Railway Modelling Skills E-Book

Peter Marriott

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 260

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Do you enjoy running model trains but want to improve your layout? Do you want to gain expertise over a wider range of railway modelling skills and acquire the confidence to tackle modelling tasks that you have previously shied away from? If so, this is the book for you. Brimming with advice and tips, this well-illustrated book covers a wide range of modelling skills, including designing a layout, choosing the right scale, building baseboards, selecting the right track, controlling the trains, building the landscape, making realistic grass and weeds, and adding figures. Particular attention is paid to more modern techniques such as DCC train control, laser cut and downloadable kits, and the use of hard foam in baseboard construction. Step-by-step explantions of many techniques are provided accompanied by over 400 instructional colour photographs. Information is provided about the tools and materials required and the extensive range of commercial railway modelling products that are now available.

Leseprobe

RAILWAY

MODELLING SKILLS

Peter Marriott

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2015 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2015

© Peter Marriott 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 956 8

Disclaimer

The author and the publisher do not accept any responsibility in any manner whatsoever for any error or omission, or any loss, damage, injury, adverse outcome, or liability of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any of the information contained in this book, or reliance upon it. If in doubt about any aspect of railway modelling skills and techniques, readers are advised to seek professional advice.

Frontispiece supplied by Chris Nevard/Model Rail

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CHAPTER ONE: SKILLS, WHAT SKILLS?

CHAPTER TWO: THE TOOLS YOU WILL NEED

CHAPTER THREE: HOW TO DESIGN A NEW LAYOUT

CHAPTER FOUR: CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCALE FOR YOU

CHAPTER FIVE: HOW TO BUILD BASEBOARDS

CHAPTER SIX: FORMING THE LANDSCAPE

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE PERMANENT WAY

CHAPTER EIGHT: TRAIN CONTROL

CHAPTER NINE: IMPROVING ROLLING STOCK

CHAPTER TEN: WEATHERING

CHAPTER ELEVEN: MODERN SCENIC PRODUCTS AND TECHNIQUES

CHAPTER TWELVE: ADDING THE DETAILS

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: MATERIALS

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: BUILDINGS

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR MODELS

APPENDIX I WHERE CAN I LOOK TO IMPROVE MY SKILLS FURTHER?

APPENDIX II USEFUL WEBSITE ADDRESSES

APPENDIX III WHAT SCENIC PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE?

INDEX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks go to the numerous people who have made railway modelling a more enjoyable place for me, including David Aldis, David Brown, Bill Carmen, John Emerson, Ian Futers, Stewart Gorman, Stephan Kraus, Chris Leigh, Martyn Rees, Pelle Søeborg, Rob Spendelow and Colin Tucker.

Thanks go to my wife Mary, who sometimes has to put up with living with model railways dotted around our house. I really do appreciate her patience and long suffering!

Thanks also go to the photographers and model makers who agreed for me to use some of their pictures in this book:

Stephan Kraus, who is a professional layout builder in Germany offering diorama and layout building services plus modelling seminars at

www.modellbau-smk.de

.

Chris Nevard, as

Model Rail’s

ace photographer, who always brings out the best in my layouts through his photographic expertise.

Paul Marshall-Potter, whose recent joint DVD production with Paul Lunn will be inspirational to many would-be layout builders.

Busch and its agents in the UK, Golden Valley Hobbies, for the pictures of their diminutive Feldbahn system.

In addition, I say thank you to model railway editors who have published words and pictures about my layouts over the past decade and who have agreed that snippets of those layouts that have appeared in their magazines are portrayed within this book:

Dennis Lovatt as editor of

Bachmann Times,

who suggested that I build a tiny layout to convey the impression of four miniature railways.

Ben Jones, now of

British Railway Modelling,

who has published numerous articles about my European layouts during his spell at

Model Rail

magazine.

Richard Foster as editor of

Model Rail,

who continues to pour over my words and pictures each month and turns them into something that looks better in the magazine.

Andrew Burnham of the

Continental Modeller

for featuring my European layouts.

The DMU washing plant by Scenecraft with a modified Hornby Class 110 DMU repainted in Mexican Bean colours as it ran on the West Highland Line.

CHAPTER ONE

SKILLS, WHAT SKILLS?

A skill is a learned ability to carry out a task with results within time and energy using tools and materials.

