"Which Plastic Kit is That?" -- (Gotcha! It's Paper!)

In mid-July, I went to Madison, WI for the IPMS 2024 National Meet. In a display-only room, we had six tables of paper models, and a lot of plastic modelers came to see them. A lot of them said, "I was told I HAD to see this."

The photos are my build of Yoav's 1/32-scale Israeli F-15 paper model kit. I included it in the display at Madison. Over four days, I was asked at least a dozen times, "Is that the Tamiya or Revell kit?" (Gotcha!) I had fun explaining that even the pilot is made out of paper.

Clever Models Steel Utility Shed kit - 1:87 scale

Clever Models'  kit calls for assembling the cardstock walls with corner tabs and cardstock formers. I laminated the 65# cardstock walls to 0.5mm card (cereal box), cut off the tabs, and braced the walls inside with stripwood for a sturdier structure. I used two pieces of stripwood for the door guide. The card just wasn't stiff enough. The finished building measures about 3"x4". Build time was about 3 hours.

Atlas Crossing Tower kit -- 1:87 scale

The Ripon Model Railroad Club is set in modern times -- no need for crossing towers. But I had this old Atlas kit in my stash. So I decided to build an abandoned crossing tower. Why the RR hasn't knocked it down yet is anyone's guess, but there it is. I built it straight out of the box, weathered it with craft acrylics, and added cardstock weathered tarpaper roof and corrugated metal panels from Paper Creek. It's no contest model, to be sure, but it was a fun 2-evening project.

Campbell Scale Models' Through Truss Bridge -- Wood Kit - 1:87 scale

I built this for a branch line at the model railroad club. It is pine(?) and basswood stained with Hunterline's Dark Brown weathering stain. I also used Tichy nut-bolt-washer (NBW) castings (the kit-provided castings looked too small), steel wire, and Atlas Code 100 rail. Build time: about 25 hours. It's a nice kit, reasonably priced, and with a little effort and patience, it makes a fine-looking bridge.

Scratch-Building Dexter's Dead End in Paper & Card -- part 3

 At this point, I've gone "off the route." The third building in FSM's Dexter's Dead End is a small garage. I decided to do something different. I scratch-built the little hubcap shop from Bar Mills' "Raglan Road" kit. I based my model on photos of the one built by Vilius Biliesis. The wood siding is from Clever Models, the corrugated metal and rolled roofing are from Paper Creek. Doors and windows are from photos of Vilius' model. Roof details are from my scrap box. Hubcaps came from a photo on the Web. The ladder is scratch-built. The model is about 3½" x 1¾" and it was fun to build. 

Scratchbuilding Dexter's Dead End in Paper -- Part Two

The second building in the FSM Dexter's Dead End kit is the painter's supply company, with a newsstand in the lean-to on the side. I built it from scratch in HO scale using diagrams from the FSM kit. The wood walls are from a barn siding sheet I made from a photo of a local barn. You can download that sheet  here). The shingles on the staircase are from Clever Models. The roof paper is a free download from a gaming site. I've long forgotten which one.

Windows and doors are from my digital parts box.  The roof details come from Fine Scale Miniatures and Tichy Train Group. The ladder is scratch built. The newsstand interior is a photo from the Web. Building the model took about 10 long evenings.

I also made a new sign for the tire company building (Part One).

Scratchbuilding "Dexter's Dead End in Paper in 1:87 scale --- Part One

 

On ebay, I bought the instructions and templates for Fine Scale Miniatures' "Dexter's Dead End" (FSM Jewel Series #8), and I collected as many photos as I could find of the finished diorama. Some came from FSM, some from Vilius Bileisis' "Modeling Endeavors" blog, others from unknown sources.

My model is mainly paper & card, with some details (platforms & battens) of basswood. Wall and roof papers came mostly from Clever Models. Doors & windows came from my "digital parts box," and chimneys are from Tichy. It is an almost-exact copy of the FSM kit, with a few "cosmetic" changes. Building it took about two weeks of long evenings. 

My plan is to build the entire diorama as created by George Selios. I have two smaller buildings yet to build. I will try to finish the diorama in time for the annual model train show in Milwaukee in November. I've reserved a table there to display my paper scale railroad models.

This photo from Fine Scale Miniatures

I'm always looking for more instructions and templates from FSM, Bar Mills, FOS Scale Models, and other craftsman kits. If you have any sets to sell, trade, or lend, please let me know.  Originals only, please, no copies or scans. Copyrights matter.

