B Model Scenery Glossary | Ballast, Balsa Wood, Bridges & More

The letter B covers some of the most useful and familiar parts of scenic modelling, from essential materials like ballast, balsa wood and brass wire to layout features such as baseboards, bridges, brick walls, buildings and bus stops. Whether you’re building a model railway, diorama, wargaming table or scale scene, this section will help you understand what each item is, where it might be used, and how it can add more realism to your miniature world.

Modelling Materials

Ballast — crushed stone or fine aggregate used around railway track to represent the real stone bed beneath rails and sleepers.
Ballast glue — thin adhesive used to fix loose ballast in place without disturbing the finished shape.
Balsa cement — lightweight adhesive traditionally used for balsa wood, model aircraft and delicate timber construction.
Balsa sheet — thin sheets of soft balsa wood used for lightweight buildings, formers, scenic bases and scratchbuilt details.
Balsa stripwood — narrow strips of balsa used for framing, fencing, beams, roof supports and lightweight structures.
Balsa wood — soft, easy-to-cut timber often used for scratchbuilding, terrain formers, mock-ups and lightweight scenic structures.
Beading wire — fine flexible wire useful for tree armatures, fencing, cables, vines and delicate scenic details.
Birch plywood — strong, stable plywood often used for high-quality baseboards, laser-cut kits and structural modelling.
Blending turf — fine scenic scatter used to soften transitions between grass, soil, ballast, rocks and other ground textures.
Bonfire ash — fine ash-like scenic material used for burnt ground, fire pits, industrial dirt, cinders and weathered surfaces.
Brass angle — L-shaped brass section used for strong corners, frames, brackets and scratchbuilt metalwork.
Brass etched parts — thin etched metal details used for railings, ladders, signs, windows, grilles and fine structural parts.
Brass mesh — fine metal mesh used for fences, grilles, walkways, vents, gates and industrial detail.
Brass rod — solid round brass section used for handrails, pipework, poles, axles, handles and scratchbuilt details.
Brass sheet — thin sheet brass used for scratchbuilding, cladding, brackets, plates and durable model parts.
Brass strip — flat brass section useful for frames, straps, edging, signs, braces and fine metal detailing.
Brass tube — hollow brass section used for pipes, posts, sleeves, chimneys, conduits and mechanical details.
Brass wire — fine metal wire used for handrails, fencing, tree armatures, cables, pipework and small details.
Brick dust — fine red or brown powder used for rubble, weathering, worn brick surfaces and dusty demolition scenes.
Brick papers — printed sheets of brickwork used to cover card, foamboard or plastic structures.
Brick sheet — embossed plastic, card or foam sheet with brick texture for scratchbuilding walls and buildings.
Brick slips — thin brick-effect pieces or strips used to add raised brick detail to walls and structures.
Brick textures — printed, embossed or cast surfaces used to represent brickwork on model buildings and walls.
Brush cleaner — cleaning fluid used to remove paint from brushes and extend their working life.
Building papers — printed papers representing brick, stone, roofing, concrete, tiles or other surfaces.
Building rubble — broken brick, plaster, stone, timber and debris used for derelict sites, demolition areas and construction scenes.
Burnishing fluid — chemical fluid used to darken metal parts, especially brass, nickel silver and other bare metals.

Skills & Techniques

Ballast shoulder — the sloping edge of ballast either side of the track, helping the trackbed look more realistic.
Batch painting — painting several similar parts, figures or accessories at once to save time and keep colours consistent.
Bone dry brushing — a very light dry-brushing technique where almost all paint is removed from the brush before highlighting raised detail.
Brick bond patterns — the visible arrangement of bricks in a wall, useful for making brickwork look believable and era-appropriate.
Brick weathering — painting and staining techniques used to make brickwork look aged, dirty, repaired or smoke-stained.
Brickwork painting — the process of colouring brick surfaces with base coats, mortar tones, washes and dry brushing.
Brush painting — applying paint by hand with a brush, useful for buildings, figures, scenery, detail parts and weathering.

