Buildings like this are vital to a scene because let’s face it… not all buildings in real life are architecturally complex. Buildings like this can add just as much interest for what they don’t have as the bigger buildings add for what they do have.

This kit went together very quickly; tab and slot design for the main 4 walls as well as for the 2 second story walls / cross pieces. For assembly I used a touch of gel superglue and a toothpick to tack the pieces together, then with a thin brush I “paint” all the interior corners of the structure with yellow wood glue.

In an effort to add some color variety but still keep the colors subtle, I went with a variation of white paint named “vanilla”. After painting, I realized the variation was probably too subtle as the finished walls looked like plain, old white paint! Not a problem but something to keep in mind for the next kit.

The window frames come black so to add a little color I painted them dark green. I used a lighter shade of this green to paint the doors. The windows on this kit are simple frames and panes, similar to those found on the Hotel Kit we built earlier in this series. Rather than go with a blinds or shades as we did on that kit, I thought I’d just dirty the windows up a bit to add to the grimy feel of the finish I had planned.

This kit comes with a green patterned printed roof that would have worked well, but since the kit went together so quickly, I thought I’d spend a little more time on my roof. I went with weathered, individual corrugated metal roof panels. The panels were cut to approximately 3’ x 10’, fairly close to the real things. Separately applied roof caps sit on the top of the main roof and the loading cupola roof.

Since this corrugated material comes in nice, shiny strips, I had to weather them up a bit. I started with a spray of Dullcote to knock the shine down and to add a bit of tooth to the surface. Next was a misting of alcohol over the Dullcote to give me a random staining effect. The alcohol reacts in interesting ways to Dullcote. Once dry I lightly dusted on some weathering powder from about a foot above the sheets. This insures I get fine bits of powder on the metal. Next, I misted on another coat of alcohol to get the powders to run just a bit, then a final spray of Dullcote to seal it all up. It’s a quick way to add some age to metal.

After the corrugated sheets were applied, I used my X-acto knife to scrape off some of the paint on my walls and window frames to give a weathered effect, simple but effective.

This is a small structure at roughly 1.5” x 1.5” but as you can see in the last photo on this page, it works nicely as a complimentary piece to the larger Pier Warehouse kit.

On that build, unfortunately I made a poor choice of color for the window frames and ended up scrapping that finished piece. I went with a muddy brown color and the widows ended up looking like injection molded add -ons. To my eye, the window frames seriously detracted from the look of the kit and in particular, those beautiful banks of windows.

Here we are then with a fresh rebuild of the MTL Pier Warehouse. This time out I kept the window frames the same color as the building, off white. I also changed the colors on the doors to a light gray for a more subtle look. This is a well-worn commercial building after all, a utilitarian paint scheme made sense to me.

There are two main differences between this build and the previous version. For the roof sections on this build, I airbrushed a gray spatter finish on the black roof sections to simulate roof texture. In the first kit, I actually applied a fine black ballast powder to the roof and while it looked good, I went with the spatter finish this time for a bit of variety.

The next difference was the window frames on the three large banks of windows, on this build I left the top frames off altogether. I was tempted to leave the frames off all the windows on this kit but decided just to leave them off the large window banks. Since this is a hard-working commercial building, I thought the fewer frills the better, give it more of plain look. Also by leaving off these outer frames, the windows have a finer and slightly more intricate appearance in my view.

A related note on basic appearances with Z scale kits, edges. Specifically where wall edges meet and create a seam. This is always a tough choice in kit building… do you cover the edges with some sort of corner molding or leave them visible? You can touch up the edges after the walls are assembled but often the brush strokes are very visible. What I tend to do is to airbrush the edges as I’m painting the walls early in the construction phase.

Edge cuts in wood are tricky though as they absorb paint like a sponge. You can lay the paint on very heavy but that can leave you with less than crisp edges. What I often do is to paint the edges, build the kit and then apply weathering powders to these edges… not trying to hide these edges (which is near impossible) but instead accentuate them, make these edges a feature of the model. Make them appear to be an artistic or architectural choice, not an obstacle.

As on the first version of this kit, I whitewashed several of the windowpanes to add to the appearance of age. A little more weathering powder, a few shots here and there from the airbrush and the Pier Warehouse kit is done… again!