HOW TO LEARN NEW SKILLS

Railway modellers can become very skilful in various disciplines. Many of them do not realize that they have learned do so much until they are asked what they have accomplished in the hobby. Far from putting people off from joining in the hobby, the various skills should open up their minds to the wide array of things that may be learned and enjoyed as a railway modeller. The hobby can be very satisfying and most of the skills are quite easy to pick up and are fun to learn.

Different skills will appeal to some people more than others, but if there is something we really do not want to learn we can usually get other people to do those tasks for us. The hobby has become so varied and comprehensive that there are many individuals and small firms offering their services in a number of areas. There are also products that give us shortcuts to learning a skill, which is particularly important in today’s society where time is at a premium.

From time to time, it is a good idea to make a list of our personal skills. This may help us to realize that we may like to improve some aspects of our modelling, while being content with our other skills. Modellers set themselves the challenge of improving their skills, which is a good way of freshening up the hobby if they find they are stuck in a modelling rut. The more I think about the hobby, the more I conclude that knowing what you want from a model railway is the key to getting and improving the main skills required. If you know what you enjoy most in the hobby, you will find learning more about how to do certain tasks a pleasure rather than a necessary task to be undertaken.

With the arrival of resin buildings, the modeller can choose to buy suitable buildings for his layout and simply fix them to the baseboard. But there are some quick and easy skills that can be learned to turn resin buildings into something more distinctive, including painting parts of them, adding curtains, adding signs and weathering them. Here the three middle houses are identical, but by painting the front doors different colours and by adding different curtains the row of houses has been personalized.

Railway modellers are well blessed for research material to make their model railways more realistic. Here just three books about the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway demonstrate that information is readily available. Even if books are out of print, there is a steady exchange of them through avenues such as auction sites and Amazon. In addition to books, there are DVDs, YouTube videos, magazine articles and specialist societies supplying words and pictures about almost every railway line that has ever operated in the UK. Successful research is a skill that can soon be picked up.

There are various ways to improve railway modelling skills. These include attending training courses that are run on a variety of topics, such as airbrushing, baseboard construction, tracklaying, scenery making and much more. Books, bookazines and magazines increasingly feature ‘how to’ articles containing a series of photos following a construction project. The best of these include lists of tools and materials and explicit pictures and captions so that the reader is left in no doubt as to how to accomplish a specific task. The hobby is also now blessed with a huge number of DVDs, demonstrating various skills and techniques, that we can watch in our living room or on the PC. These are available from UK and overseas sources, which broadens the scope of the expertise demonstrated.

The huge number of model railway exhibitions throughout the country gives us ample opportunity to ask questions of other modellers about how they did such and such. Some exhibitions arrange for demonstration stands and lectures with experts in a particular field, thus passing on their learned wisdom.

Wharfedale Road is an OO-scale compact layout that is suitable for the steam or diesel eras. PAUL MARSHALL-POTTER

Joining a model railway club and learning as the club builds its own layouts is another way forward. Fellow club members will be only too happy to help you improve your skills as you work on the layout together. Another option is to join a model railway forum and post your questions for other members to offer their words of experience.

Look at previously published magazine articles to see if the subject that you want to learn about has already been discussed before. For example, to search the index of published articles in Model Rail magazine go to: www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/ModelRail

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS BOOK

The purpose of this book is to:

Make the hobby as appealing and enjoyable as possible.

Provide some guidelines as to what products and projects will provide satisfaction.

Explain the many techniques that can be learned and the tools and materials that will be needed for those tasks.

Show how it has never been easier to make a goodlooking model railway layout that you can be proud of.

Some skills are trial and error. Just how much diluted weathering dye is needed to weather this plastic portaloo? Only by trying various mixes of weathering dye and seeing how the plastic portaloo takes the dye will the modeller learn about weathering skills.

The choice of models, scales, scenery materials, accessories and so on available to railway modellers today is huge. There are a good number of large and small manufacturers producing everything the modeller could want on his layout. This picture shows just one corner of a well-stocked model shop (Model Junction in Slough).

An OO-scale Sealion wagon weathered by Danish modeller Pelle Soeborg. Weathering is one of the newer skills in the hobby and there are plenty of books and DVDs that demonstrate how to do it well.

