Drains and Manhole Covers

April 27, 2011

Here’s just one of the many tips from the Online Model Train Club.

When you look observantly around streets you notice a an assortment of manhole covers and drain grates. There are probably more than you thought there would be – they seem to be everywhere. The surprising thing is that few in the hobby include them on their layouts.

You can buy them and they are relatively inexpensive. As an example; Langley Models sell various drain road manhole covers, grates and inspection chamber covers. They are brass (so are strong), and there are several on a sheet, and they are easy to paint. Durango Press also make some, and you can even buy cheaper self adhesive types.

The brass type is easy to fix in place. I paint the manhole covers first (neutral gray) and then glue them in place. For drain covers, I carve or drill out a small hollow a fraction smaller than the size of the drain cover. It only needs to be about 1mm deep. I paint the inside of the hollow black and then glue the drain cover in place. Avoid getting the glue stuck between the slots in the drain cover.