The Luna Park idea was created when I purchased a Cooee Classics W Class Static Tram. Here you'll see the process from start to finish!
Started the project with a base of plywood and pine frame.
The model base is 800 x 700
Using the tram to set the scale (OO) and planned out the road and where Luna Park would sit on the layout. Google Earth and Google Street View come in very handy. I did visit the site last year in November to get fine detail pictures. It's always good to go in person, if possible, to grasp the pure size of the object you're creating.
The face was made from polymer clay (Sculpey - White). Polymer Clay is really easy to work with and sets hard like plastic. Once I was happy with the face, it was baked in the oven for around 20-30 minutes until hard.
I used picture references to paint the face as accurately as possible using Vallejo paints.
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When the face was finished, I moved to the footpath and built up the base.
Using flat & thin balsa wood, I was able to form a footpath, curb, and platform. I then went over it with wood putty to fill in any gaps.
I glued down some HO flexi track using PVA glue and then evened out all surfaces with Woodland Scenics Smooth It. Using fine-grit sandpaper, I sanded the plaster once dry.
Using Rust-oleum Flat Grey Primer, I painted the base and highlighted the road with Rust-oleum Satin Ivory Silk Pain + Prime by spraying sparingly over the road.
Using SMS Grey Green, I was able to get the desired colour I wanted for the footpath. I used Tamiya 6mm masking tape to mark out the road markings. The white road markings were created with my airbrush and SMS Premium White and the tram keep clear is SMS Deep Indian Red. Later on in the build, I did add more road lines using this same method.
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Next, I turned my attention back to the façade of Luna Park. Using 5mm foam board, I created the pillars that sit on either side of the face. The yellow details are balsa wood and the white trim is styrene. This building was painted using mostly craft paint you find at Officeworks or any craft supply store.
The next part of the pillars (middle section) was by far the hardest part of the whole model. To create depth, I hand-cut black EVA foam then layered the spotty white/blue pattern (printed paper), the EVA foam then balsa wood. This was placed on 3 sides of the pillars. These were then painted with acrylics.
Once I had completed the middle of the pillars, I moved to the area above the head. Using 5mm foam board, I hand-cut the desired shape and used styrene strips to add accents. The hair is 280gsm white paper, painted in ombre then cut into long triangles. Glued into place with super glue and black EVA foam placed at the back.
Large flat pieces of balsa wood were cut and placed on top for the rollercoaster to connect. Using the same foam board, I made square boxes with open doorways and windows. The decorative tops were made in Tinker CAD, printed on an Anycubic X2 resin printer and painted with acrylics.
To get the Luna Park logo on the model, I followed the same process I used for 3D lettering. Firstly found an image of the "Luna Park" - in this case, it was a photo off Google Street View. Enhanced the image in Canva/Word, sharpen it, and make it black and white. Once you are happy with the design, save the image and convert using an online converter to STL. Import into Tinkercad and create the additional shapes. Print as per usual and paint. The process can be daunting, but once you've done it a few times, you can transform any 3D sign from a flat image.
Teeth were added using 280gsm white paper. The window details were made using Tinkercad and printed in resin. I then added walls using the 5mm foam board so I could begin the rollercoaster.
The rollercoaster is made from various sizes and lengths of balsa wood and painted with white acrylic paint. At this point, I also laid some static grass in the lawned areas.
For the trees, I was going to hand-make the leaves but I was very time-poor, so I opted for some toy trees from Amazon and pulled them apart, thickened the stems with plaster filler, and painted. Considering how cheap they were (around $15 for a large pack) I was really happy with how they turned out.
Poster boards at the front entrance were designed in Canva, printed on photo paper and the trim is styrene strips.
Next, I had to create the "star/shine" pattern on the footpath outside the building. This was achieved using Google Earth, maths and mechanical pencil. Once I roughed out the star, I went over it with Tamiya tape and painted using acrylic grey. I love how this completely transformed the diorama. It felt instantly different and added something extra to the model.
The safety bollards were created in Tinkercad, painted green and glued in with super glue. Street signs were created as per Google Street View.
For figures I chose Noch HO scale. I find they are a nice quality between Woodlands Scenics and Presier figures. Plus, they have more modern type figures/people. Cars are OO, various brands. As for the tram stop, this was pretty basic, Just had to make sure the tram could move easily and used styrene to make the rails and painted it metallic silver. I changed the numbers and destination board on the tram using photopaper.
My advice with these types of builds is - build light, simple and smart. Don't overthink it. Just follow what the pictures show you. In my opinion, a good paint job makes all the difference in a good model or not - so take your time, pick the right colours and use good quality paints and brushes.
All up this model took me around 30-40 hours and the cost was around $200-$300 AUD (excluding the tram).
Here are some final shots taken in the sunshine! Thank you for reading and until next time...
