Hobbies And Interests
Cleaning and building
Trains come in a variety of shapes and scales, but all of them need touch-up detail work out of the box. Carefully inspect each piece and file off any flaws such as mold lines or sprue bits where the piece was cut from a frame. As you assemble your models, use the clearest adhesive you can find and keep the amount to a minimum. Excess glues will disfigure otherwise perfect engines. Never use superglue on clear surfaces as it causes them to become fogged. Instead, try a white glue or clear modeling clay.
Design and laying track
Before you ever lay the first piece of track, you should have a firm idea of your design. Most tracks complete in a circular fashion and wind around various obstacles such as bridges, buildings and through caves. Draw these out on graph paper to get a solid concept of where your tracks will need to go. When laying track, consider ignoring the nails that come with it and gluing it to the base with a hot glue gun. This method makes removal easy and prevents the problems of nails being either too high or cracking your tracks. Make sure you have enough turns to accomplish your design and never try to force a track to bend as multiple trips over the area will undo this work.
Scenery and terrain
The ground and local objects that surround your tracks will give your model railroad display depth and realism. You can purchase gravel and static grass from most model shops and they stand very easily with a light application of white glue. For water, you will want to get a clear sealant and spread it evenly throughout the water area. This works well for areas under bridges and to fill riverbanks. You can even pull the sealant as it dries to create waterfalls or other lifelike movements. Trees are easily shaped from brown wires twisted together with small patches of moss added to the upright branches. Bushes are most commonly made of dried moss or rough felt. You will get a feel for scenery as you make it. Personal style is very important to the model railroader.