Making Corrugated Metal for Model Railroad Buildings

Model railroad buildings allow for diverse designs similar to real life structures. A mixture of building exteriors brings variety to a model railroad layout. A perfect example of this is found in the Franklin & South Manchester layout. George Sellios incorporates a combination of brick, wood and corrugated metal structures in his display. He has mastered the technique of creating corrugated metal siding with a weathered effect. In this video, George gives a detailed demonstration on how to make corrugated metal siding look realistic on model railroad buildings.

Making Model Railroad Buildings with Corrugated Metal

George begins by introducing the necessary materials needed to create the appearance of corrugated metal siding. A few items you may need to purchase for this project are a pounce wheel and pure paint pigment. A pounce wheel is commonly used in sewing to transfer patterns and can be purchased at craft stores. Pure paint pigment is a concentrated powder and can be purchased at hardware stores. You will need a light and dark paint pigment for the rust effect.

In this demonstration, George uses the pigment ‘Raw Sienna’ to represent light rust and ‘Burnt Umber’ to represent the dark rust. If you are unable to find the pure paint pigment, you can experiment using pastel chalks instead. You will apply the pure pigment by using two different methods. The first application of pure pigment will be combined with a glue mixture and the second application will be dry brushed on.

This is a rather fast weathering technique and goes right along. It will vary every time you attempt it, so you may need to experiment. If you are not happy with the way it turns out, you can clean off the paint powder with plain water and repaint the surface. Before adapting this technique, George previously painted the corrugated metal panels and put a little powder on it. This new technique gives the model railroad buildings a slight gritty texture that appears natural.