I’m glad I rebuilt this kit, this time it more closely matches what I was going for. Sure, my mistake burned a bit of additional time and was initially a bit frustrating, but there’s an old quote I like, “It’s easy to stop making mistakes. Just stop having ideas.”

MTL liked the results of that effort as they’ve asked me to build another diorama for the upcoming convention dinner banquet raffle, this time featuring their Coal Mine Tipple kit as the centerpiece and theme for this new diorama.

I just received the kit, it looks terrific and it’s a great tie in with the Colorado locale. According to Wikipedia, Coal mining in Colorado dates back to 1859 when a pair of men began mining a coal deposit between the gold rush settlements of Denver and Boulder. Today Colorado is the seventh largest coal-producing state in the country.

I’ll be showing the progress of this kit as I build it and its eventual home on our new diorama. I’ve got a few ideas for the scene but I’ll wait until the kit is built and finished before I begin the scenery. If you’re going to be attending the convention, you might get to take our new diorama home with you! To learn more about the convention, please visit the convention website for all your information: www.nzsc.org.

Since the last convention we’ve begun our new retail site, www.jcubbin.com, and this will be the first MTL project built from our new store.

Trainini Magazine is a German language, monthly Z scale magazine in PDF format and it’s free! Hard to beat that. Each issue link will open in a new window for easy reading.

Don’t worry if you don’t read German (but good for you if you do!) as the photos tell the real story in this publication. Holger Spaing is the man behind this wonderful Z scale magazine and we’d like to thank him for his dedication to Z scale. Once a year or so Trainini is published in an English language version so keep watching… and in the meantime enjoy Trainini Magazine!

Each PDF issue will open in a new browser window.
Each issue is approximately 4MB.

Download and print your own 2012 Photo Calendar: 2012 Trainini Photo Calendar

• Trainini Magazine: January 2012

• Trainini Magazine: December 2011
• Trainini Magazine: November 2011
• Trainini Magazine: October 2011
• Trainini Magazine: September 2011
• Trainini Magazine: August 2011
• Trainini Magazine: July 2011
• Trainini Magazine: June 2011
• Trainini Magazine: May 2011
• Trainini Magazine: April 2011
• Trainini Magazine: March 2011
• Trainini Magazine: February 2011
• Trainini Magazine: January 2011

Many people find it easy to dismiss New Year’s resolutions as a pure waste of time, after all lots of them are unrealistic and simply don’t get kept. I think when it comes to resolutions; I’m more of a glass half-full kind of person. Sure, most of us won’t lose 40lbs, quit smoking, move to a nicer house and become millionaires… but maybe some of us will achieve some of these things.

According to Wikipedia, recent research shows that while 52% of participants in a resolution study were confident of success with their goals, only 12% actually achieved their goals. I’m not a math whiz but 12% is better than 0%!

For all of us to make these ambitious plans and lists on New Year’s Eve is of course wildly arbitrary. Why December 31, why not May 14 or August 23? I guess the short answer is Pope Gregory XII and a signed decree from 1582 but I’ll leave this to folks better versed in history. Personally, I pretty much accept the arbitrary nature of December 31 and move on to the actual resolutions.

This past year I did see a couple of my resolutions met. I moved Ztrains.com to this new CMS (Content Management System) format and I did get my new online store opened (even if opened only very recently, just under the New Year wire). Ok, I could have done better, done more. Well, today is the perfect day not to kick myself for what I didn’t get done but to look forward to what I want to do. It’s the one day a year that a mulligan is a globally accepted practice, we get a do-over on our resolutions!

So what are some of my resolutions for the New Year? Not surprisingly, most of these resolutions revolve around my work in Z scale.

1) Procrastinate less, keep to schedules: Hate to admit it out here in the open but I’m guilty of taking on too many projects and then turning these projects in to a maze of tiny details that burn my time. In model railroading, details are critical for good layouts, websites, products, etc. I’ll never ignore the details, I’ve just got to manage them in a better way.

2) Continue to evolve Ztrains.com and my JCubbin.com websites: I’m convinced that without evolution and without offering people new and exciting options, any online business runs the risk of becoming stale.

