| Using buildings, people, and other details to will make | | | | need to make them look at least slightly weathered by |
| your model railroad come alive. Even though this | | | | the elements. Consider how different materials are |
| involves quite a bit of work, it can be one of the most | | | | affected by the aging process and use those ideas |
| enjoyable parts of building a model railroad. | | | | when painting them. |
| Making buildings to use on your model railway can be | | | | Not just your buildings but also your train cars |
| done by buying an already made plastic form, getting a | | | | themselves need to look weathered. If possible, try to |
| plastic model kit, or getting a craftsman kit that lets you | | | | use the same paints on your locomotive, train cars, |
| make a more detailed design. You can also find pieces | | | | and buildings. |
| like doors and windows and building surfaces that look | | | | If you can't use the same paint for some reason, at |
| like bricks, rocks, and just about anything else you can | | | | least try to use paints that match up well. Paint with a |
| imagine. | | | | matte finish works best to give objects a weathered |
| Cheaper building kits come with details already | | | | look. You can also use matte finish paint to show rust |
| designed on them. More expensive kits, however, let | | | | and wind-bleaching. |
| you put the pieces of the building together yourself. | | | | Since not all buildings are weathered at the same rate |
| Pre-made kits come painted, but can be painted again | | | | or in the same way, use different techniques on each |
| if your wish, while the kits you craft yourself must be | | | | building and train car so that they all look weathered in |
| painted by you. | | | | a unique way. |
| Regardless of whether you decide to use a simple | | | | You can get lots of good ideas by visiting a train yard |
| plastic model or a complex craftsman design, you | | | | or looking at photos of one. Take notice of the rust |
| need to paint all of the pieces before you start putting | | | | stains and how the different buildings, trains cars, and |
| them together. If you are not sure what exactly the | | | | even the tracks themselves have been affected by |
| structure will look like or where certain pieces go, you | | | | the elements. Also, be aware of where soot and dust |
| can put the pieces together without gluing them to help | | | | collects in the largest amounts. |
| you envision the final product better. Be careful to not | | | | By observing well, you will be able to make a true to |
| get paint in joints where glue will be put. | | | | life track design. |
| If your goal is to make the buildings look real, you will | | | | |