When constructing a model railroad the stage is reached where one or more control panels is needed. These generally consist of straight and curved lines depicting the track plan. Often they also include toggle switches or push buttons to operate electrically-powered turnouts, electric uncouplers or some sort of light to show the position of a train on hidden track or whether a particular piece of track is powered.
I have tried several techniques when making control panels. Each technique has its own pros and cons.
The simplest technique involves first painting a piece of masonite hardboard one colour and letting the paint completely cure. Next apply some sort of tape depicting the track plan. Next paint a contrasting colour over the entire piece using either a roller, a brush, a rattle can or an airbrush. Once this paint has dried the tape is gently removed - to reveal a nice crisp image of the track plan. NOT SO FAST. . . . . . Invariably, no matter the type of tape used, how carefully its edges were pressed down to ensure that the second coat of paint would not bleed under the tape or the method of applying the second coat it will always bleed, making a mess.
Sometime in the last year or so I read an article in Model Railroader Magazine which offered a very simple solution to this problem. After the tape has been applied, paint over the entire piece using the SAME colour that was used for the first coast (i.e., it is the SAME colour as the lines will be). Of course some of this paint bleeds under the edges of the tape but that doesn't matter - because it is the same colour. This second coat has the effect of sealing any gaps that might remain under the edges of the tape. Once this second coat of paint is dry, apply the contrasting paint. Once the contrasting paint is dry to the touch but not completely set the tape is removed, leaving nice crisp edges. Thank you Model Railroader Magazine!
Instead of one or two large control panels, my current layout includes several very small control panels that control the track within a few feet of the panel - I like to move about the layout with the trains rather than having to sit in one place. Following are three of these small panels before any paint is applied. You can see the pencil lines where the tape will be applied as well as holes drilled to accommodate toggle switches, push buttons and LED lights.
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| After applying grey paint with a roller |
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| After applying tape to the grey painted surface |
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| My preferred tape for this purpose. It is easily curved to make smooth corners and has clean edges (is a plastic tape). |
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| After a coat of grey paint has been applied with a roller over the entire surface |
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| After black paint has been applied with a roller and allowed to dry the tape is gently removed. I find that this produces better results if the black paint has not fully cured - dry to the touch but still a bit "soft". I clearly could have done a better job of sanding the surface of the Masonite hardboard - but in reality these imperfections do not show because the room has indirect lighting, unlike when I took this picture on the floor. |
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| The results |
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| The final result installed on the layout. The green lights are push buttons with a built-in green LED. When I press a button the turnout moves position and the green LED lights to show the direction of travel for a train. The toggle switches operate Rapido electric uncouplers. The blue light shows that this uncoupler is turned on to uncouple a car. Watch for future blog posts on the LEDs and the uncouplers. |
