How to Make Model Railroad Signs

It can take months to create the set-up for a model railroad. The trees, model buildings, vehicles, landscaping and the train set should be as lifelike as possible for your scale-model project. The model railroad display should have signs that have a realistic and authentic appearance. You can find photos and likenesses of original signs used for most railroads across the country. The signs will be the names of the whistle stops, towns, product advertising on buildings or box cars and utilities in the area of your miniature village.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Card stock or photo paper
• Antiquing ink or brown acrylic paint
• Colored pens
• Tin snips, heavy-duty kitchen shears or X-Acto knife
• Lightweight metal sheet
• Cardboard, wood
• White tacky craft glue
• Dowel rods, tooth picks, wire
• Adhesive that dries clear
• Sticker machine (optional)

1. Select a downloadable vintage train sign design, magazine photo or hand-drawn art piece for your sign. Size the item to the proper scale of your model railroad and print it off on photo paper or card stock. Color any black and white prints with the pens for a more authentic look. Rub antiquing ink or brown acrylic paint on to the sign paper. Wipe most of the paint away with a paper towel, leaving just enough remnant color to give the sign a weathered look.

2. Trace around the completed sign design onto another piece of paper, to get the proper shape and measurement to make a pattern. Cut out the shape.

3. Outline the shape on a piece of thin, stiff metal, wood or cardboard and cut out the piece with heavy-duty kitchen shears, tin snips or an X-Acto knife. This material will back your sign for a solid sign post display.

4. Cut out your design and adhere it to the background piece with thick craft glue. You can also run the sign through a sticker machine, then adhere the sticker to the background piece.

5. Cut a piece of dowel rod, craft stick or metal wire to the length needed for a signpost. You can solder metal to metal or glue the post to the back of the sign. This completes a signpost which can be displayed by the side of the railroad tracks, a road or at railroad crossings.

6. Apply window signs to the interior of the windows of your model buildings with a clear adhesive when adding embellishments to buildings. Experiment with a scrap piece of window material and sign paper to be sure the adhesive will be invisible.

Tips & Warnings

• View vintage and modern photos of railroad sites, stops and scenery to make authentic-looking signs.

References

• Model Railroading Downloads Vintage Advertising Signs