An artistic railway is the dream of almost every child. Just watch how children “stick” to exhibition stands and museum exhibits simulating a railroad. It is very interesting to see trains and carriages that are smaller copies of the real ones. The trains can be controlled, they stop at stations, sound signals, pass through tunnels and enter the depot. This is a very beautiful sight, but doing all this is not at all easy.
In order to assemble a road model, you need a lot of time, skills, materials and financial costs. A child cannot do this. But many adults are ready to spend time, effort and money on creating their own model railroad. This is a very exciting activity , and the reward will be a layout that can be developed, improved, and added rolling stock and landscape details.
Main types and features of modeling
A miniature railway is a piece of furniture that will delight the eyes of not only children, but also adults. If you are interested in making your own railroad tracks, it means that most likely you had a similar toy as a child and you decided to bring your memories to life. Or you just want to please your household with an unusual handmade decoration. Be that as it may, in the following sections you will find detailed instructions that describe each stage of working on the layout in detail.
To make a truly beautiful layout, you will need to work quite a lot, because even the smallest detail of the composition requires close attention. If you have ever studied the structure of real railways, then it will be much easier for you to realize your idea. However, do not be discouraged if you do not have the necessary skills, since all the necessary information can be found on the Internet without much difficulty. For example, our article will present several original ideas that will allow you to make a high-quality and unusual layout for your home.
As for the main types of layouts, they are quite difficult to classify. If we talk about scale, you can find small, medium and huge layouts that fill almost the entire space of the room. Some compositions are used to have a toy train ride on them. Others serve as part of the interior. Quite often on the models you can find various elements of nature: rivers, mountains, forests and fields, and sometimes they may simply be absent, and the railway itself is located on a regular plane. In general, there are quite a few options for making a layout, especially for a person who will be doing this for the first time.
DIY application “Locomotive” made of paper for children step by step with photo. Templates
Goal: to teach how to compose a composition of geometric shapes based on a model. Description: making crafts from paper and cardboard using the applique technique is a very exciting activity. In this type of creativity there is room for your imagination to run wild! Three-dimensional applique expands the creative possibilities of children's works, helps teach a child to think spatially, three-dimensionally; children perceive three-dimensional images better than flat ones. The word applique comes from the Latin “applic”, which means attaching or joining. The appliqué technique is very simple and accessible even to the smallest children, because gluing the parts onto the base is not difficult at all.
Purpose: this master class is easy to perform, intended for teachers, educators and parents, as well as for children of preschool and primary school age in classes in kindergarten, school and summer camp. Creative work can be used to decorate a school office, a group in a kindergarten, a home room, for participation in exhibitions and competitions, and also as a gift.
Tasks: educational:
teach basic geometric concepts: circle, triangle, rectangle, square; learn how to glue ready-made forms; create compositions made using various techniques of working with paper; improve skills in working with the necessary tools and materials when working with paper; learn to complement the image with details that make the craft more expressive;
What materials will be needed for the job?
Have you decided to make a model railway at home with your own hands? First you need to decide on the materials that you will use during the construction process. This can only be done if you carefully study the options for ready-made layouts, photographs of which are presented in our article. In this list you can find the most commonly used materials in construction and their purpose:
- plywood sheet - suitable as the main plane for the layout;
- construction foam is an ideal option for creating mountains with a tunnel;
- boards and cardboard - suitable for creating decorative objects.
It is worth noting that the possibility of using various materials is limited only by the skill and imagination of the master himself. For example, if you are good with plaster, you can easily make several objects out of it for a model. Do you know how to design bridges? Why not add such a design to your composition. What about real water in the model, which will symbolize the river?
Also, we should not forget that some elements can be purchased in stores rather than made by hand. For example, it will be quite difficult for a novice designer to make a figurine of a person from scrap materials, but such an element can be ordered on the Internet at a very modest price. Or you can display your collection of sports cars on the layout so that it no longer collects dust on the shelf, but pleases the eyes of your guests and family members.
Cutting templates
Using templates greatly simplifies your work. Each part can be reused multiple times. The templates are provided ready-made, you just need to download and print. If the desired object is not available, then you should use a photo or picture. It is enough to transfer the schematic image onto paper, edit it, and cut it out. Then put it on a sheet of paper, copy and cut it out. For those who love design, creating your own models is more suitable. The advantage of templates is the possibility of repeated use and repeated creation of identical layouts.
Source
List of required tools
We have already said that the easiest way to make a base for a model railway with your own hands is from a large sheet of plywood. You can purchase such material at a furniture store or remove it from an old unnecessary bed. However, what tools might a designer need during his work? As a rule, they directly depend on the materials you decide to use. Although in the list below you will find the most commonly used tools, as well as their “scope of activity”.
