Hi All, I have started posting here after reading for a while, and I thought I should introduce myself and share where I am at and what I am working on at the moment. I am a PhD Student who is living in Hungary, but is originally from New Zealand. I am just starting to seriously get back into the hobby, though as a teenager I was very keen on model railways (I'm 32 now). Because of my research I will be moving a lot over the next couple of years so right now I won't be starting work on a layout and will be limiting myself to some more manageable projects.

Well I have taken an interesting undertaking up I am going to make a tiled poster of comics cut from the back of each RMC going back to the 1980's it is a huge project but now have less than half a paper box left. I hope it turns out great and it really is a big but I think in the end it will be worth it, will post a photo when I am done but don't know how well it will turn out.

I’m working on my first real (i.e., not just doodling) project in Sketchup - a simple flat surface of a gambrel-roofed building (a gambrel roof is barn-shaped). The purpose of the sketch is to create a template that I can use to cut foam-core board to the proper dimensions for a mockup I’m building.

This blog is aimed at providing a place to discuss methods and material use for improving the realism of our models, structures rolling stock/locomotives and overall layouts.

I hope to discuss anything and everything that can improve realism.