We began this new version of Ztrains.com in January of 2011, and here on the last day of December 2011 I see I’ve written 54 online articles, or just a little better than one a week on average. Not bad, but I’d like to do better.

3) Create new accessories, on a regular basis, for our store: This is one area I’ve fallen short in this year and look to change in 2012.

4) Look at the business model of Ztrains.com: I think most people would agree it’s a tough economy, this is true on both sides of the LCD screen… for web visitors and web publishers. In order to continue to grow and to provide useful material to the scale, it has to make sense for everyone. While going to some kind of a limited paid model (something I’ve previously written about) may not be the most popular idea in the world, we need to fuel the business in order to keep it running. Online video, a premium section, select downloadable articles, etc. We have lots of ideas to look at in 2012.

We’ve seen at least one well established model railroad magazine close their doors at the end of 2011, it came as something of a wake-up call for some, myself included. In a difficult economy, we need to always be looking forward!

5) Get more people involved in Z scale: This includes not just individual users, but companies that do business in model railroading while ignoring Z scale. There are plenty of products out there that are used by Z scalers, but the companies that produce or sell these products aren’t actively involved in Z scale.

I’m going to be making many, many phone calls soon… “It’s that Z scale guy again” will be something I’ll be hearing a lot of, I’m sure, in 2012! That’s ok, I’m nothing if not persistent!

Well there are just a few of my Z scale resolutions for 2012. I get passionate about these ideas because at the end of the day, I think Z scale model railroading is an amazing hobby and I’d like more people to see Z scale as I do.

No doubt about it, I’m ready for the New Year!

In January of 2007, Z scale lost a friend and promoter, Bill Kronenberger.

The goal of this grant is to provided funds for clubs and individuals who are actively promoting Z scale by attending shows, events and functions. We understand that many of you have made major commitments towards the promotion and growth of Z scale, and we hope the funds that the grant can provide will help offset costs and encourage further involvement in shows and events. Grant monies will be available for such costs as travel expenses, fees and layout enhancements that further the visibility and promotion of Z scale.

To apply for a grant, please complete the application below. Ztrack Magazine and the sponsors will provide free of charge promotional media for shows and events. All requests for media should be made three to four weeks prior to the event. If you are interesting in contributing to the grant, please contact Rob Kluz at Ztrack Magazine for further information. Thank you for helping us honor Bill and his legacy.

Robert Kluz Publisher Ztrack Magazine Ltd.

Kronenberger Grant For Z Scale Promotions Application

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Is this for a Z scale club or an individual?*

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If this request is for a Z scale club, please list club name:

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If this request is for a specific event, please list event name and date:

Proof of the use of the grant money is required. Examples of proof may include show reports, photos, or receipts from purchases. Please describe how you will provide proof.*

In this DVD Bob Mitchell shares some of his techniques for building model railroad structures that are easy to replicate and will improve the overall look of your models. While you may have seen some of the steps before, Bob employs his own methods in different ways; that will lend a more unique, realistic and weathered look to your structures.

We had our drawing on January 1, 2012 and Jim Cleland was our lucky winner. Congratulations Jim!

My older brothers, one of whom had a Lionel layout, the other a very competent plastic model-builder, influenced me and I had an HO layout as a teen before the typical discovery of cars and women. Currently I’m happy to report I’m still very interested in all three but I have no layout at present.

I’m also president of my local radio control flying club and that’s a fairly new vice. Many innovations in flying models are concurrent with model railroading such as the digital and electronic advances and regrettably, the proliferation of already-built ready-to-run equipment. Not enough people are building their models, in both hobbies!

Bob Mitchell

Your name and your work appear on lots of websites, from FOS Scale Models to CC Crow and more. Much of your work seems to be in HO scale, what attracted you to Z scale?
Each scale has its own challenges and the realities of scale modeling presents problems to be solved in each scale. What may be feasible in G Gauge, like modeling, say, a hammer, is impossible in Z where an automobile is hard to make believable. I was attracted to just that, the challenge of building a model in Z that shows the realistic ravages of time and possesses the character and realism of the prototype. Everything is a compromise and for me, the compromises in 1:220 are perhaps more profound, and therefore more fun to try to master.

