Around 2 years ago I saw that Trackside Models had The Queenslander and I instantly had an idea to transform this kit into a dramatic and very Australian flood diorama. I purchased the kit and it sat waiting for me to open it until recently I had a dream about it...it was a sign to begin! Believe it or not, I began this diorama before the QLD floods in late 2023.
Starting with the kit from Trackside Models, I worked my way through the instructions. TM kits are very simple to assemble and have easy to understand instructions. My advice is to paint the parts before assembly (at least prime), it will make your life easier. The best thing about the kits is that you can customise the materials if you don't like the ones provided, which is exactly what I did for the roof.
I was lucky enough to score some second-hand supplies at the AMRA Expo in 2023 and found this beautiful corrugated foil sheeting made by AMRI. I have found similar from Australian Modeller online, but always be on the lookout for cheap scratch-building supplies at shows/swap meets, as they do add up.
Using the original roof as a template, I cut out the pieces needed and attached them to the roof trusses with PVA and a little bit of foam-safe CA . Once the roof was dry, I used angled styrene to cap the roof edges. To fill in the gaps and add texture to the roof, I used gap filler. This adds a better effect for rust on the roof, rather than just a clean flat surface. Using SMS Rust Kit I added the rust colours, starting with dark and working my way up to highlight areas with the brighter colours.
Once the whole house was assembled and painted, I began work on the land/base. Using extruded foam board, I carved out a hill, applied Sculpt-It and let it dry in the sun. Using my usual methods, once it was dry, paint the base, add dirt and add scenery.
With this model, I wanted a huge gumtree as the feature behind the house. I achieved this by turning wire, applying gap filler mixed with PVA to the trunk and branches then adding smaller branches with Super Fine Trees from Modellers Warehouse.
Finishing off the tree's foliage with a mixture of Woodland Scenics coarse turf, fine turf and some scatter. Don't get me wrong, this tree took a long time to make, maybe around 5-6 hours excluding drying time, but I think it's my best tree to date!
Once the landscaping was dry, all the trees were in place, added a power pole and power line to the house - I could begin the process of resin pouring. As this was a deep pour, I had to make sure I had zero gaps. I purchased an acrylic sheet from Clark Rubber, sized up the edges and glued them in place with PVA and clamps. The corners with sealed with hot glue, the bottom was taped with paper tape and any other gaps were filled with Woodland Scenics Water Effects. I then waited 3 whole days for everything to dry (which is an eternity in my eyes!) but worth it.
For the resin, I used Epoxy Resin from Amazon and Murky Water tint from Woodland Scenics. You can use acrylic paint to tint your resin, but it's much easier to use purpose-made tints. Spotlight do stock copious amounts of resin supplies, well worth a look but can be pricey. The resin set within 30 minutes except the thinner areas. Before it dried fully, I added a 3D printed rescue boat and set it in the resin. Flood water looks very wavey and not much "white foam", so to do this (but also accommodate the wind from the helicopter) I used gloss Mod Podge and an airbrush to achieve the rippled water effect. I then added volume to the back of the boat using Woodland Scenics Water Effects (acrylic filler that dries clear and hard - holds its stiffness when wet, great for waves/white foam).
I used black plastic sheet from Officeworks, cut it to fit the sides of the diorama and glued on with Mod Podge and CA glue.
The final step was to add the helicopter while creating the illusion of levitation. To do this I used The Green Stuff Acrylic Rod 1.6mm from Hearns Hobbies. I attached the helicopter to the rod with CA and drilled into the resin behind the house to attach the rod to the base of the diorama.
And that's the completed project! I hope you enjoyed this read and feel free to contact me about any of the products I used in this build. Until next time...
@the.train.girl Queensland Flood Diorama 🚁🌊 #scalemodels ♬ Ambient-style emotional piano - MoppySound