So much has been written and demonstrated on how to present a decent looking tarpaulin on a railway wagon, or any other vehicle if it comes to that. Cheap artists’ sketchpad cartridge paper, rubbed over with a piece of charcoal or washed with diluted Indian ink, then well crumpled will not do. Well, this is my simple take which, with a little care, gives a finish that will not disappoint. I use plain, two-ply tissue paper, no patterns, (for example, the type that Kleenex uses), a good quality clingfilm, quick-setting PVA wood glue, thin elastic bands, and water with a drop or three of washing up liquid in it.

Stage one: Take a piece of clingfilm, more than a large enough piece to cover your chosen vehicle, and cover over the vehicle from the top with the film. Lightly smother the wagon with it.

This is so that the final covering can be easily removed from the vehicle surface and helps prevent sticking.

Stage two: Take a container or flattish dish and mix up the PVA with the same volume of water and add two drops of washing up liquid.

Stage three: Cut reasonably roughly, in other words not exactly, a large enough piece of tissue paper that will cover the top, sides and ends almost down to the floor. This tissue should now be put in the PVA solution and then laid over your wagon top, letting it drape over the sides and ends and carefully shaping the ends to a fold, as in the prototype; carefully, in order not to tear the tissue. Shape and introduce folds, kinks and creases where necessary, looking at your photos for guidance. You did have photos, didn’t you? Place an elastic band around the whole wagon roughly half way down.

Stage four: Leave to dry 24 hours. The tissue paper will also shrink slightly, and form kinks, creases and folds naturally. When dry, cover it with an undiluted coat of PVA. Leave it to dry. Stage five: When dry snap off the elastic band and remove the cast, as that is what it has become, from the wagon. Remove the cling film from the inside of the cast. Cut the finished cast to size and paint. I use washes of dark colouring to enhance the creases.

This is not a new method but seems to be missing from people’s knowledge. It is readily available on YouTube, albeit in 00 gauge. Take a look at Bruce Randell’s version, which is by far the best and shows this method to a tee. Search for “How to make tarpaulins for model railways” and go.