Lajos Thek’s SW-1 switcher kit and Robert Ray’s wood caboose kits are in themselves kind of a miracle. Devilishly hard to build but that they exist at all is an example of the compelling attraction of Z scale. When I complete a model like these, I feel a big sense of accomplishment. At the same time I have a weird realization that I’ve spent countless hours on something a cubic inch in size!

CC Crow mentioned you took a more “painterly approach” when finishing one of his kits. What makes for a painterly approach?
Clint Crow was a student where I taught in Connecticut, but he graduated before I began working there. We can all “blame” him for my getting involved in writing for the hobby press. He sent me his first prototype kit to critique but I wanted to help him out beyond that. I shot some pictures of the model and wrote a product review. I figured I’d send it to Model Railroader and when I got rejected, I’d mail the review to the local newspaper. Not only did MR publish the piece they asked me to work for them reviewing kits! As my students would say, “OMG!” I got paid to build models!

Back to the question: I’ve heard others describe my modeling as “painterly” which is a big compliment. On the one hand I’ve had many years of formal art training and experience in the art world and I can’t deny the value of that. Artists “see” stuff others may not. Nothing I do is rocket science nor is it mysterious, it’ just technique, but nuance and discernment can be intuitive and not easily conveyed. An example: I was struggling for what seemed like hours trying to insert a new piston in my 1953 MG. Picture an old goat under the car, neck aching, dripping oil, cursing to no avail. I desperately phoned a friend who is very experienced with British sports cars. He kindly came over and crawled under the car where I had been agonizing for so long. I turned my back to get something off the bench and he said from under the car, “OK”. “OK what?” I asked. “It’s done,” he calmly stated. He had that “touch,” that ineffable feel that allowed him to do in a few seconds what I could not do in hours. Putting a piston into a cylinder. It’s not complicated. Could he have taught me that? I don’t think so.

Do you feel your finishing methods lend themselves well to Z scale?
Well, there’s a lot of fudging. I can’t truly do peeling paint, for example, in Z. I can use subtle dry-brushing to convey the illusion of same. I think one must consider the distance one views the model and keep that in mind. I find a little more contrast, say, between the walls and the trim pieces of a building is a good idea. When you look at a one-inch building from two feet away, too-subtle colors, that would look great in a bigger model are just lost. The thickness of the materials and of the paint are very significant too, one of my favorite methods includes layers of several colors to keep from laying on too much pigment.

When working in the smaller scales, what do you see as the strengths and shortcomings as opposed to the larger scale work?
I do tend to build many models for myself in Z but my work with clients has led me to work in all the scales. I recently built an S scale farmhouse and garage; it was great to work with “real” lumber! I was able to use weathering techniques that weren’t as much a caricature as I really “weathered” the parts, and the results were gratifying. Nail holes and knots that really were nail holes and knots! If you’re putting a window shade in an O scale house, you’d better have the pull cord or it too will be a mere caricature instead of a scale model built with pride.

The smaller scale kits, by sheer virtue of their size, need to exclude some of the detail work the larger scale kits contain. In what areas overall would you like to see Z scale kits improve?
I’m lucky to do kit reviews for Ztrack magazine so I see a lot of kits first-hand. The proliferation of the laser and the marketing aspect of the Internet have really democratized kit manufacture. Many passionate people are making their own kits and each can add creativity and diversity to the hobby. Perhaps my eyesight is failing but I have no beef with the level of detail that so many kits contain! Animek’s “Billy’s House” has intentionally missing siding, Paw of a Bear has gorgeous details throughout, Micron Art’s kits have a Borzoi dog, GCLaser has a posable Bilco basement hatch, Miller Engineering (a pioneer in Z structures) has phone booths and picnic tables… what are we missing? Hammers?

I’m not skirting the question but I see the biggest “problem” in Z kits today to be that not enough people are building ‘em! I personally know several manufacturers who eschew Z because they know in advance that not enough folks will buy and build their Z kit. These manufacturers are often individuals, not factories, and would be happy to sell a few dozen kits to make it a go. This is an unfortunate reality and I wish I had a solution.

