Model Railroad Hobbyist | January 2016 | #71 IMAGINEERING column Dave Meek Ten tips for modeling structures with character ... I like my model railroad structures with loads of character. To me, structures are not just background for the trains; they’re supporting players that help move the story along and contribute to the overall entertainment value of the layout. Just about every structure on my On30 Thunder Mesa Mining Company is designed and scratchbuilt for a specific location. It has to be this way to get the look I’m after. But char- acter can be elusive. We tend to know it when we see it, but how does it get there? Is it just architecture, paint and details, or is there more to it than that? For me, it can be boiled down to a handful of broad design concepts. To illustrate, I’ll take you through the design choices made for my scratchbuilt Olson & Furlow Saloon. As with most XX EXPLORING THE CREATIVE SIDES OF THE HOBBY • INDEX • TABLE OF CONTENTS