- An electric jigsaw is indispensable for working with plywood sheets and wood.
- Construction adhesive is ideal for attaching small parts.
- Sandpaper – suitable for processing uneven surfaces.
In the process of work, you will need quite a lot of different tools that are related to the materials for work. For example, if you want to paint a layout with different colors, you will need brushes of different thicknesses. Decided to add a couple of metal parts? Don't forget to get a grinder with discs and a welding machine with electrodes.
As you can see, the list of tools for work can be quite extensive, so it is recommended to find everything you need in advance so that you don’t have to be distracted by anything during the work process. If you don’t have a tool at home, you can ask your friends for it, but under no circumstances resort to alternative options (screws instead of nails). Making a model is a very delicate job that requires compliance with certain rules.
Intersection model
The main task facing teachers, parents and educators in teaching traffic rules is to create the skill of safe behavior in the road infrastructure. To do this, we use crafts on the topic “Transition”. This is a traffic light, a pedestrian crossing and a themed road sign.
You can make a model of an intersection on the territory of a school, yard or kindergarten. We are looking for a flat, straight surface (so that water does not accumulate in puddles there). Using a tape measure and chalk, we mark the places where traffic lights are installed and where the pedestrian crossing intersects with the improvised roadway. Using a meter and chalk we draw a pedestrian crossing. Then, using acrylic paint, we draw curbs and a pedestrian crossing from top to bottom. We remember that there should be a traffic light at each corner of the intersection.
Design or drawing
How to make a model of a railway at home step by step and with your own hands? In the following sections you will find detailed information on this matter. However, before you start building anything with your own hands, you need to correctly draw up drawings of the future product that would take into account all the features of the composition.
First of all, you need to decide on the dimensions of the layout. It is worth understanding that the larger the area of the product, the more small parts you will have to add to it. A beginner designer should first learn how to make small layouts, and only then move on to larger compositions. Although if you are confident in your abilities or work under the guidance of a real professional, then you can forget about this rule.
However, we should not forget that not only the quality of the future structure, but also its decorative appearance depends on a correctly drawn up drawing. As a rule, people start making mock-ups when they already have a specific idea. For example, a master wants to include in the composition several mountains with a tunnel, a river, a bridge, and also a small village in the middle. Such a layout may require quite a lot of details, but it will look quite decent.
Family tradition
Let's go back 12 years. In the photo below, in the St. Petersburg communal apartment, I am playing with my son Alyosha in the railway, which my father gave me many, many years ago, when I was still in elementary school!
Many years ago in a St. Petersburg communal apartment
Yes, you can’t say anything, the quality and reliability of PIKO[1] has been time-tested. After all, almost every weekend my son and I assembled, disassembled, designed... And when our family moved again, each time the box with my father’s gift was first on the list of things to move. Only when leaving Russia for Canada we had to leave it... and again with my father in the village, it is intact to this day!
We make a sub-model
We make a model of the railway with our own hands. The first stage will be the manufacture of a sub-model on which all the main elements will be placed. It is highly recommended to use a sheet of plywood as a building material, since it has fairly good strength and is light in weight, which will allow you to drag the layout even alone. You can purchase such a product at any furniture store, but if you want to save money, then go to a construction base, where a sheet of plywood of the required size will be cut right in front of the buyer.
Once the plywood sheet is ready, it must be carefully processed so as not to be damaged by sharp edges during operation. For this purpose, you can use an electric jigsaw with a special attachment or medium-grit sandpaper. Try to process the plywood as carefully as possible, since this may not be possible later. In addition, it is much easier to apply paint and glue small parts to a smooth surface. And if you want to cover the layout with a water-repellent coating, then sanding the sheet of plywood is a must.
Painting from grains
Semaforik suggested that Arsyusha paint another locomotive. Just not with paints, but with unusual multi-colored crumbs, very pleasant to the touch. Small grains of exactly the same size easily fit into the desired parts of the picture. When the painting was finished, the train was glued with double-sided tape. The result is a very beautiful three-dimensional picture:
Working with landscape
The next step in making a model railway with your own hands from plywood is working on the landscape. This stage can be called the most difficult, since the quality of the future design depends on its correct implementation. If you cannot implement your idea the first time, then do not despair. At any time, you can throw away the plywood sheet and buy another one. Luckily they are quite inexpensive.
A variety of methods can be used to work on the landscape. For example, mountains can be made from ordinary construction foam by releasing it from a can in the required quantity. If you intend that a tunnel will pass through such a natural element, then you should take this into account in advance by placing a plastic or cardboard pipe on the model. Once you use the foam, you won't even need to take it out. Let it lie inside the mountains, and the seams can be disguised with almost anything.
