Model Railroad Blog

The LAJ had some unique crossbucks with a vertical sign labeled “Los Angeles Junction Ry” running down the post in a very distinctive font.  I started with a photo of one of their actual signs and printed it out.  To give it some depth I glued it to a painted piece of strip wood and then added two Tichy NBW castings.

Just to the left of the main MP&F structure sits a small storage shed with a matching sawtooth roof.  Construction details:

• Illustration board core
• Windows are a photo of the actual structure’s windows printed to size.
• Siding is from Builders In Scale.
• Paint consists of Rustoleum Gray primer with a follow-up of white primer on the panels above the windows
• Weathering was a light wash of India Ink and alcohol throughout, burnt umber artist oils on the roof and a touch of brown weathering chalk.

Here’s the prototype:

Without making a weeklong project out of it, I wanted to put a little effort into the twenty-foot tall tree at the edge of the MP&F lot.

• Using the above prototype photo as a guide I selected a few SuperTrees armatures and pruned them to the approximate shape.  I glued them together at the base with thick CA.
• Spray painted the armature with mists of Rustoleum “Satin Stone Gray” and Krylon “Satin Khaki”
• Applied a dilute wash of acrylic Burnt Umber and India Ink/alcohol.
• Holding the armature horizontally and slowly spinning it, I gave it very light dusting of Woodland Scenics Blended Turf ground foam
• Followed up with a very light dusting of ground up dead leaves
• Sealed with dilute matte medium