Structures
Everything on model trains, model railroads, model railways, locomotives, model train layouts, scenery, wiring, DCC and more. Enjoy the world's best hobby... model railroading!
HOUSE ON FIRE Tutorial – Watch Me Construct A Fire Damaged Burned Out House In HO Scale
This tutorial reveals how easy it is to construct a fire damaged scale model. The plans for this fire damaged house model can be constructed to HO scale, OO gauge, or N scale.
Download plans for a burned-out background building and backdrop fire station https://www.modelbuildings.org/city-series/
Download plans for the fire-damaged house model, a fire department building, ambulance station, and police station https://www.modelbuildings.org/fire-department-ambulance-police-station-models/
Tutorial – How to Make a 1950s Style Railway House 👍😉
This tutorial shows the basics of building a 1950s style house. The plans for this house can be constructed to HO, OO, or N scale.
Watch How A Beginner Constructs His First Scale Model 👍👍👍
This short tutorial was put together from video clips supplied by a proud newbie to model making. A good first attempt. He has agreed to make more.
Tutorial – How To Construct A Railway Freight Depot
This short video demonstration reveals how to construct a strong, yet lightweight, freight depot from card.
Plan available for download at https://www.modelbuildings.org/rail-yard-pack-deal-pack-deal/
Easy To Extend Backdrop Industrial Buildings
Here are plans for some background industries you can easily adapt and/or extend.
Ideas Wanted For Rural Layout
Keith seeks some suggestions:
“Hi everyone, I am relatively new (4 years) to this and have an unfinished 8.5ft x 5ft layout based around a rural theme. The track is in place with basically two ovals running around the perimeter with a couple of sidings and a passing track. I still have space for more structures (towards the center) and scenery features so am looking for ideas. I already have a small train station, a couple of farm buildings, and a small lumber yard. Just wondering what to add next to bring life and activity to my small-town rural community? Good to get some thoughts.”
Separating Glued Plastic Parts
An unusual question from Rick who has OO trains:
“I have recently bought used Triang/Hornby hopper bridge parts. Unfortunately, the two R85 supports that I want had been glued to the bridge. I have no idea what type of glue has been used. I have read methods of unglueing including deep freezing for a few hours before prying apart, but I would welcome comments only from anyone who has attempted to separate R85s from R82 – successfully or failed, please. My model is chilling out in my freezer while I await replies with bated breath.”
Lionel 450 Bridge Wiring
Daniel asks:
“I’m sure this has been covered before, but probably missed it. Can someone tutor me in wiring the 450 signal bridge using an insulated track section. Thanks for any guidance.”
Make Your Own Impressive Silos
Purchasing scale model silo kits can be costly before you price in the cost and work involved required to paint and weather the kitsets. If you choose plastic models you’ll probably need proficiency with an airbrush to create an authentic representation of the real structure. The easier, and far less expensive option is to download plans to build your own silos avoiding the need for painting and airbrushing. That’s not to say that plastic models when constructed and finished carefully won’t look really impressive – they will. But so too will models built from downloaded plans. It basically comes down to the extent of your budget, how skilled you are with airbrushing and weathering, and which style you prefer. Both can look incredibly good and can be made really sturdy and durable. This quick clip shows some silos you can construct from downloaded plans.
Another Look at the Models Rich Made
Jason from Port Elizabeth in South Africa expressed interest in taking another look at the models Rich constructed. A friend sent him a link to a small pic, so I have republished the photos to make them larger. He’s done a great job!
Rich added these comments – “I still have some more details to do, but thought you might like to see these. Yes, I cut the windows out and used non glare tape inside the houses. Because of space I had to hang a few near the edge of cliff and so with the texture sheet I made the decking, and cut wood to make the railings. Thanks again.”
Here are the plans he used.
If you have photos you would like to have published, please make contact using the ASK A QUESTION link below.
New Designs Include 2 Grain Elevators, a Rural Train Station, US Style Barn, and a Large Barn/Stables Building
The Combined Farms Pool Elevator and the Farmers Coop Store & Transport structures pictured below are among 7 new designs just released for railroading enthusiasts and diorama model builders. The downloaded PDF plans can be constructed using cardboard (a recycled cereal pack is ideal) to OO gauge size, HO scale or N scale. Although not really necessary, some modelers might prefer to glue scrap pieces of card or corflute inside the models for additional strength. It’s easy to do. Texture is provided for the posts pictured on the loading bay of the Farmers Coop Store & Transport building, but using pieces of balsa wood that can be painted to the color of your choice is probably the easiest method for making the posts. The designs are all pre-weathered with rust marks, windows, dirt and grime etc.
The new series also include a small country train station which could serve other purposes too, as well as a tall red stable barn building complete with outside toilet (or storage shed), and a tradition US style red barn structure. These too can be made to OO, HO, S, or N scale. The plans can be downloaded from the website https://www.modelbuildings.org See more on the website.
NEW! Just Released – Tractor Equipment Shed, and Rural Freight Depot Designs To Download and Build
7 new plans have just been added to the existing range of farm buildings that can be made to HO scale, OO gauge, or to N scale. There are two new grain silos, a tractor/equipment shed (pictured above), a traditional US style barn, a large red stable/barn, a small rural station, and a rural freight depot (which could have a number of uses). The PDF plans are simple and quick to download, print, ready for construction using card.
See the new designs at https://www.modelbuildings.org
Cheap To Make Cleverly Designed Extendable Buildings
Here’s a way to extend the background scene on a model train layout without blowing the budget. There are several plans to download that are designed to be easily joined together extending the background display. The first two warehouses pictured in this video are good examples. There are several other plans for extendable background buildings available from our blog sponsor https://www.modelbuildings.org
Pete Share Photos Of The Farm House and Barn He Constructed
“Here is a farm house and small hobby barn diorama I have been busy working on during this virus lock down .. hope you like them and feel free to share. I have many more I have done also. This one is what I started with on a base after weathering the buildings and as it progressed. I am going to use them on my free-mo modulus. Although I am an amateur modeler, I try to capture and add as much detail as possible. I hope you enjoy my work so far. Take care be safe.”
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