Any Paper Models in your layout?

WOW!! You could have fooled me these look amazing.  

I had a bunch of them I put up a few years back as something for the tinplate guys to print out and use. Haven’t been able to get to my layout since people started putting stuff in the attic again though

Here was one of my attempts.

Really nice!

Thanks Rich. They are really fun to design and build.

Beautiful work.

I don't have any 100% paper structures (although I do have one that is 100% coffee-stirrer sticks). However, I sometimes use paper as a siding material--often over foam-core.  Here is an example:

foam board and paper

I have boxes of prewar built rite building, many other brands. Even an original 1897 Mclaughlin Bros "My Pretty Village". Unfortunately out of room for them.

Had these on another thread. All made from paper card stock.

All really nice! rich, did you use model builder software to build your model?

Amazing creations by all. 

About 3-4 years ago I had purchased several 1:48 photo scale card stock buildings from this eBay seller fully intending to build them for my O Scale module for my club that I owned at the time but never got around to it.    Looking at the images so far in this thread is making me think about doing it again.

Ray, it looks like you're using model builder. I can tell by the windows! Reall nice work.

Kevin, I would highly recommend building the card models. They really are a lot of fun to build and detail.  You can get an amazing level of realism. In my opinion, better than plastic kits. Just my opinion.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3vqvVz2H9yA

check out Paper Town USA. All O gauge.

I've been playing with building a z scale cookie tin layout - more in another episode. Here's a shot or two of some of the paper structures, including tiny vending machines and benches. Yes, that's a regulation sized sharpie marker. The layout is a Rokuhan Z-Shorty from Japan that runs off of a single AA battery and features a KiHa-51 RDC.

Jackshobbyhut posted:

... All the buildings are made from scratch out of paper ...

Very impressive! My wallet wishes you'd mentioned this earlier .

- The Other Guy

SteamWolf posted:

WOW! Please provide progress on the cookie tin project. This is too cool.

- The Other Guy

I built this many years ago, but it is on my newer layout.  Paper (card stock) on masonite with a painted chicken grit roof.  These pictures were taken outside just after I built it.
Dennis

I have seen these in shows, but, somehow. for me, as in that first building with blue windows and white trees, l miss the third dimension.

Do flats count? I made all of what you see in this pic from my own photographs. Layout pic taken on my extended-duration S scale experimental layout.

2 of mine.

A Heinz structure to hold a Miller Heinz animated sign.

EDIT COMMENT: should have mentioned that the Heinz building is brick paper over 1/4" foam core.

The real one:

My attempt.  Paper over foam core:

A base for a Miller animated Christmas Tree

- walt

Boy, some really nice work here by everyone who has posted photos of their own projects! Great work all!

@Jackshobbyhut, others have mentioned putting the paper over foam core or Masonite. Or STE mentioned using paper card stock. So are YOU using some type of material like foam core behind your outstanding structures?

I've always been intrigued by this whole topic. Before the 3-rail train makers started doing so many scale proportioned products, I've seen older wood kits at train shows and ebay that had printed paper sides to be glued on to the basic wood based car. There was recently still one firm on ebay advertising cardstock printed sides for scratch built rolling stock.

One of our forum members, Gandydancer, had taken some plug door 027 box cars, redid the sides and made reefers out of them using printed sides. That's a project idea that inspired me and am working on one right now as I write.

Again, great work all.

I don't know that these are necessarily better than plastic. BUT they certainly are more cost effective and more importantly, offer a method of having unique structures that have not been offered as plastic kits by a manufacturer - and maybe never will because of sheer economics of tooling costs versus potential sales revenues.

brianel_k-lineguy posted:

Boy, some really nice work here by everyone who has posted photos of their own projects! Great work all!

@Jackshobbyhut, others have mentioned putting the paper over foam core or Masonite. Or STE mentioned using paper card stock. So are YOU using some type of material like foam core behind your outstanding structures?

I've always been intrigued by this whole topic. Before the 3-rail train makers started doing so many scale proportioned products, I've seen older wood kits at train shows and ebay that had printed paper sides to be glued on to the basic wood based car. There was recently still one firm on ebay advertising cardstock printed sides for scratch built rolling stock.

One of our forum members, Gandydancer, had taken some plug door 027 box cars, redid the sides and made reefers out of them using printed sides. That's a project idea that inspired me and am working on one right now as I write.

Again, great work all.

I don't know that these are necessarily better than plastic. BUT they certainly are more cost effective and more importantly, offer a method of having unique structures that have not been offered as plastic kits by a manufacturer - and maybe never will because of sheer economics of tooling costs versus potential sales revenues.

Hi Brian, Thanks for the kind words. I use chipboard behind card stock.  I used to think plastic kits were better too. My opinion has changed.  You really can get a fantastic amount of realism using printed paper.  You should check the model builder software web site and look at the structure gallery.  You can get detail that looks like an expensive craftsman style wood kit using paper.  I don't take that much time and effort with my buildings due to the fact that I only put them out once a year at Christmas.  If a had a permanent layout I would take more time and add more detail.  Also, remember that the photos are up close.  The amount of detail you see on a structure on a layout from a distance is vastly reduced.  As a matter of fact I am working on an article for a train magazine that discusses "Scale Viewing" as it relates to paper card stock modeling.  The photo below is a paper diorama I built for photographing completed plastic models.  The scale is 1/24, you can see the realism you can achieve with paper.  Everything but the vehicle in the photo is paper, including the sidewalk, street, and even the mailbox.  Each of the storefronts are actually photographs I took while traveling in small towns and imported into the software. Again, I really didn't take a lot of time on these buildings with details.  The main subject in the photo is the Ambulance.  Just so you know, I have no association with the company that makes Model Builder Software.  I just use it.

