As the title suggests Faller’s new 3 part farmstead is inspired by German timber frame construction, it is recognizable to all who have built model houses and buildings for German themed layouts thus there are many such kits in plastic and cardboard. This cardboard kit for Z scale by Faller contains the typical characteristics of Fallers laser-cut cardstock buildings including interior masking (introduced in their plastic kits years ago) and lightweight paper parts. Building the kits is fun but challenging particularly with the filigree paper ‘timber’ parts. So far I have built 16 Faller Laser-Cut Kits with no regrets or problems; they take good magnifying goggles, tweezers, small drops of good glue and PATIENCE. The finished builds are excellent, and I highly recommend them.
I divided this article into 3 sections mostly to show what the kit looks like built without alteration followed by 2 sections covering my attempts to add realistic color and texture. I am not a professional scenery modeler, and my steps taken should be considered as one way to do things not the only way to do things.
Section 1: How the Buildings Look Built with no Alterations
Note: end walls of barn were installed improperly, stucco wall should be installed other end so stucco wraps around building. Mistake is less noticeable further in build.Note: roofing materials used by Faller are heavily detailed which is a nice feature, but they fray easily when bent from their flat original state. I score along the seem with 3 light scores with razor blade which significantly helps make a good bend.Note: brick walls and fencing come with the kit to frame out the barnyard, there are numerous layout designs to consider along with Faller’s own suggestions.
Section 2: Attaching Buildings to a Light Birch Plywood for Later Layout Installation. Plus First Steps with Color and Scenery Construction.
Buildings glued to very thin birch plywood available from hobby stores which was first painted black.Note: application of pigment with an airbrush to establish a layer of aging.Note: dry-brush was used on roofing material to bring out texture, it was applied with inconsistent amounts of paint to mimic how roofs age with time.
Section 3: Fine-Tuning Paint and Textures. And Adding Cows and Shrubs
Note: fine brown ballast by Woodland Scenics was applied to ground surface.Note: very thin birch plywood is prone to warping even at time of purchase, but it will be flat when glued to layout board. Note: numerous dry-brush applications were used to enhance color and texture, I have gotten better results with my projects by not rushing things thus I came back to this model many times and tweeked this or that.Note: Dark brown paint was applied to ground to suggest the varying shades of earth, grass will later be applied in patches to further layer the visual detailing surrounding the farmstead buildings. Dairy cows by Preiser were added to the pen. When this small diorama is ready to install on layout more animals will be added, flower boxes installed on house, tractor or other equipment placed somewhere in scene, and a tree or 2 will be added for shade. I will also open a door and add a figure too!
Thank you for having a look and happy railroading!