Infrastructure, Buildings & Scenic Structures

Backscenes — printed or painted backgrounds used behind a layout to add sky, distant hills, townscapes or countryside.
Backscene boards — vertical boards fitted behind a layout to hold a painted, printed or photographic backscene.
Baseboards — the main supporting structure that a model railway, diorama or scenic display is built on.
Baseboard edging — strips fitted around the edge of a baseboard to protect scenery and give the layout a neater finish.
Baseboard framing timber — wood used to build the structural frame beneath a layout or diorama board.
Baseboard legs — supports used to hold a layout at a comfortable working or viewing height.
Block paving — textured sheet, printed surface or individual paving detail used for driveways, pedestrian areas and modern streets.
Boatyards — scenic areas featuring boats, sheds, slipways, water, timber piles, tools and dockside clutter.
Boundary fences — fences used to divide fields, gardens, yards, railway land and private property.
Boundary hedges — hedgerows used to mark field edges, gardens, roadsides and rural property lines.
Boundary walls — walls used around houses, yards, farms, factories, railway property and urban spaces.
Box girder bridges — bridge structures with solid girder sides, often used for railway, road or industrial crossings.
Brick arches — curved brick details used in bridges, viaducts, retaining walls, tunnel mouths and older buildings.
Brick buildings — houses, shops, factories, sheds and railway structures made or finished to represent brick construction.
Brick platforms — station platforms with brick sides, often finished with paving, coping stones and weathering.
Brick retaining walls — walls used to hold back embankments, cuttings and raised railway or road sections.
Brick viaducts — arched brick structures carrying railways or roads across valleys, streets or lower ground.
Bridge abutments — the end supports of a bridge where the span meets the ground or embankment.
Bridge girders — metal or concrete beams used to support bridge spans and add structural detail.
Bridges — structures that carry roads, railways, footpaths or canals over another route or landscape feature.
Builders’ yards — scenic areas with stacks of materials, skips, machinery, timber, pallets, fencing and rough ground.
Building flats — shallow or low-relief buildings used against backscenes where there is limited layout depth.
Building interiors — internal details such as floors, walls, lights, furniture and figures, visible through windows or open doors.
Building lighting — LEDs or small lamps installed inside buildings to create night scenes, shop windows and realistic interiors.
Buildings — scenic structures such as houses, stations, factories, shops, warehouses, sheds and railway facilities.
Bungalows — single-storey houses used in suburban, rural or coastal scenes.
Bus depots — urban or transport scenes featuring buses, maintenance sheds, fuel points, offices and yard surfaces.
Bus shelters — small roadside structures used at bus stops in town, village and suburban scenes.
Bus stops — roadside signs, poles, shelters or markings that add everyday detail to streets and villages.
Buttresses — projecting supports added to walls, bridges, churches and retaining structures to suggest strength and age.
Byroads and back lanes — minor roads used to add rural, village or industrial access routes to a scene.

Details & Accessories

Barbed wire — fine wire or etched detail used to model fencing around farms, depots, military areas and industrial sites.
Barrels and drums — small scenic details used in yards, depots, garages, farms, factories and dock scenes.
Benches — small seating details used on platforms, parks, streets, gardens, stations and public spaces.
Bollards — short posts used along roads, pavements, quaysides, car parks, stations and industrial areas.
Bolt heads — tiny raised details used on bridges, girders, machinery, wagons, tanks and industrial structures.
Brambles — rough, tangled vegetation used for overgrown banks, derelict corners, hedges and neglected railway land.
Brushes — essential painting tools used for basecoating, detail painting, dry brushing, washes and scenic effects.
Buckets — small detail items used around farms, sheds, yards, workshops, gardens and industrial scenes.
Bushes — small areas of vegetation made from foliage, foam, fibres or scatter to represent shrubs and undergrowth.