you need to make sure that the electrics are all
sorted out and that all the rail joiners are tight fitting
before you start ballasting. Otherwise you may find that
after you have ballasted your track, some sections of track
won't work properly.

For yards you may want to use a finer grade of ballast to
give the impression of more lightly laid lines, while on
the mainline you might want more coarse ballast.

Quick Tip #3

Sawdust can be an inexpensive material for making ground
cover. Buy some fabric dye from the supermarket or hobby
store. Mix up the dye according to the directions and start
adding your sawdust. Keep adding the sawdust until all the
liquid is gone. Preheat the kitchen oven and then turn it off.
Then put the colored sawdust in a baking dish and put in the
warm oven for an hour or so to dry it out. Once it's dried
and cooled, bag it up to store it until you're ready to use
it. You can apply it to the ground with white glue and to
trees with spray glue or hairspray.