This book is written for those who like running trains, but also want to expand and improve their layout over time. They want to feel more confident over a wider range of model railway skills and perhaps want to gain the confidence to tackle modelling tasks that they have shied away from before.

When I began modelling railways I read model railway magazines, but found that rarely did the articles on layout building say how such and such a task was performed, or what products were used. I have therefore set out to be comprehensive in the information this book provides, with the ultimate aim that even if I have not described the specific task you want to do, by the end of the book you will have gained sufficient knowledge to know how to set about the task.

Even a single line can offer interesting scenic opportunities such as this GWR branch line modelled for a Model Rail publication. CHRIS NEVARD/MODEL RAIL

The Main Skills Needed for the Successful Building of a Model Railway

Deciding what you want out of a model railway The pleasure you gain from the hobby depends very much upon how much you ‘love’ the model that you are building. This highlights the need to think carefully about what you like most about railway modelling before starting to build your ‘dream’ layout.

Knowing what tools are available Tools for making model railways are a mixture of domestic tools and those sold by specialist shops in the hobby world. For example, when detailing locomotives a craft knife, micro-paintbrushes, small files, a pick and place tool, small screwdrivers, a small drill and tweezers will all make the tasks so much easier. If you have these tools to hand before starting a project the work will be quicker, more effective and less frustrating.

Craft knives and packs of brushes are available quite cheaply from hobby stores. These two packs cost less than £9.

Designing a layout Some in the hobby never get past the notepad and pencil stage, but the keener you are to model a location, the quicker you will be building that layout. The key here is to know what layout will give you the most enjoyment and build that one.

Researching the prototype Railway history, geography and technology are absorbing parts of our hobby. Successfully researching a topic generally means that the finished product will be more accurate, the builder will get more satisfaction from his project and the longer he will stay a railway modeller.

Building the baseboard Good baseboards are the essential foundation of a layout. Build a good baseboard and this will help with the tracklaying process and the running of the trains. Make a bad baseboard and you might end up leaving the hobby through frustration. If you have doubts about your ability to construct a good baseboard, there are many firms that will be keen to build one for you.

Laying the track This is a very important skill, because well-laid track can definitely contribute to enjoyment in the hobby. Conversely, poorly laid track can result in derailments and annoyance. Time spent laying track well will be rewarded many times over. If you do not feel confident about laying track, you might consider using sectional track instead of flexible track, which, if ballasted and weathered nicely, can look realistic.

Ballasting and weathering the track This can greatly improve the finished look of a layout. Well-ballasted and weathered track elevates the look of a layout. Even ‘train set’ track can be made to look very realistic with a little care. These are skills that can be learned before working on your layout and time spent on the learning process will never be wasted.

Wiring and point control Some modellers like wiring, others do not. The wiring on layouts can be kept simple, while still working effectively. There is plenty of published advice on correctly wiring a layout and DCC has potentially simplified the wiring required for isolated track in such locations as locomotive depots.

Train control With DCC, modellers have a huge range of control possibilities from which to choose. It is not as difficult to learn DCC as some would think and it is definitely worth weighing up all the advantages and disadvantages before deciding whether to use the older analog DC (Direct Current) method of control or to ‘go DCC’. It will, of course, be much cheaper to buy one type of control system rather than start with one system and then change to the other.

Soldering This is important for wiring up the track and adding electrical accessories, but can be largely ignored for the rest of the hobby unless you wish to make metal kits of carriages, locomotives, wagons, signals and other accessories. So a basic knowledge may suffice, or you may choose to learn the skill in more detail to enable you to build metal kits.

Making the landscape Many modellers know the time-served methods of making the landscape, but there are now a number of time-and weight-saving methods that are quick to learn and economical to do. These include using pieces of roof insulation hard foam for the landscape foundations.

General scenery Never before in the hobby has there been such a good selection of scenic materials available. Learn how to use them properly and you will soon be building a layout with better scenery than you imagined possible.

Building the platforms This really is not that difficult and should not take too much time, but it transforms a layout. The few key skills needed to build platforms are measuring, cutting cardboard, gluing card together and painting, including a white line.

Adding buildings There is a range of skills, including using the right building, making it or buying something similar to what you’d really like, as well as where and how to ‘plant’ the building on the layout. Today, the modeller is faced with the choice of using ready-made resin buildings, or kits made from cardboard, laser-cut card, laser-cut timber or plastic.

