Five insightful tips on building your first kitbash

Building your first kitbash

I’ve worked for Model Railroader for about six months now with no previous hands-on experience with model railroading. When an opportunity came up for me to enter a kitbashing “contest” among fellow Model Railroader employees, I plunged right in.

Note: Fellow employees have been modeling for years. My skill level is very much not at the level of those around me, but everyone has to start somewhere, right?

The goal

My first kit is the Union Pacific-Style Depot; however, my directive is to build the kit not as is, but rather to transform it into a different building. My choice of prototype is Shear Imagination, a hair salon in Cedar Grove, Wis. This was once an active train depot that has been repurposed.

This project is a wonderful stress reliever and creative exercise for me. Having never built a kit before, though, it’s safe to say that I have absolutely no clue as to what I’m doing right – or wrong. I really just can’t wait to say, “Hey, look what I did!” Plus, what girl doesn’t want her own mini salon at her fingertips?

Starting point

I’m just wading my way through this, which is overwhelming at times. I feel a little like what I imagine a kid feels like learning to ride a bike for the first time – a little scared yet excited, but impatient. I get frustrated with myself for not knowing how to do it already, which is the perfectionist in me.

I have explored many creative hobbies, but not the kind that require such precision and patience. From this experience, I’ve learned how to have patience while still having fun doing it. I can’t rush it. When I rush it, I file off the wrong plastic piece or pool the spray paint on one side of a wall or cut things too short and then have to add additional pieces to fix it. It’s progress, not perfection.

Five insightful things I’ve learned

As a first-time model railroad hobbyist, I have learned the following five things:

1. Solicit expert advice and help whenever possible. I would suggest watching how-to videos, reading articles/books, or taking a class. Since I’m an employee, “Modeling 101” class with Trains.com David Popp is kind of a fun requirement. I have honestly had a considerable amount of help from my co-workers. Being surrounded by these expert modelers has been a gift. A group of patient, skillful enthusiasts walking you through it, is for me, key.
2. Have a plan. I started this kitbashing project without any plan in place. I think having a solid objective prior to gluing pieces might have helped (and don’t forget gloves). I did almost glue my fingers together at one point. Having some idea of what you want to create will help direct you and steer you forward. Part of the fun of a kitbashing challenge is transforming a kit into something different or unique. Observing what other staff members are doing to their kits has inspired me. Now that I have a basic idea of what I want to do, it’s time to do it.
3. Secure a workspace and tools. This is self-explanatory. Without a workspace or the proper equipment, you’re not building anything. Having access to the space and resources in the Model Railroader workshop has been helpful. I find that even with all this, it also helps to have someone nearby with the ingenuity to show you which tool to use and how to use it correctly.
4. Schedule time to do it. Trying to find the time to build this project has been hard. I’m a mom with two small kids, a rescue puppy, and no free time. I’ve been scheduling in a few hours here and there to work on my model. I suggest scheduling a time each week to work on your project. That’s what works best for me. Once that calendar reminder goes off 15 minutes prior, I make an effort to finish up what I’m doing so that I can begin modeling. Remember, model railroading is supposed to be fun.
5. Don’t give up … but do stop if frustrated. Refuse to give up. Even if you mess up, which happens, you can usually fix it. You may just need to quit for a bit and come back to it later. I’ve had a lot of invaluable help with this project. It’s the first of many. And if I keep trying to acquire new skills, each one should get slightly easier (I hope).

Here is my “building your first kitbash” finished project: