Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page In part 2 of our backdrop series, painter Jay Smith starts filling in the background details. In this installment he adds mist to the valleys and small treetops and sun highlights to the mid-ground hills. […]
Section: Project Railroads
Thin Branch Series: Backdrops part 1 – basic hills
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Need a painted backdrop for your model railroad? Learn the basics of painting with artist Jay Smith as he adds a backdrop to our Thin Branch project railroad. In part 1 of our series, Jay shows you how to work from photos to […]
Thin Branch Series: Backdrops part 3 – Foreground trees
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page In this third installment of painting backdrops, Jay Smith tackles the treetops and sun highlights in the foreground. He also shows you how to paint simple “hero” trees, those that have trunks and branches as well as leaves. […]
Thin Branch Series: Ballasting turnouts
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Ballasting turnouts can be tricky because there’s a lot of potential for the little stones and glue to interfere with the proper operation of the points. Cody Grivno shows you an easy technique for ballasting turnouts that keeps the points working just like […]
Thin Branch Series: Powering turnout frogs
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page You can improve the operation on most any railroad by installing turnouts with powered frogs. David shows you how we set up the Thin Branch project railroad with turnout frogs powered through switch motor contacts. […]
Thin Branch Series: Making puffball trees
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Need a lot of tree-covered hills on your layout? In this video, MR’s editor Neil Besougloff shows you how to make common puffball trees. This technique models just the treetops, and it’s a great way to fill background hills with trees quickly. […]
Thin Branch Series Ballasting a 1950s main line track
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Cody Grivno, our one-man ballasting crew, shares his tips and techniques for ballasting a well-groomed 1950s mainline track. Cody takes you through the process start to finish on our HO scale Thin Branch project, but his techniques work just as well in other […]
Thin Branch Series: Build a Bridge part 4 – installation
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page We close our four-part Build-a-bridge series by installing the model on our Thin Branch HO scale layout. In this video David shares some techniques for building foam scenery and working with plaster abutment castings to support our through-girder bridge. […]
Thin Branch Series: Working with foam rocks
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page If you want to try a different material to make rocks for your model railroad, try foam. In this video, David shows how he added Mountains in Minutes foam rocks to our Thin Branch HO scale project railroad. […]
Thin Branch Series: Painting rocks
Now that the rocks for our Thin Branch project railroad are in place, it’s time to paint them. David shares an easy 3-step painting technique that produces realistic rock outcroppings. […]
Thin Branch Series: Working with plaster rocks part 2
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Once you’ve cast rocks in plaster, it’s time to install them on the layout. In this video, David shows you how he cut, fit, and cemented plaster rock castings to the Thin Branch project railroad. […]
Thin Branch Series: Working with plaster rocks part 1
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Whether it’s a mountain face or just a simple outcropping, sooner or later you’ll probably need to model rocks on your layout. In this video, David shows you how he cast rocks from plaster for the Thin Branch project railroad. […]