We just love watching trains move. Here at the Nuremberg Toy Fair the locomotive captivates the eyes of passers-by.

Adding the details Many modellers find this to be one of the best parts of the hobby. It can be a lot of fun and the more you know about what is available for your layout, the more you can fine-tune the layout to meet your preferences. A huge range of figures, accessories and more is available in all the popular scales.

Finishing the layout Some say that layouts are never finished and there are indeed always improvement and detailing projects that can be done. The skill here is knowing when enough is enough. Too many details can turn a model railway into a train set.

Operating a layout How we run our trains is very much a personal matter. Some just like to ‘play trains’, while others work up prototypical timetables for their layout that they, and possibly their friends, stick to precisely in operating sessions.

Exhibiting a layout Many modellers like to exhibit their handiwork to others at model railway shows. There are things that can be learned that make exhibiting a layout less stressful and more fun. Layout exhibitors go a long way to ensuring that modellers continue to gain enthusiasm for the hobby.

DEMONSTRATION SEQUENCE

Making rock faces is quite an easy skill to learn and there are various learning kits available to show you how to do it. Woodland Scenics is a company that has a good range, including one featuring making rocks.

Painting rock pieces is one of those skills that is quickly learned. It is always fun to learn new techniques. It injects enthusiasm into our modelling time if we do not always stick to our long-established methods.

This small rock face took a couple of hours to make and to bed into the scenery.

The segment turntable by Noch is a good space-saving way to reduce the length of a layout. CHRIS NEVARD/MODEL RAIL

Because of the scope of the modelling tasks in the hobby, we will cover a number of skills. Some of these skills cross over, so, for example, painting needs to be done on rolling stock, buildings, the track, roads and much more. It may be good to look at Chapter 2 on tools first because there the tools are recommended that experience has shown to be most useful in the hobby.

We work through many modelling projects to demonstrate the simplest but most effective techniques and materials. The book has been prepared as a work of reference supplying suggested lists of materials and tools so that you can ‘stock up’ on the materials before you commence a project. The aim of each project is to give you confidence that you will be able to undertake such a project quickly so as to add to your modelling enjoyment.

When I began writing this book, I was anticipating that it would cover all aspects of railway modelling skills, but after a few months I realized that one book could not contain all that information unless it ran in excess of 500 pages. I decided therefore to concentrate on the more modern aspects of railway modelling on the basis that there is already a goodly amount of published information readily available on matters such as wiring a layout, using point motors and traditional train control. Instead, I have included recent modern techniques such as the use of hard foam in making a baseboard, the latest scenery-making techniques, DCC (Digital Command Control) train control, laser-cut kits, downloadable kits and hopefully many more tips to interest the reader. I do hope that you find some ideas in this book for your current and future layouts.

CHAPTER TWO

THE TOOLS YOU WILL NEED

Just knowing what tools are available can be a good way to improve your skills.

The basic tools that will be needed to make a layout are both readily available and inexpensive. Most of us have a large DIY store near to our home and we may well already have some of the necessary tools in our shed or garage. Some of these tools are specifically made for the modeller, whilst others have other primary uses, but can be useful for railway modellers too. Having the right tools makes modelling easier, quicker and more successful. Tools generally last a long while and we get so familiar with them that we don’t even think about them – but we would be lost without them.

Tool suppliers regularly attend the larger model railway exhibitions. Suppliers include: Squires (www.squirestools.com); Eileen’s Emporium (www.eileensemporium.com); Expo Tools (www.expotools.com) and more. Gaugemaster retails its own expanding brand of tools (www.gaugemaster.com) and Hobbycraft stores carry a good range of tools (www.hobbycraft.co.uk).

Health warning Remember that all tools can be dangerous. Store them and use them well out of reach of children and pets. Do not leave them where folks can trip over them. Wear protective eye protection and other clothing as recommended by the manufacturer. When working with adhesives or paint, keep the room well ventilated.

The basic tools for making baseboards include a rechargeable electric drill, set square, saw, pencil for marking out, steel ruler, paintbrush for the PVA adhesive, a surform and a screwdriver.

Clamps are very useful tools. Either made from plastic or metal, they perform valuable functions holding parts of kits in position while the adhesive sets, holding backscenes in position, holding the timber of a baseboard together as the adhesive dries and other tasks where an extra pair of hands is invaluable.