One of the big questions in model kit finishing… brush or airbrush?
Blondes or brunettes, you ask? I rarely use an airbrush but, and I hope this is not too self-aggrandizing; I can really control an aerosol can which gives me almost everything I need from an atomized spray of color. With dry-brushing (essential!), thin washes of dilute pigment and my favorite (albeit expensive) Tamiya aerosols and I’m happy. I have a few airbrushes and favor the Aztek line. If you’re weathering a loco or Z boxcar however an airbrush can be your best friend, just always wear a respirator.

Your work has a very organic, natural feel that adds to the overall realism of your builds. It’s a big topic but could you give us a few thoughts on your use of color?
When in doubt, pick the lighter color. I laugh at the specific “accurate” locomotive colors for example, as the indoor lighting we use has no connection whatsoever to what you see in the real world in natural light. When I do layering of several colors, I pick analogous ones rather than wildly different hues and I usually work from dark to light when I’m layering paints. One of my shortcomings is I don’t do enough plain white buildings, which are the norm here in New England. Observe nature.

If you had to list one or two things for kit builders to keep in mind to improve their finished results, what would they be?
Be more subtle. Using a deep red intense paint with a bright white trim on a barn would look “real” in nature for about two weeks. The ravages of time, UV radiation and weather would fade most colors quickly. Add a little white to your bright colors. Never use pure black unless it’s the inside of a chimney and try building a couple of models where you avoid using the color direct from the bottle. Mitigate it with its complementary (opposite) color, thin the paints, put a wash of a different color over the base coat. Now, I am in love with weathering so I’m clearly prejudiced, but give “muting” a try. At the least, you’ll add variety to your layout by altering your usual methods.

Do you have any general rules of thumb you could share with our readers when working in the smaller scales?
Work in a brightly lit comfortable workspace and get an Aeron chair or a much less-extravagant knock-off.

When building kits keep warping in mind. I find warping just as prevalent in the large models, so over-brace your walls, employ squares and right angle tools. A building that’s not square, even just a tiny bit, is painful to look at. Thin your glues or use glue as sparingly as possible and don’t forget to have fun.

You can contact Bob via email.

Around this time of year, I’ll get emails from new users asking about steam locomotives in Z scale. Currently we don’t have a huge selection of steam in Z scale but we do have more options that just a year or two ago. In addition, we also have new steamers on the way.

I recently received this email from Mike Hyland, a Ztrains.com reader, and thought I’d do a very brief State of Steam article in response. First, here’s Mike’s email:

Good evening from Prince George B.C. Canada

I have been looking for a supplier of Z scale trains here to no avail. A local hobby shop says STAY AWAY! Not proven or popular. This makes me want these even more.

I am interested in steam locomotives. I build and fly electric park flyer airplanes but these small trains have me excited. Any information, or where I may find these? I want to build a Z scale system on a coffee table and be able to pass it down to my grandchildren someday. In addition, are parts available?

Cheers, Mike

Sadly, we do hear of this sort of misinformation from hobby shops too often, that Z scale isn’t proven or popular. As far as being proven, Z scale has been around since 1972 so if time is any indicator, Z of course is a proven and viable scale to work in. On the popularity of Z scale, it may be true that Z scale has the smallest user base of the popular model train scales but this audience is growing and as important, more new manufacturers are regularly joining Z scale.

Now on to the question of steam in Z scale. For years, we had Marklin steam locomotives… actually for years we had Marklin locomotives period. There have been other manufacturers such as Railex, FR, Z-Modellbau and AZL in brass producing some amazing Z locomotives. These locomotives while very impressive are often a bit out of the price range of many. I’d like to look at what we have today, right now in Z scale steam locomotives, at what we in Z scale consider to be a good value.

We’ll begin with the original, Marklin. Since the beginning of Z scale back in 1972, Marklin has produced a wide variety of steamers in Z. Most of these models are of European design with a Mikado and Pacific added to appeal to the North American market. Several years back Marklin had some financial difficulties that had the effect of less Z scale models being produced, among other things. Here for example is a popular Z scale dealer and their current steam offerings: Marklin New Steam Locomotives. Another way to build a steam locomotive collection is to buy used from eBay or an independent store such as Ztrack Resale.

A couple of observations on Marklin steam locomotives. On many of the used models, you can run into a condition known as HOS or hardened oil syndrome. Early on, Marklin used lubricating oil that had the tendency to congeal and harden up over time. You can often find good deals on HOS locos but realize that they’ll need a bit of care to return to good running condition. Not a monumental task, but a task nonetheless.

