This Short 5-Minute Video Tutorial Shows… How To Make 6 “Super-Strong” Scale Model Buildings From Paper, Cardboard, Corflute or Foam Board For A “Super-Realistic” Industrial Background Railroad Scene

Plans For These 6 Scale Model Background Buildings Are 100% Unique and Not Available Elsewhere

Whether you are looking for N scale, OO gauge, or HO scale buildings to complete an industrial background model railroad scene; these PDF paper models are the perfect solution. No waiting, no shipping to pay, simply download the PDF files to your computer and you are ready to get started. All 6 paper models are photographic in design so are wonderfully real-looking, and becoming incredibly strong and durable when constructed using cardboard, foam board, or corflute. You simply download and print the plans onto paper before adhering the printed numbered parts onto the material of your choosing: corflute, cardboard, or foam board. Construction is both straightforward, and inexpensive, making the assembled scale model buildings the perfect choice if you want to complete an impressive industrial backdrop scene for a relatively low cost.

The 6 plans in this series can be used to make OO gauge, N scale, or HO scale buildings which are ready for displaying as a model railroad backdrop. The downloaded plans feature the:

• Gainsborough Group Industrial Equipment Building
• P K Drysdale Manufacturing Building
• J.C. Walsh & Sons Engineering Co. Building
• Monroe Bros. Steel Fabrication & Construction Building
• Advance Rail Manufacturing Building
• C.K. Edwards Auto Industries Building

Not only can you make 6 scale models from just 6 downloads, but each model can be duplicated, or
easily extended by simply printing out a second copy of the plan. The downloads are very adaptable with modifications and extensions only limited by your imagination or the layout space you have available for your industrial background scene. You only pay one time to download the plans, and after that you can print out one or two extra copies without paying for second or third downloads. You save the PDF files on your computer ready for future use.

In addition to the 6 model railroad industries represented above, there are numerous other big and small industries that could be located alongside railroad tracks. Here are 60 plus more ideas for railroad background industries:

So, as you can see, the variety of possible background industries is only limited by your imagination and the backdrop space you have available to use on your scale model train layout. A plastic product manufacturer, for example, could order the plastic pellets by the hopper car load, freight depots could be connected to or inside of passenger stations, printing companies might purchase paper by the boxcar load, bulk liquid trans load facilities could be used for products like corn syrup, and bulk dry trans load facilities for sand / animal feeds / powdered materials / grains / salt / potash / minerals etc. The possibilities for model railroad industries is almost limitless, providing a reason and purpose for operating consists of tank cars, multi-auto stacks, hoppers, flat cars for intermodal containers, box cars, etc. The classification and marshalling rail yards can be kept busy. The model railroad can control speed restrictions, and incorporate hump yards, coaching yards, sick line yards, shunting necks and sorting sidings, etc..

Railroad industries that feed another will typically provide more interesting operation. Grain hoppers from a grain elevator can be on-shipped to a flour mill, and then bags of flour from the mill can be loaded into containers on a train bound for a bread manufacturer. Consider adding a spur (a short branch off the mainline) to service an industry, station or other facility. If you include a big background industry you may require several locations for spotting cars, be it on one spur, on parallel spurs, or on diverging tracks. Think carefully about the level activity expected around an industry. Some big industrial railroad buildings take up a lot of room for only one car at a time. Having a variety of model railroad industries on the same spur will provide plenty of opportunities to do lots of switching possibilities.

You can give purpose to your model railroad by building industries that depend on shipments from one to another, and by establishing interchanges with other railroads, and by creating towns that need passenger service. Freight car forwarding simulates the shipment handling component that gives real railroads their purpose.

The model railroad background industries that allow the greatest variety, in rolling stock and in model railroad operation, include (in no set order):

Interchange track – this can be the perfect option as you can use a variety of cars inbound and outbound. They can be an empty or full load. As an example; a small model train layout could look very realistic with two interchange tracks servicing two other railroads. It might have no industries, yet still be very busy serving as a bridge line.

Chemical plant – could also be a plastics or pharmaceutical factory. Involves the movement of tank cars, covered hoppers, and boxcars to and from the facility.

Meat packing plant – cars containing live stock go into the plant, and refrigerated reefers of processed meat come out. You could also operate tank cars of by-products and boxcars of hides leaving the plant.

Car cleaning facility – most cars need to be cleaned from time to time. The maintenance will vary with boxcars perhaps just needing a swept out, and covered hoppers and tank cars requiring different work.(And if you want to be sneaky, a busy car-cleaning shop is a good justification for those unweathered cars on your model train layout…)

Car repair shop – the Class 1 railroads keep up to date fleets of locomotives and maintain big workshops for servicing their own cars. However, the smaller car-repair shops will work on a range of privately-owned cars, including auto-racks and beer-can tank cars.

Auto factory – There could be a lot of comings and goings including various sized model train boxcars, gondolas carrying coiled steel, tank cars bringing in gasoline and lubricants. Exiting the plant could be auto -racks and tank cars containing waste oil.

Car ferry – this can also offer a variety of movements with car loadings. The ferry will need to keep to schedule, so a car float or ferry would have operational challenges.

Rip track – this yard track (used for light car repairs) can be kept busy on a daily basis servicing a variety of car types. This “industry” requires very little other than a single track with tools and some rusty parts scattered alongside.

Team track – can be used for a variety of model railroad purposes such as an unloading ramp for auto racks dropping off truck chassis to a nearby auto factory. A team track can be used for boxcars and reefers, as well as flat cars and gondolas (if you include a loading dock and crane).

Brewery – a plant like this can have a variety of model train traffic including large covered grain hoppers and grain-loading boxcars. There could also be a variety of tank cars, including cars containing fuel (coal or oil) for the boiler house, food-loading reefers and even gondolas taking away broken glass for recycling. Remember; every large industrial factory needs the occasional delivery of new machinery transported on a flatcar.

Paper mill – this model railroad background industry might be very busy with daily freight and supplies. Inbound loads could include wood-chip cars, bulkhead flats containing pulpwood, tank cars containing various chemicals, special boxcars, and covered hoppers. Outbound traffic would typically include boxcars loaded with giant rolls of paper.

Bottling plant – could unloads tank cars of syrup with simply a pump house and pump alongside a spur with the plant itself (maybe in low relief) being some distance away.

Milk Processing Plant – Makes sense if you have a farm scene included on your layout. The factory could make cheese and ice-cream as well.