CLAMPS

Small plastic spring clamps are a real boon for kit building. Whilst assembling parts, they can be used to hold two or more pieces together as the glue sets. These can be bought very cheaply at model railway shows from various companies, with some of the clamps retailing at less than £1 each. Metal G clamps are also available for heavier duty tasks, such as holding together baseboard parts while the adhesive dries.

Useful for: Holding in position temporary back scenes, holding together parts of kits while the adhesive dries and holding baseboard parts together while the adhesive dries

Supplier: They can be bought at model railway shows and from specialist suppliers.

COFFEE STIRRERS OR ICED-LOLLY STICKS

Stirrers can be used to make fences for level crossings and anywhere else that real wood can be used on a layout. Some materials used scenically on a layout do not take kindly to being dragged along with a paintbrush or metal tool, such as Woodland Scenics Realistic Water. To ‘handle’ such viscous fluids it is recommended that a small wooden stick be used for this.

Useful for: Dragging resin-based water fluid to the edge of a water feature, shaping rock faces as the rock moulding plaster sets, stirring paint.

Supplier: Your favourite iced lolly! Alternatively, various scenic manufacturers supply them in their scenery kits. Of course, coffee shops usually have a jar full of them near to their checkout, so when you buy your next coffee remember to save your stirrer!

CRAFT KNIFE

One of the staples of modelling tasks is the craft knife. These need fresh new blades for every new modelling task, because a new blade cuts cleanly and quickly and is much less frustrating than a blade that snags whilst it cuts. Poor blades increase the time taken to do anything, because it might mean that the same job has to be done twice if the first job was not good enough.

Useful for: Cutting cardboard and plastic card of all shapes and sizes. Working on locomotive detailing and modification projects, laying flexible track and much more. At least one of these is an essential item in the toolbox, plus some spare blades.

Supplier: Art shops, DIY stores, stationers, hardware stores, Hobbycraft, model shops and specialist tool suppliers and at model railway shows.

To the left is a standard craft knife with spare blades and to the right is a Woodland Scenics Foam Knife with its longer blades, which are good for cutting through hard foam. As with all craft knifes, have plenty of spare new blades in stock because blunt blades are time-consuming to work with and they will make it very difficult to achieve good results.

FILES

A set of small files is useful for a number of tasks ranging from tracklaying, remedying any small moulding faults on figures and accessories, as well as reducing the size of buffer-beam pipes so that they will fit in the small holes on the buffer beam when detailing locomotives.

Useful for: Smoothing the edges of cut rail when laying track. Removing excess burr on metal or plastic kits. Detailing locomotives.

Supplier: DIY stores, hardware stores, Hobbycraft, model shops and specialist tool suppliers at model railway shows.

Needle and small files are essential for working with flexible track – where the rail is cut the edges may be jagged, which could cause derailments and cut fingers. Small files are also useful for removing burr from kit parts and when adding detailing parts to locomotives.

FIBREGLASS BRUSH

To clean the top and sides of the moving rails on the points that have been weathered or to get into small spaces, there is little to touch the cleaning ability of a fibreglass brush. It works on the same principle as a propelling pencil and so enables the fibres to be pushed out as demanded. I find that these tools can be useful too for cleaning fine burr from plastic or metal parts of kits. They are also good for scratching (distressing) the sides of wagons and imitation steel girder bridges and so on to give a well-worn look.

Health warning Do not touch the ends of the fibreglass bristles because they can easily get stuck into one’s fingers, causing irritation.

Useful for: Cleaning the points after weathering. Also a good weathering tool in itself and for removing fine blemishes on kits and other models.

Supplier: Specialist tool suppliers and at model railway shows.

A fibreglass retractable brush is excellent for track cleaning (particularly on the moving parts of the points) and distressing wagons. Refills are available and the brushes are sold in various thicknesses.

HAMMER

We have generally got a hammer or two in the garage or the shed. For making baseboards, domestic hammers are useful, but for modelling tasks, such as knocking in track pins, the smaller craft hammers or even toffee hammers are useful.

Useful for: Baseboard construction and knocking in track pins

Supplier: DIY stores, hardware shops, large supermarkets and specialist tool suppliers.