"Nebraska Station" 1:87-Scale Paper Model

 The Ripon Area Model Railroad Club layout has a long straight stretch of open prairie on its upper deck, about 25 feet long and 15 inches deep. The layout's "location" is strictly freelanced, but John Stein, a long-time member named the prairie section "Nebraska." There is a long passing siding there, and I thought Nebraska begged for a small country depot. I decided to name it "Nebraska Station," as "Omaha" would have been too much selective compression.

The model is scratch built, mostly of paper and card. I used clapboard and shingle papers from Clever Models, laminated to 0.5mm card (cereal box) with balsa wood inside bracing. Windows and doors came from my digital parts box. I drew the freight doors in Photoshop. The bench is scratch built. The two figures are from Preiser, and other details come from Fine Scale Miniatures, and Tychy Train Group. The posts and scratch-built stairs and railings are Midwest dimensional lumber, and lighting is with LEDs from Evan Designs. I adapted the plans from Detail Associates' "Foothill Station" kit, which I built and sold long ago. The kit can be found occasionally on Ebay and at swap meets 

I had to cut out some foam scenery to set the station on a hillside. I'm happy with the results.I was going to put some flats behind it to suggest civilization, but there's only about an inch between the rear platform and the wall. I might install some scaled-down flats to suggest a town just over the rise.

Based on suggestions from some fellow modelers, I have dropped my plan to put storefront flats behind the station. There is only about an inch between the station and the wall, and the consensus is that flats would clutter up the scene and draw attention away from the station. 

Yard Office - 1:87-Scale Scratchbuilt Paper Model

This is my scratchbuilt interpretation of a recent Kit of the Month from Fos Scale Models -- a small yard office. I drew it on Photoshop® based on the photo at bottom. I built it with texture Papers from Clever Models for the walls, roof, and foundation, and with windows,  doors, and lean-to parts from Paper Creek's  "Randsburg Barbershop" kit. Paper Creek is no longer in business but the barbershop kit is available free in the Downloads section of the Paper Modelers forum. The Davis Yard is on the Ripon Area Model RR Club layout.

Ripon Area Model RR Club - continued

 Two short videos of the club layout.

Ripon Area Model Railroad Club -- Ripon, WI

The club is located in the basement of a church, in a building that was originally built as a medical clinic. My wife Christal actually practiced there for 20+ years. The club occupies the entire basement, about 2700 square feet. The HO layout has a 400-foot mainline on two levels. It's a continuous loop with two helixes and two branch lines. There are several local yards on the main line, a large roundhouse and car shop area, and a separate large staging yard. The club also has a large Lionel 3-rail layout fully sceniced, and a small "museum" of old and new models from N to G scales.

The 18-foot staging yard (below) is in a small room off the main layout room. The track on the left is the programming track for our Digitrax® DCC. All controllers are "D" (radio) models. The entrance to the layout is at top left where the green signal is indicating a clear track ahead.

A Bachmann S4 emerges from the staging yard at

the city of Davis on the lower level of the layout.

The train on the bridge at Davis is a static model fully lit. Most of the buildings on the layout are lit, and many are scratch built. Ahead around the corner is the Davis Yard, the largest yard on the main line. From here, a non-stop trip around the main looping back to Davis will take 20-25 minutes.

The majority of the layout is scenicked, but much remains to be done or enhanced.

This farm is on the upper level, a large part of which is open country. The lower level is more urban and industrial.

The grain elevators on the upper level are served by a small yard.

This lumbering operation sits atop one of the helixes. Maximum grade on the layout is two percent. Minimum curve radius is 36 inches. All switches are hand-thrown Peco turnouts.

An Athearn Alco 2-6-0 coasts downgrade from a helix. Both helixes are mostly visible and fully scenicked. The lumber operation and the helix high-line are up to the left. The mine at right is on a branch line that wraps around the base of the helix. Its junction is at the upper right, leading into two track a tunnel. The 2-6-0 will emerge from the same tunnel and head around the corner to Davis.

The same branch line emerges from a tunnel at the upper right to reach this ore dock. The line branches to right of the photo to skirt the bluff and reach the mine. At the top of the photo, the line goes left to reach a paper mill complex.

