I talk to a lot of model railroads about a lot of subjects.
One of the subjects that comes up most often - is the lack of commercial convincing backdrops at a reasonable price. Add to that the non availability and sometimes escalated pricing of something generated for "1:48" or "O" scale. Add even more to that for a super large print. For these reasons, I choose to create my own backdrops. Anyone with decent camera and moderate computer skills can do it.
The other thing is scratch building. I find that many people are afraid to jump into structure building, but as those that scratch build as I do can attest, it's a lot easier than you think. If you can build benchwork, you can scratch build a structure and it's a lot cheaper than most quality structure kits.
Attached are two quick "HOW I DO IT" photos, but they are not tutorials. There are plenty of ways to do backdrops and scratchbuild structures and my way is "my way", not the only way or what some may see as the "right way". If it looks convincing on the layout and in photos - then it is a "convincing" way.
I wish I had time to do a "my way" tutorial, but time is tight as they say. I hope that some reading this will at least find it interesting and take the sting out of the backdrop and scratchbuilding fear and try it.
Have a great weekend!


One of the subjects that comes up most often - is the lack of commercial convincing backdrops at a reasonable price. Add to that the non availability and sometimes escalated pricing of something generated for "1:48" or "O" scale. Add even more to that for a super large print. For these reasons, I choose to create my own backdrops. Anyone with decent camera and moderate computer skills can do it.
The other thing is scratch building. I find that many people are afraid to jump into structure building, but as those that scratch build as I do can attest, it's a lot easier than you think. If you can build benchwork, you can scratch build a structure and it's a lot cheaper than most quality structure kits.
Attached are two quick "HOW I DO IT" photos, but they are not tutorials. There are plenty of ways to do backdrops and scratchbuild structures and my way is "my way", not the only way or what some may see as the "right way". If it looks convincing on the layout and in photos - then it is a "convincing" way.
I wish I had time to do a "my way" tutorial, but time is tight as they say. I hope that some reading this will at least find it interesting and take the sting out of the backdrop and scratchbuilding fear and try it.
Have a great weekend!


Comment