• 5:42

    Super Detailing the Office Shed

    MRA Contributing Editor Martin Tärnrot adds details to a standardized office shed. This is standard kit that you can buy. Martin hopes to inspire you to take similar buildings on your layout and add realistic details to them, which can be done without adding much cost or significant time. Let’s look at a few potential…

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  • 11:11

    Scratch Building a Shed

    Martin Tärnrot takes us step by step through making a shed from scratch. Martin has a 1950s-style sawmill in his layout, and this shed is used to dry and store sawdust. The shed includes a window for light and a plate roof. Martin shares his techniques for modeling this type of building. PLANNING AND PAINTING…

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  • 8:06

    Creating Water Surface Effects

    Martin Tärnrot shows how to create model railroad water surface effects, focusing on surface effects typically seen after motorboats, such as swells and turbulence. MATERIALS When creating model railroad water surface effects, a transparent gel is the base material. Martin uses a medium-strength gloss gel from Liquitex. It’s white when it comes out of the…

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  • 7:13

    Making Bushes and Foliage from Sisal Rope

    Martin Tärnrot shows how to create realistic weeds, bushes, grass, and trees when making scenery for model railroads using a very low-cost item: sisal rope. CREATING DRY GRASS/WEED TUFTS The natural color of sisal rope matches a dry, desert environment. Martin takes a piece of sisal rope and untwines it, then cuts off a short…

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  • 6:36

    Paper Print Building

    Does your layout have some horizontal spaces that are too narrow to fit 3D buildings? Martin Tärnrot gives a tutorial on how to work with model railroad paper buildings to create depth in narrow spaces. Martin uses an area on his own layout where the rail line is very close to the backdrop, only two…

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  • 5:26

    Modeling Gravel Roads with Martin Tarnrot

    In this video Martin Tarnrot demonstrates his method of making HO scale roads, and in particular, gravel roads. There are many methods to achieve a nice looking result, but the method he has used throughout my entire layout. For this video instruction, Martin made a small diagram, made from two inch thick Styrofoam. He prefers…

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  • 4:26

    Creating Old-Style Model Street Lights with Martin Tarnrot

    Modeler Martin Tarnrot will demonstrate his technique for making model street lights in the old style with wooden poles. The material required is 2.5 mm PVC tubing, 0.7 mm brass tubing, SMD type LED lights with copper wires, and the lamp housing. To start, Martin gives the tubing some surface structure using a coarse sanding…

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  • 9:36

    Creating Realistic Aspen Trees with Martin Tarnrot

    In this Model Railroad Academy video, modeler Martin Tarnrot will demonstrate how to make model trees, specifically Aspen trees. Aspen trees can be trickier to model because of their unique pattern and colors. Martin makes the trunk and branches from 0.03 inch thick steel wire. He starts the process by cutting 12 pieces of wire…

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  • 12:53

    Creating Asphalt Roads with Martin Tarnrot

    In this video, modeler Martin Tarnrot demonstrates how he models asphalt roads for model railroad layouts. Though modeling asphalt may seem simple, with the right technique, it can elevate a railroad to the next level. The base Martin uses for his diorama is a two inch thick styrofoam. The actual road is made from a…

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