Buildings gutted by a huge fire

[JLK2707]

I am just wondering what colors you would need to make some of the Bachmann buildings look like they have been gutted by a huge fire and what tools you would need to use on the buildings to simulate these effects.

[NarrowMinded]

Google house fire images.

If I were going to do a burned out house I would carve away some holes in the roof and paint the inside flatblack to start. but I would go one further and make the house still hot with Amber's.

To get the effect I would cut some aluminum foil and glue it to the floor shinny side up.
I would then cut another piece paint it flatblack and place it on top and glue some fallen burnt rafters and other stuff on top of it.

I would get a couple battery operated tea light candles (On sale cheap right now because of Holloween) I would remove the self flickering led and extend the wires so I could place them between the pieces of foil

Next I would  use a pin or exacto knife and poke some holes here and there so the light would shine through.


I used the technique to make a G scale camp fire and it works really well.

NM.Jeff

[rogertra]

I am just wondering what colors you would need to make some of the Bachmann buildings look like they have been gutted by a huge fire and what tools you would need to use on the buildings to simulate these effects.

Do you know how many "model railroads" have a version of this old chestnut?

Next you'll need the traffic accident scene.

Nude bathers?

Fisherman in a boat on the river?

All old chestnuts seen on numerous layouts.

As for what you want to achieve?   It's like asking an artist how they painted a picture.  Use your imagination and the tools you have to hand.  There's no instruction book on creativity.

[Doneldon]

JLK-

There's a reason that people continue to do the so-called old chestnuts: They're fun! So please don't be discouraged because someone
is putting you down for wanting to put a little humor into your layout. However, you don't have to do it the same way others have; use
your own ideas and the materials you have at hand. It will be a good exercise in learning how to present your ideas to the people who
visit your layout. And if you're not completely happy with the results you can revise your scene until you are satisfied.
                                                                                                                                                                               -- D

[Woody Elmore]

Don't forget the obligatory cemetery with a funeral going on

As for burned out buildings, I saw my share of them when I worked in the South Bronx during the seventies. Many of the buildings were abandoned and burned by squatters. The city use to put sheet metal over the window openings and these coverings often has pictures of shades, shutters and flower pots lithographed on them. The idea was that the building would look occupied. The FDNY would go around and mark buildings with different symbols - an "x" in a box would signify abandoned and the idea was to basically do the minimum if there was a fire.

On a summer's evening you could go down block after block of empty buildings often backlit by the bright glow from a game in progree in Yankee Stadium. It was a vey bizarre time.

[Joe323]

I stuck one of those flickerin gtea ights in one of my buildings to. make look like its on fire

[NarrowMinded]

To call any scene an Old Chestnut seems silly, why stop at that list, lets include
any prefab kit and other things like water towers, main streets, post offices traffic lights, rail crossings, hobo's with hobo fire, any water towers  gesh I've seen them all before....  But where??? oh yeah they aren't old chestnuts they are Life.

NM-Jeff

[Desertdweller]

Absolutely!

Old Chestnuts, New Chestnuts, you gotta love 'em!

My urban model railroad is full of Chestnuts, wouldn't have it any other way:

A guy fishing in the creek; people rafting on the creek; pretty girl sunbathing on the roof; cemetery behind the church (no funeral, though); people playing lawn tennis; "the wrong side of the tracks" with police questioning a pimp; a figure representing David Moffat sadly looking at the remains of his empire; 1/144 scale airplanes "flying" over an N-scale railroad.  A junkyard; a fallen-in log cabin at the edge of town; a cold-storage warehouse converted to condos; stately mansions on the "right side of the tracks"; middle-class neighborhood with nice houses and lawns, with a railroad main line bordering the property.  "Joe Railfan" and friends watching trains.

Vehicles are an excellent way to establish the time frame of your railroad.

Don't be afraid to use Chestnuts.  They give your railroad character.

Les

[rogertra]

As you all can tell from my post, I'm not in favour of the chestnuts and have tried to avoid them like the plague.   

As always, it's your model railroad so you do whatever gives you the most satisfaction.