Jackshobbyhut posted:

Thanks for such a detailed response accompanied by a great example of the work. Really neat.  

-The Other Guy 

I've used paper on foam board for many background buildings. in the photo the tall building and the one to the right of it are both paper siding brickwork. to heighten the 3-d effect i added fire escapes, vents and roof top accessories (structure is about 1” deep). in the lower building i added tichy windows cut through the foam, roof top chimneys and an easily made basswood strip 2-window bay type extension with pipes running from the bottom and the left side. i’ve probably done about 6-8 background buildings this way each with very individual details so none look even remotely the same. pretty cost effective way to do these background structures and cover a lot of real estate. 

Amfleet25124 posted:

Amazing creations by all. 

About 3-4 years ago I had purchased several 1:48 photo scale card stock buildings from this eBay seller fully intending to build them for my O Scale module for my club that I owned at the time but never got around to it.    Looking at the images so far in this thread is making me think about doing it again.

Kevin, the best paper models are by "Clever Models" and create completely your own designs and builds, with "Modelbuilder Software" by Evans Designs".  They also sell a large variety of LEDs pre-wired in all sizes.  I have many paper structures, enhanced with balsa wood and details'... from both companies.

I've tried others, but was unhappy with the products'... Here are some early shots of entire paper builds on early stages of my layout build...

Paper models? 

Watch out for the Big Bad Wolf that may come by and blow your house down! LOL

Seriously, Ted, I think your paper models, which I am unfamiliar with, are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing them. Arnold

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Paper models? 

Watch out for the Big Bad Wolf that may come by and blow your house down! LOL

Seriously, Ted, I think your paper models, which I am unfamiliar with, are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing them. Arnold

 Thanks Arnold'... Here is an early edition, 2nd Evans Design, Model Builder Software I used.  The Kensington Hotel'...

ON THE CHEAP SIDE...… Before I started work on my layout I had replaced all of my hollow core doors in my house. Tried to sell them at our yard sale; no buyers. Come time to start construction of some buildings on the layout ( I enjoy designing/building my own ) and I realized all those doors were the perfect material for building the structures. Easy to apply paper, plastic, base wood. Picture below I used painters/masking tape for the siding. Those are some fantastic looking structures you all have built.

Ron045 posted:

Here was one of my attempts.

Beautiful work!!!!!

Great work everyone. I haven't done any full buildings yet but I'm a big fan of paper modeling.

My retaining wall is paper as is the roof on my Team Track depot.

Cereal boxes are my preferred mounting medium

Currently working on some backdrop buildings.

Really nice work. I have seen people use cereal boxes before. You can't beat the price! If you want to build a lot of buildings, you just have to eat more cereal!

again, your layout looks great.

Jerrman posted:

I've used paper on foam board for many background buildings. in the photo the tall building and the one to the right of it are both paper siding brickwork. to heighten the 3-d effect i added fire escapes, vents and roof top accessories (structure is about 1” deep). in the lower building i added tichy windows cut through the foam, roof top chimneys and an easily made basswood strip 2-window bay type extension with pipes running from the bottom and the left side. i’ve probably done about 6-8 background buildings this way each with very individual details so none look even remotely the same. pretty cost effective way to do these background structures and cover a lot of real estate. 

 

Wow, that really looks great. Adds so much depth to the scene. Great job!

Yep! We usually buy at BJ's or Costco so the bigger boxes yield more material. Just have to watch the curling when the glue is wet. I put some weight on the pieces until dry.

Some of the boxes are thin corrugated cardboard too.

jackiejr posted:

ON THE CHEAP SIDE...… Before I started work on my layout I had replaced all of my hollow core doors in my house. Tried to sell them at our yard sale; no buyers. Come time to start construction of some buildings on the layout ( I enjoy designing/building my own ) and I realized all those doors were the perfect material for building the structures. Easy to apply paper, plastic, base wood. Picture below I used painters/masking tape for the siding. Those are some fantastic looking structures you all have built.

Jackie, nice work. I did a similar thing when I moved into my current home. All the walls in every room had wood paneling. As I renovated I used the paneling to build G scale structures which I use every year on my G Christmas layout.

Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Paper models? 

Watch out for the Big Bad Wolf that may come by and blow your house down! LOL

Seriously, Ted, I think your paper models, which I am unfamiliar with, are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing them. Arnold

 Thanks Arnold'... Here is an early edition, 2nd Evans Design, Model Builder Software I used.  The Kensington Hotel'...

I wish I was on that terrace with her. LOL

Jackshobbyhut posted:

Really nice work. I have seen people use cereal boxes before. You can't beat the price! If you want to build a lot of buildings, you just have to eat more cereal!

again, your layout looks great.

For cardboard, I have used pizza boxes.

Here are a few images of my most recent completed structure. I say completed because a have a few started that I am have lost time to finish... but had time to start .

This build started life as the Clever Models Coal Dealer. Artwork modified in Photoshop. Front door is freelance.

Charlie

Ted (Quarter Gauger 48) - I will have to look into that.

This is a great thread.  Keep those photos coming along.  Lost of great work on display and ideas to put in everyone's head.