Adding Posters to a structure wall and more

Here's a nice tutorial of how to add posters to a building wall using just plain printed paper signs.
The usual way of doing this is using decals. This tutorial shows it can be achieved in a simple way.



The product called Mod Podge is available in the UK in Hobbycraft stores, you'd want the matte version which can be purchased in 236ml containers for 4 pounds.

To get you started, here is  a link to some signs, mostly aimed at 50's 60's modelers: Signs

If you let the video play on, there's also a tutorial on building vineyards and scratch building a shed.

scratchbuild supplies

Sometimes it is fun to build something completely from scratch, eventhough 'ready to roll' dominates the market, and not everyone likes (or has the time) to scratchbuild, or kitbash.

Yet from time to time there's something I'd like to try, but it's not always easy to get the parts you need.
Thankfully Model Junction has recognised this too, and they're slowly expanding their range of scratchbuild materials. They've recently added Plastruct, and Evergreen styrene items.

Pay them a visit, order something, and make it worthwhile for them to keep sufficient stock in house, we can all benefit from that, and not having to rely on foreign orders here in the UK.

Model Junction Scratchbuild supplies

OUPS......

I thought I was nearly ready to apply dullcote to the shell and start weathering, but then I discovered something:

 I used the wrong WINGS!

They should be a bit bigger,these are second gen diesel size (low short hood),  looking through my drawers I don't have any in stock, so I've ordered the correct ones.

What confused me is that the illustrations that came with the pack showed these applied to a high hood diesel too... 

I need an eye test...

Winter scenery operations

I recently came accross this video. You might be familiar with it. It is filmed on Mike Confalone's Allgash layout.
It shows his very convincing late winter scenery. Looking at it , you can almost feel the near 0 degree temperatures, and makes a nice change from the usual summer grasses and blossoming trees you see so often.
Also nice is the ALCo RS , with a nice engine sound, it made me want a model like that too, beaten up and weathered of course :-)

Happy New Year

Hello all, I hope you've had a good christmas and wish you a very happy new year.

This new year has started fairly good on the hobby side of things for me.
I've replaced a series of turnouts on my home layout to improve the looks and the performance of the trains.
A mix of Peco and Shinohara was replaced by Code 83 Peco turnouts in US outline, while previously there were European style there too.

Secondly I've been working on one of my locomotive projects , a commuter GP9. I've detailed the shell and have now airbrushed it with a light grey primer. I'm hoping that I can continue painting this weekend.
Here's a picture of it so far:

Another thing I've done is add two more links in the useful links section on the right. One is Clevermodels, which is a site where you can order and download cardstock models and building textures, and the other is a similar website with many freely downloadable textures to print on photo paper etc, also useful for scratchbuilding various buildings. You find this under 'textures for photo modeling'.

Hopefully this is useful for you.

Happy New Year!