The larger hammer is useful for making a baseboard, but the smaller craft hammer is best for working with track pins where the much smaller head will fit through the rails.

MICRO-PAINTBRUSHES

Sometimes even the smallest paintbrush seems too large for the finest painting job. These tiny brushes feature a bendable bristle brush. They are sold in two types – with the familiar bristle head and almost a pom-pom of tiny fibres to form a rounder head to the brush. These brushes (they are called ‘applicators’ on the packets) can easily be bent to any angle. I have tried them with paint on small areas and found them to be very useful. They will also be suitable for the placement of small controlled amounts of material, such as adhesive, lubricant and solvent when modifying locomotive detailing. They come in regular, fine and superfine sized heads.

Useful for: Ideal for all scales. A great, cheap way of applying a small amount of paint. Very versatile for locomotive detailing and fine painting.

Supplier: Available in the UK from www.modeljunction.info and other retailers.

Three micro-paintbrushes with different heads. The plastic handles of these brushes are flexible and can be bent to get into difficult corners. Such brushes are ideal for fine painting on rolling stock, figures and buildings.

MINI-DRILL

Mini-drills are made by a number of companies. Most are mains-powered, but some are rechargeable. They are useful when making a baseboard, but also when adding details to the layout and modifying rolling stock. A set of different sized drills is also needed.

Useful for: Drilling holes in the baseboard to take wires, making holes to take fence posts, telegraph posts, railway signs and so on. Drilling out small holes in locomotives to take buffer-beam details, air pipes and so on.

Supplier: Available from model shops, specialist suppliers and some hobby shops.

Electric mini-drills are important in a modeller’s toolkit for drilling holes in the baseboard to take signal posts, telegraph poles and traffic signs. They are also good for drilling small holes in locomotive buffer beams to add parts and to take wire handrails.

PAINTBRUSHES

One can never have too many paintbrushes. Because they do wear out after a time, it is always worth having a few replacements in stock. Flat brushes are good for painting the larger areas, whilst pinpoint brushes are best for finer work. There is no need to buy expensive paintbrushes if the work is to cover large areas, such as the base colour of the scenery, or painting the grey of a road. Good-quality brushes are important for painting fine detail, such as the detail on figures.

Useful for: Applying adhesive and painting the landscape, roads, platforms and buildings. Painting loco details and figures. Can also be used in the weathering process on buildings, bridges, wagons and rolling stock.

Supplier: Art shops, some supermarkets and specialist tool suppliers at model railway shows.

A selection of paintbrushes, Woodland Scenics T-Pins plus a wooden stick similar to a coffee stirrer or iced-lolly stick that are useful for a multitude of small jobs, such as working with water fluids and sculpting rock faces.

PICK AND PLACE TOOL

This is a tool like a pen with a small sticky tip on the end that is useful for picking up and placing small parts such as locomotive details. To regain the sticky tension on the point, just roll the tip on adhesive tape.

Useful for: Picking up detail parts when they are fiddly, such as locomotive details.

Supplier: Available from Gaugemaster and others.

PLASTIC SYRINGE

A plastic syringe is very handy for dispensing a controlled amount of liquid. When the fluid is diluted (for example, PVA glue), this assists the smooth flow of the fluid from the tool. Deluxe Materials retail a Pin Point Syringe Kit that includes two syringes and three sizes of stainless-steel tips. Wash the tip of the bottle or pipette after each use to ensure that the tool stays free of hardened glue.

Useful for: Applying PVA (diluted) on to ballast or scenic areas. Applying water materials (such as Woodland Scenics Realistic Water or Deluxe Materials Scenic Water) in confined areas such as streams or small puddles.

Supplier: Deluxe Materials, Hobbycraft and specialist tool suppliers at model railway shows.

A plastic syringe can be very useful for dispensing diluted PVA for ballasting and scenic work. It is useful also for carefully pouring water fluids, such as resin-based liquids. Practise pushing the plunger slowly and steadily until you feel confident working with it.

PUFFER

Using a puffer is a great way to rid the layout, a building or an item of rolling stock of stray scenic material, dust or static grass fibres. It is also very useful when you are taking photographs of a layout and rolling stock.

Useful for: Blowing away dust and excess scenery materials. Preparing the layout and rolling stock for a photographic shoot.

Supplier: Specialist tool suppliers at model railway shows and photographic shops.