Marklin locomotives come with 3 pole motors in their earlier models and 5 pole motors in the later models. These motors can run smoothly but are prone to stuttering or cogging at slower speeds. Most folks who run these motors are familiar with tapping their layout, just a bit, to get a locomotive running from a dead stop. Not terrible but not ideal either. I don’t want to put anyone off buying Marklin steam locomotives, I have several that I run often and reliably. For maximum performance, a little tweaking here and there may be required. Nothing wrong with going under the hood from time to time :)

The newer generation of steam locos in Z scale use sealed can motors located in the tender. Can motors in Z scale generally run smoother than a standard 3 or 5 pole motor and this results in improved slow speed performance. Also on the newer steam locomotives you have track power being picked up from the locomotive as well as from the tender. With a rigid frame steam locomotive, the more power pick up the better!

The downside to these newer steam locomotives is selection. Currently there is one company producing affordable steam in Z scale, this is Tenshodo. Though they do produce two different wheel configurations, a 4-8-4 Mikado-style and a 4-6-4 Hudson-style, these locos are based on Japanese locomotive prototypes. Given how well these locos perform and their reasonable price, many in Z scale are willing to accept the Japanese inspired shell and pull US freight and passenger cars with these Tenshodos.

On the horizon is the AZL (American Z Line) Mikado. This will be a true North American steamer and is expected to be released early in 2012.

As far as spare or replacement parts go, this is still a bit iffy in Z scale but like most things in the free market, consumer demand can produce results. Marklin spare parts have become a bit more difficult to get in the past few years since their financial reworking. Hopefully we’ll begin to see parts from Marklin and Tenshodo on their existing lines and AZL with their upcoming Mikado.

To sum up, while we don’t have the steam locomotive selection available in the other scales, we are seeing growth. In Z scale patience is a virtue and it looks like our steam patience is being rewarded with these new locomotives!

This sort of layout is the first thing I advise new Z scalers to avoid!  It’s not that big, interesting layouts can’t be done in Z scale, they most certainly can. I advise against big layouts right off the bat so that new users can get their feet wet with a simple track plan, my favorite for new users is an oval with a pair of turnouts. That’s it, simple! I also suggest they pick up a single locomotive, maybe a couple of freight cars and a throttle. This is of course the classic beginner’s setup in most scales, but often times I see beginners in Z scale start bigger.

Maybe it’s because Z is smaller and folks want to quickly populate their layouts, to fill the space. Z may be smaller but try to do too much right off the bat and you can get overwhelmed and frustrated. We really are in a great period of Z scale with high quality locomotives from Micro-Trains and AZL. Sectional track systems from Micro-Trains and the newcomer Rokuhan make constructing you trackwork quick and reliable. Still, get those feet wet first!

If you plan to do a lot of switching, run your new Z scale locomotive through your turnouts repeatedly. Get a feel for minimum speeds needed for smooth travel. Play with an uncoupler track section to see if Z scale meets your needs for operations.

A diorama built for Jürg Rüedi by Ztrains

Don’t plan on a lot of switching operations? Still I’d suggest you run your loco and cars over and over on your newbie test loop at slow, medium and high speeds. Even on a basic loop, you’ll probably want at least a basic passing siding or two. Test these sidings out and determine if they operate as you want, as you expect. Basically kick the heck out of the tires!

If you have a problem or questions at this early stage in your Z scale adventure, there are plenty of online resources to help you out with your questions. If you have a problem or a question with your basic loop and turnouts… it’s manageable. If on the other hand you’ve got boxes and boxes of track, locos and cars and you have a problem at this beginning stage… it can be a little maddening and disheartening. Start small!

In addition to starting small with the actual track and trains, I’d also suggest you do a little scenery work at this point. You can buy a very basic Z scale laser kit for under $10, it’s a great investment and litmus test for you! Build or buy some trees, a rock mold or two… build a mini-scene for yourself to make sure Z scale is for you.

I’m of course hooked on Z scale and it’s sometimes easy to forget the learning curve we all went through, not just in Z scale but in any model railroad scale. Start small, ask questions and build on your successes, you’ll be glad you did!