Build like a Pro

Learn all the secret tips, techniques and skills to take your model building to the next level

Start Watching  📺
New Video Series:

Building a Model Railroad

Model railroad benchwork
This is a new series of video and written articles that will guide you through the entire process of building your own layout from scratch.
A modular layout that can be dismantled safely
Flawless trackwork so you don't need to worry about derailments
Amazing scenery, it will feel like a miniature world
Get Started
Featured

My Favorite Videos:

Below are 3 of my favorite videos, this list will most certainly change over time. I really love water features so in this current list I'm showing 3 of my favorite videos that feature water 😎

Realistic Waterfall

Trying out new techniques for building ultra realistic waterfalls. The end result turned out amazing and the technique could easily be applied to other types of water features.
...

Muddy River

Who doesn't like a dirty muddy river, there might not be may fish but I'm sure it will be fine to jump off the bridge into the water!
...

Dam Overflow

This was so much fun to build, the rushing water being propelled from the overflow pipes is a really cool effect!
...
Watch More Videos...
About Boulder Creek Railroad

Frequently asked questions

Some of the more commonly asked questions, if you can't find the answer you're looking for don't hesitate to contact me 😊
Where's is the Boulder Creek Studio?
I live and work in Australia, more specifically I'm in Far North Queensland. It's a simple space operating out of a garage. I'm constantly battling heat and humidity, eventually I hope to install and air conditioner in the garage!
Map of Australia
Do you sell your dioramas?
At the moment no I do not, I've had many offers from individuals wanting to buy one of my dioramas but they are very fragile and would not hold up to being posted... Especially overseas!

Additionally there are lot's of organic materials like dirt and branches, a lot of countries will block imported items that have organic untreated materials which is another reason I don't sell them, not to mention postage is just getting very expensive!
‍
If ever I decide to start selling I'll make it pretty clear on how and when the items are available.
What happens to the dioramas when you're done?
Most of the time after completing a diorama it will live on the bench behind my workbench, it generally lives there until I feel like the area needs some new life, from there the diorama has two paths:
‍
1 - it will live in the storage room for a while and eventually make a future appearance on the shelves behind my workbench.
Shelves behind workbench
2 - it will live in the storage room for a while and eventually have parts picked away until it's a bare shell of plaster with some dirt and static grass.
storage room
How much does it cost to build a diorama?
This is a tough question, there are a lot of variables to consider, it depends on the size of the diorama and what the diorama is modeling.
For example a simple 30cm by 30cm diorama depicting a forest and a river similar to Realistic Scenery Vol.13 only cost about $100 not including the vehicle.
RS Vol.13
However, something like Realistic Scenery Vol.31 was much more expensive as it included quite an expensive hotel model as well as the Faller car system and vehicle, that model cost upwards of $1000 to fully complete the model with the scenery as well as cars and buildings!
RS vol.31
I can't build a diorama, can you build one for me?
I've had many people ask for a commission piece, I wish I had the time but with my full time job as a pilot as well as family and filming for YouTube I don't have any extra time for commission work.

One of the reasons I film the YouTube tutorials is to help others achieve similar results with their own models, you'd be surprised at what you will achieve with some practice and patience.

I'm sure if you gave it a shot you could create an awesome diorama that will have much more meaning to it compared to one you paid for 😊
Are you a full time YouTuber?
No, YouTube and model building is just a hobby, which is why I don't produce consistent videos and articles. I only film videos when I have a good project in mind, otherwise I'm usually doing research on what to build next and testing out other ideas and techniques.
What do you do as a full time job?
My full time career is being a pilot for a regional airline in Australia, it takes up quite a lot of my time but it's a really rewarding and fun job... when the weather is good 😄

I'm really lucky that I get consistent time off work which is why I'm able to film videos when I can, certain time of the year can be quite busy but overall it's pretty consistent.
Me Flying a plane
Where can I find a list of materials?
When it comes to diorama building we tend to use a lot of commercial products, so to help you keep track of what I'm using I will usually make mention of it in the video and will often have a graphic pop up during the video to list the product.

For some videos that have a particularly long list of materials I might include that list in the video description here on my website.
A couple of example where I list the products can be seen here in Realistic Scenery Vol.27, this was a sponsored video and many of the products were sourced from Woodland Scenics.
A dam diorama
Another example of a video where I include extra details in the description is Realistic Scenery Vol.10, in this video there is a lot of additional information regarding the specific dimensions of the bridge model, so as not to bore viewers by meticulously describing the length of every piece of cut wood I just add that info into the description.
Bridge Model
So if you need to figure out what specific material was used, the best option is to take some notes while watching the video and possibly be sure to check that specific video description on this website, you might find the extra info there 😉
Do you have a model railroad?
Right now... unfortunately no 😒.... But that is about to change!
In the past I've built an N scale model railroad that was basically a 1.5m by 2.5m table, it was a simple loop with a siding. I really enjoyed building it but unfortunately it was damaged before moving house and it got dismantled.

