brianel_k-lineguy posted:Boy, some really nice work here by everyone who has posted photos of their own projects! Great work all!
@Jackshobbyhut, others have mentioned putting the paper over foam core or Masonite. Or STE mentioned using paper card stock. So are YOU using some type of material like foam core behind your outstanding structures?
I've always been intrigued by this whole topic. Before the 3-rail train makers started doing so many scale proportioned products, I've seen older wood kits at train shows and ebay that had printed paper sides to be glued on to the basic wood based car. There was recently still one firm on ebay advertising cardstock printed sides for scratch built rolling stock.
One of our forum members, Gandydancer, had taken some plug door 027 box cars, redid the sides and made reefers out of them using printed sides. That's a project idea that inspired me and am working on one right now as I write.
Again, great work all.
I don't know that these are necessarily better than plastic. BUT they certainly are more cost effective and more importantly, offer a method of having unique structures that have not been offered as plastic kits by a manufacturer - and maybe never will because of sheer economics of tooling costs versus potential sales revenues.
Hi Brian, Thanks for the kind words. I use chipboard behind card stock. I used to think plastic kits were better too. My opinion has changed. You really can get a fantastic amount of realism using printed paper. You should check the model builder software web site and look at the structure gallery. You can get detail that looks like an expensive craftsman style wood kit using paper. I don't take that much time and effort with my buildings due to the fact that I only put them out once a year at Christmas. If a had a permanent layout I would take more time and add more detail. Also, remember that the photos are up close. The amount of detail you see on a structure on a layout from a distance is vastly reduced. As a matter of fact I am working on an article for a train magazine that discusses "Scale Viewing" as it relates to paper card stock modeling. The photo below is a paper diorama I built for photographing completed plastic models. The scale is 1/24, you can see the realism you can achieve with paper. Everything but the vehicle in the photo is paper, including the sidewalk, street, and even the mailbox. Each of the storefronts are actually photographs I took while traveling in small towns and imported into the software. Again, I really didn't take a lot of time on these buildings with details. The main subject in the photo is the Ambulance. Just so you know, I have no association with the company that makes Model Builder Software. I just use it.