Another indispensable material for landscape work is gypsum or construction putty. Unlike foam, such material is much easier to modify to the desired shape, but it is most often used as a decorative element rather than the main one. Firstly, gypsum weighs quite a lot, so you shouldn’t make large objects out of it. Secondly, over time, the putty may crack, especially if a water-repellent mixture is not used during construction. In general, there are a huge number of options for working on the landscape, so you should approach their choice wisely.
How to make a bridge
The process of making a paper model consists of several stages. Before starting assembly, it is necessary to clear the workplace, prepare the necessary materials and devices, and carefully study the design. The paper thickness is selected depending on the required rigidity of the product.
Step-by-step assembly for beginners
It is recommended to start assembly by cutting out all the bridge parts. If you have a ready-made diagram that can be printed, then the first step is printing. After preparing all the parts, they need to be fastened. Several technologies for connecting parts have been developed. They differ in execution technique and complexity.
Assembly options
The main technology is to connect the cut parts using glue. However, this can be done in various ways, using original design solutions. It's easy to make a bridge out of cardboard, which is more rigid than office paper. It is enough to make modules (parts) and insert them into each other. The origami method is also used, which sometimes does not even require cutting out parts. The model consists of one sheet.
Origami with diagram
When assembling according to a simple origami pattern, folds are used. There are two options for paper folds:
- Mountain. This method involves bending the sheet away from you.
- Valley, when the figure bends towards itself.
It is recommended to bend parts using a ruler.
Sanding and painting work
The next stage of building a model railway with your own hands is sanding and painting work. If you used wood for construction, then you can eliminate all unevenness using regular sandpaper. The easiest way to trim dried construction foam is with putty, applying it to all uneven areas. After this, the mountains will become quite smooth. If you're not happy with this, don't be afraid to chip off a couple of pieces of putty to give the natural formation a more natural look.
As soon as the landscape takes the desired shape, we open several cans of acrylic paints, pick up brushes and begin to create. It is best to have before your eyes an image of real mountains with vegetation in order to better understand which colors from the palette should be used first. Don't be afraid to apply several layers of paint, as this will only give the future composition a natural look. For example, you can paint the stones gray, then add a little white paint on top, thereby depicting snow on the top.
Geometric applique
My son really liked this picture. He himself figured out which figure to glue where, made the frame himself and placed it at our home exhibition.
I liked this applique not only because it gives ideas about geometric shapes and their sizes, but also because the child works with materials that feel different to the touch: paper, small squares of double-sided tape and decorative plastic threads - sisal. This thread gives unusual tactile sensations.
Laying the railway
We are still making a model of the railway with our own hands and are gradually approaching the longest stage of construction - laying the railway track. As a rule, most craftsmen prefer to purchase ready-made material in toy stores, since making a railroad with your own hands can take an unrealistically long time. In addition, plastic parts are quite cheap and you won’t mind breaking them if used carelessly. This is especially true for those people who have children in their family.
The railway is attached to the model using ordinary construction glue. You should not use too long parts during work, as this can give the road an unnatural straightness. It is best to make it have more turns and elevations. Remember not to use too much glue to attach parts to the surface. Also on any tube you will find information that for good fixation, a huge role is played by the force of pressing the part to the surface, and not by a long time of pressing.
How to make a durable paper bridge
Creating a durable paper bridge requires concentration, attention to detail, and a desire to learn and have fun. Many teachers ask their students to build paper bridges to teach them about the purpose and methods of building real bridges. Bridges are subject to two types of forces: compression and tension. Both are in action when any weight is placed on the bridge. Compression pushes the load onto the structure and compresses it. The tension stretches the bridge structure. The triangle is used in bridge construction because it supports compression and tension.
Creation of scenery
Once the main element of our layout is done, we can begin creating various decorative elements. You can purchase such parts in toy stores or make them yourself from building materials if you have a talent for this. For example, on some layouts you can see ordinary medical cotton wool, which plays the role of snow, although most professional designers still prefer to use a special mixture, which is sold in small cans in Christmas stores.
The same applies to the remaining elements of the composition. You can make your own lanterns for a railroad model from ordinary plasticine or buy ready-made decorations in a store. By the way, if you are planning to make a model for Christmas, then it would be a very good idea to replace the standard street lighting with New Year's garlands, but such a solution should be foreseen in advance by cutting several dozen holes in the plywood for the light bulbs - this way the wires will be at the bottom, attached with electrical tape.