I also started a small HO scale switching layout, those were the first set of videos I did for the YouTube channel, that layout made it to the track laying stage but never ended up being finished with scenery, again we moved house and it got taken apart.

But now I've just started again, I'm building a much larger 5.4m by 1.1m dog bone style layout. As of April 2023 it is just the completed benchwork, the track is about to be laid. A series of videos is being filmed so you'll eventually see some videos on my channel about the build 😎
Layout shot 1
It's a bit of a mess at the moment but don't worry, that will change soon!
What scale are your dioramas?
Almost all of the diorama videos on my channel are HO scale, that is 1/87th scale.

The reason I chose HO scale was for a combination of detail and space, I find HO is big enough that you can add quite a lot of intricate detail to the models and still be able to see the detail, not to mention be able to model the detail, as you start working with smaller scales it gets exponentially harder to model the details accurately.

Additionally it is small enough that you can model quite a large scene and not have it take up too much space. For example modelling a train station in HO scale might need about 2 meters to model accurately however in G scale you'll need at least 7 meters to model that same area.

With that said, N scale is becoming more and more popular as it too is a great combination between size and detail, I started in N scale but for the area I wanted to model (Australia) there are very limited options for N scale locomotives, rolling stock and structures which is partly why I'm now modelling in HO scale.

Didn't get the answer you were looking for?

Feel free to send me a message using my contact form.
Send Luke a message 😊
Featured

My Favorite Articles:

Here are a selection of my recommended articles to get you started reading, the list of written articles is small at the moment however as the website grows more articles will be added 😎

A Dust Proof Railroad

Now that the main layout structure is complete we are almost ready for scenery... but first, I want to have a way of keeping the layout clean. Given that this layout lives in the garage dust will certainly be a problem. In this video I'll take you through all the steps I've done to prevent and hopefully completely stop dust from settling on top of the layout.
...
November 2, 2023
7 min read

Everything About Trees

All the secret tips on making awesome trees, this is a supplemental article to many of the tree videos I've filmed over the past few years and gives some additional information to help you make awesome trees.
...
July 15, 2018
7 min read

Start 3D Printing

A beginners guide to 3D printing with resin, a must read for anyone getting started with 3D printing! There's a lot to learn but it's well worth the effort.
...
April 24, 2018
15 min read
Read More Articles...
Boulder Creek Railroad Blog

Latest blog posts

Keep up to date with the latest news happening at Boulder Creek Railroad 📰
View all posts
Update

Planning the backdrop

Working on ideas on how to best implement a backdrop for my model railroad, everyone will be slightly different and my methods might be a bit different than yours but there might be some similarities and any feedback is welcomed 😉
Luke
Luke Towan
December 7, 2023
•
3 min read
Update

Dust Prevention

Working on a plan to actively prevent dust from settling on the layout, it's no easy task but with some careful planning and thought I think it is possible without having to spend too much money!
Luke
Luke Towan
October 23, 2023
•
3 min read
3D Printing

Building a Chimney

A chimney that is actually used to direct smoke... A really cool effect for a model railroad! and with the right tools anyone can do it 😉
Luke
Luke Towan
June 9, 2023
•
3 min read
View all posts
Fan Funding

Get more from Boulder Creek Railroad

Boulder Creek Railroad is a fan funded website and YouTube channel,
it's supporters like you who help me keep this website up to date.
Your support is greatly appreciated 😊
Integration icon

Become a Patreon

By becoming a patreon you will get early access to future videos, plus depending on the tier you select you will get access to the members area of this website.
Become a Patreon
Integration icon

Donate with PayPal

If you just want to give a one off donation to show your support, you can do it through PayPal. Or if you want you can set up an ongoing donation here as well.
Donate with PayPal
Integration icon

Check out the shop

A collection of 3D printed .STL files are available to purchase for those with a 3D printer, you'll also find a link to my T-Shirt store as well if you want some merch 😎
Check out the Shop

I've also teamed up with Micro-Mark to get all followers of Boulder Creek Railroad a 10% discount on selected items at their store.

Use promo code:

BOULDER

Micro Mark logo