I recently started experimenting with 3D printing for my model railway, and I’m amazed by the possibilities—from custom signal boxes to tiny detail parts that would’ve been impossible to find off-the-shelf.
I’d love to know: what have you designed or printed for your layout?
Do you have a go-to printer, filament, or CAD software? Any tips for beginners trying to get accurate prints at smaller scales (like HO or N)?
That’s awesome to hear — welcome to the 3D printing side of the hobby! 😄 I dipped my toes in about a year ago and haven’t looked back. It’s such a game-changer, especially for those oddball parts or custom buildings that just don’t exist anywhere else.
So far, I’ve printed everything from trackside junk piles to full structures like an interlocking tower and even replacement parts for vintage rolling stock. I use an Elegoo Mars for resin prints (super sharp for N scale!) and a Creality Ender 3 for larger PLA projects.
For CAD, I started with Tinkercad (great for beginners), but now I mostly use Fusion 360 for more complex stuff. As for tips: keep your supports minimal and well-placed — small parts are easy to damage when removing them. And always check your dimensions twice — it’s amazing how different 1mm feels in HO scale!
