Thank you to everyone in Scotland for your many smiles and mini diorama creations!!
Model Rail Scotland 2025 was held at the SEC Centre in Edinburgh from 21st to 23rd February 2025.
This year, we held a workshop to make mini dioramas, as we had started the KATO OFFICAIL CIRCUS.
At events in Japan, we hold mini-diorama workshops for beginners and children in various locations. In Japan, model shop owners and private exhibitors act as teachers and teach participants how to make them.
In the UK, model railway clubs are very active, so we hope to spread the MINI DIORAMA CIRCUS with the help of everyone, and we also hope that people will be able to feel more familiar with the world of model railways through the use of mini dioramas.
This was our first workshop, but thanks to the help of the members of the Scottish model railway club, we were able to welcome almost 200 customers over the three days.
If you are a member of a model railway club and are interested in our project, please take an interest in this workshop too.
Let's get started with our workshop!
The workshop uses a special, easy-to-use kit. Customers receive the base already completed.
You will need a precision screwdriver to assemble the base. It is difficult to prepare one for each customer, so it is better to assemble it in advance.
In the workshop, it is necessary to show the basic design so that even people who have never made a diorama like this before will want to try making one. It is only a ‘basic’ design, so there is no need to make it exactly as shown. This is the same as saying that the concept of freedom does not exist in a place without constraints...
The scenery used this time is made up of materials for grass that stand up using static electricity, natural materials such as trees, stones and flower powders, and sidewalk parts (these are accessories for simple bases). Even with these simple materials alone, they can be changed to match the terrain drawn with an acrylic pen as follows.
List of tools and scenery used this time :
・WWSCENICS PRO GRASS BOX STATIC GRASS APPLICATOR
・WWSCENICS 2MM 〜 3MM STATIC GRASS (Various colours)
・WWSCENICS TREE FOLIAGE / FLOWER FLOCS (Various colours)
・WWSCENICS MIXED SIZE SEAFOAM TREE BOX
・NOCH PROFI-Rocks “Scree” coarse
・NOCH Flock light brown
・NOCH Structured Flock medium green, fine, 3 mm
・NOCH Structured Flock light green, fine, 3 mm
・Speed Bond (Delux Materials)
・Spray Glue (Delux Materials)
・Glue Gun
・Toothpick, cotton swab,Baking paper, Acrylic Paint Marker, Pin-vice, etc…
Scenery can be anything that is easy to obtain.
PRO GRASS BOX is a great tool for making small dioramas. Parents will also be reassured if they prepare anti-static gloves for their children to use.
There are three types of glue: liquid glue, spray glue and glue guns, and you should choose the right one depending on the drying speed and the purpose.
Spray Glue is used to make SEAFOAM TREE with Structured Flock. It is better if the instructor makes the tree in advance. This is because it takes time to dry and it is not suitable for children because it gets their hands dirty.
The glue gun is used to attach PROFI-Rocks and to reinforce the wood when standing it up. You can also easily create a water surface by applying glue on top of the water colour.
First, we will ask you to draw the approximate topography on the base using an acrylic pen. The more colours you use, the better. The more colours you use, the more creative you will be.
What if the only pens on the table at the workshop were brown and light blue? Having lots of different colours makes the heart excited, doesn't it? This is the same for both adults and children.
Working with the PRO GRASS BOX is very exciting! When you turn on the box, the grass material flies towards the Speed Bond you have painted on the diorama base, which is very interesting, and it doesn't dirty the place as much as a stick-type tool. It's also very easy to clean up afterwards.
When you're smiling The whole world smiles with you!
The highlight of MINI DIORAMA CIRCUS is not making things, but connecting with other people's creations. And then, having model trains run on them!
After making their dioramas, most of the participants went around the venue and then stopped by our booth on their way home to take their creations home with them. It's best to leave them for about 10 minutes after making them.
Special Thanks❤️
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the members of Model Rail Scotland for giving me this opportunity and for their willing cooperation. This project would not have been possible without you. You brought out the smiles and talents of the many participants. Please allow me to continue to cooperate with you so that we can hold workshops at your club in the future.
And thank you to everyone who took part, for helping to create the MINI DIORAMA CIRCUS. The circus will continue to go on. I hope to see you again in Scotland, and in other places too.
For other information, please see the PDF.
KATO OFFICIAL CIRCUS GUIDE BOOK (23MB)
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KATO Europe A/S Kim Nannestad