MAKE YOUR OWN CURTAINS

I want to install realistic curtains to the windows of my steam-era coaching stock. Can you recommend any suitable materials or products?

Garry Wilcox, by e-mail

George says: MJT’S cast whitemetal curtains (www.dartcastings.co.uk) can look effective, once painted and treated with a dark weathering wash to accentuate the relief. However, their uniformity can be a little disappointing.

For ultra realism, I often make my own curtains from coloured paper, although finding the correct shade to suit your coaching stock can sometimes be difficult. In such cases, painting the curtains allows for greater authenticity.

Assembly is simple, if time-consuming, cutting the paper into small rectangles a few millimetres deeper than the apertures and folding into a compressed concertina pattern. Smaller strips of paper are then cut and wrapped around the waist of the curtains to act as tie-backs, being fixed with a small drop of cyano glue for an instant bond.

The concertina can then be opened up above and below the tie-back to create the distinctive angled profile. Inevitably, no two curtains will look identical and there’s also the option of omitting the tie-backs from some curtains, suggesting that they’ve been drawn by passengers.

The curtains can be fixed to the inside of the glazing with a drop of glazing adhesive, such as Deluxe Materials’ Glue ‘n’ Glaze. The interior mouldings of some RTR coaches may need to be trimmed to accommodate the curtains.

GEORGE DENT Bespoke card curtains are simple to create but bring an ultra-realistic look to model coaching stock.

The colour of the paper is not wholly accurate for BR Mk 1 stock, but the stages of George’s curtain assembly process can be appreciated.