The ore dock is from Walthers. The ore boat is a scratchbuilt paper model that I built for the club. The stacks of the paper mill are visible just over the hill.

Stay tuned. More photos to come.

Paradigm Shift - Model Railroading

 After several years of a stunning lack of progress on my home layout, I have decided to scrap the Ceresco & Wolf River RR and join the Ripon (WI) Area Model RR club. It makes a lot of sense for me. What I enjoy most is building structures and scenery. I could probably be happy building a room-size diorama in HO scale with a single loop of track. Joining the club means I can run trains during their twice-a-week operating sessions and build structures and scenery for the layout. They have given me two corners of the layout to remodel with a small industrial district. Most of the buildings I have already built will go on the club layout. I'm selling off most of my Peco Electrofrog switches and all of my DC-powered locomotives. I've purchased an Alco 2-6-0 with DCC and sound and a Digitrax controller. And one of my 0-6-0 tank engine switchers had DCC on board. I'll be the only club member running steam alongside modern diesels. I don't care, and neither do the other club members.

We are still working out a proper operating system for moving freight and passengers, and it will be fun to be part of that. The home layout had become a millstone around my neck, making me feel guilty for the lack of progress. Tearing out half of it one day last week, I felt a sense of relief. I also now have room in our basement for a proper shop area for woodworking and building large dioramas. I'll post photos of the club layout soon.

I was actually a co-founder of the club years ago when it was a modular club with no permanent home. I dropped out for a long time, but now it has a large home in the basement of a church and a permanent layout, and I'm excited to be part of it again. I'm also happy that there are a number of youngsters in the club who are getting addicted early.

UPDATE: 17 March 2024

I'm working on a simple operating system for the club, one that can be expanded later if we choose. My Spectrum 2-6-0 is weathered and running well. It's not the only steam on the club layout; I was passed by a UP Challenger this afternoon and went into the hole for a NYC 4-8-2 coming the other way. I also bought an Athearn GP9 in MILW Road colors -- nice engine, great sound, plenty of oomph. 

The layout has 2 levels, two helixes, and 50-odd places for spotting freight cars, two small yards (not counting the huge fiddle yard in another room), and 400 feet of mainline in a continuous loop that can be operated out-&-back or point-to-point. Most of it is scenicked, but there is room for lots more detail. 

I have decided to keep a few feet of track, and one of my DC 2-6-0s. I have several FSM kits and a bunch of scenery ideas that won't fit on the club layout, so I will begin planning a small British-style layout -- single track, point-to-point, a couple of switches, with lots of scenery and kitbashed and scratchbuilt structures -- more of a diorama than a model railroad. I have a space 2 ft x 16 ft to play with, and I might build it as three or four distinct modules with a small fiddle yard. That would give me the most flexibility.

House & Sign Painting Co. -- HO Scale (1:87) Scratchbuilt Paper & Wood Model

This House & Sign Painting Co. is scratchbuilt based on Bar Mills Models' "Oakleaf Shipping & Storage" kit. The deck and stairs are basswood. The deck is individual planks laid on Fos Scale Models' Waterfront Pier System, which makes spacing and gluing pilings a snap. If you're doing a waterfront scene with lots of piers, I highly recomment the FosScale Pier System.

 The buildings on this model are made with building papers from Clever Models laminated to ½-mm card (cereal box). The signs come from various sources. Overall, the model is 8½ inches wide, 6 inches deep, and 4-1/8 inches tall at the roof peak. 

I build my stairs on a jig made from scrap stripwood and a section of Central Valley Model Works' stairs. With the jig, I can easily build staircases of almost any width and length. I stain my basswood with Hunterline Weathering Mix. I have seven shades of gray-brown for different effects from lightly weathered wood to creosote ties. Their stains are not cheap, but a single bottle goes a long way. I also have a homemade alcohol-&-shoe-dye weathering mix that I use for dirty weathered wood — John Allen's recipe, I think, or was it Wayne Wesolowski's?

E-2C Hawkeye "Chick" paper model, scale undetermined

I desperately needed a one- or two-evening project. I have a pair of one- or two-month paper model projects on my bench, and I really needed something quick and easy to restore my sanity (or what's left of it). Several years ago, I built GPM's E-2C Hawkeye paper model in 1:33 scale. So over two evenings last week, I built a paper model of an E-2C Hawkeye "chick" from paperizedcrafts.com. I feel much better now.