Anatomy of a coffee cup (w/bonus hound photo)

Have you ever looked around at ordinary junk that people throw away and consider its potential for a model railroad.

Take an ordinary coffee cup.

The stir stick can be used to make a water tower.

The hot handhold thingy can be opened up and used for corregated building sheathing.

The cover makes a find pedestal for a statue or the plastic in the cap can be cut and used to make window shades or countless other items.

The coffee itself can be used to stain wood ties or to age wood structures.

The cup can be turned upside down and painted and used as a silo.

And of course, the coffee itself will provide a “pick-me-up” when you’re tired and need a shot of caffeine.

those are good ideas. I like the water tower![^]

Lots of interesting uses on the layout for ‘found objects’ around the office or house. I use just that same sort of coffee stirrer (actually four of them, along with some foam rubber, a bent magnet, bottle cap and tin soup can for a water tower.