This is an effective but surprisingly simple tip to give your points a little bit of extra realism.
Here’s a cracking little tip I came across while researching track laying for this article. And it’s a goodie.
Look at your points.
If you’re like me you’re probably a bit disappointed with them. Especially, if they’re Hornby. What is it with those horrible lumps of black plastic – the check rails and around the frog (the V in the middle of the point)? Ghastly or what?
Not anymore.
Nip down to your local arts and crafts shop and pick up a silver gel paint pen while resisting the temptation to buy paint brushes and other tools 😃
Now run rampant on your points with the pen.
Simply paint the check rails and the top of the frog. By doing so you disguise them to look like genuine rails and hide that horrible plastic.
The result looks so much better. As can be seen here. Compare this to the same set of points before, seen above.
It’s harmless to the running of your trains and easy to patch up as the paint wears off over time.
Give it a go now. You won’t be disappointed.
Andy is a lifelong modeler, writer, and founder of modelrailwayengineer.com. He has been building model railways, dioramas, and miniatures for over 20 years. His passion for model making and railways began when he was a child, building his first layout at the age of seven.
Andy’s particular passion is making scenery and structures in 4mm scale, which he sells commercially. He is particularly interested in modelling the railways of South West England during the late Victorian/early Edwardian era, although he also enjoys making sci-fi and fantasy figures and dioramas. His website has won several awards, and he is a member of MERG (Model Railway Electronics Group) and the 009 Society.
When not making models, Andy lives in Surrey with his wife and teenage son. Other interests include history, science fiction, photography, and programming. Read more about Andy.
