| One of the greatest joys of model railroading is | | | | have some kind of format that creates a skeleton for |
| creating a scenic display that represents nature as its | | | | other materials to be added to form a realistic |
| own creative art work somewhere in the World.The | | | | mountain, etc.The material used to cover your skeletal |
| variables that one encounters are endless in the | | | | frame may very depending on usage.1. Portland |
| imagination of what he or she wants a layout to look | | | | cements contoured onto the surface of the projected |
| like around the track work which includes bridges, | | | | mountain with a paper or cloth medium that will allow |
| buildings, mills, coal mines, etc. You may duplicate some | | | | the adherence of the cement.2. The aforementioned |
| scene from nature or you may decide to create a | | | | material may be covered over Styrofoam and let to |
| scenic landscape that is all your own.What are the | | | | dry.Once this process is accomplished you need to |
| various products available to build a scenic landscape | | | | seal and contour your mountains or what ever scene |
| for your railroad? There are several means in which | | | | you are creating.3. You may hand plaster the mountain |
| you can build such a scene.The easiest way to build a | | | | using different size putty knives.4. With Hydracal, you |
| scenic railroad is to build an open frame layout which | | | | must work fast or make up small batches as it will get |
| gives you height and contour so you have pre-made | | | | hard very fast.5. Coating of chicken wire will take |
| elevations to work with. Your choice of size or area to | | | | some kind of semi-porous medium that will soak up |
| develop a layout is based on the area that you have | | | | plaster such as paper towels or the like.6. Use |
| to work with. You may even build your layout on a | | | | Hydracal or Portland cements with cover materials |
| sheet of plywood or the like. I wouldn't recommend it | | | | that will not allow the material to drip through the |
| because you will get frustrated after a while and want | | | | chicken wire.7. With any of these methods, you may |
| to have something a bit more realistic for your | | | | use vermiculite as a rock looking cover while the |
| layout.Before beginning the scenic part of the layout, | | | | choice of media is still wet.8. Small pebbles or rough |
| you must plan out your trackage. The main routes, | | | | sand will also act as a good covering simulating open |
| yards, single and duel trackage, by passes, along with | | | | ground slides or patches of rocks.My choice of |
| station points and possibly a roundhouse. The best | | | | materials that best suits my needs seems the quickest |
| procedure is to build all the trackage first, with your | | | | and cheapest way to create what ever scene |
| elevations, tunnel portal locations, bridge locations and | | | | desired. I use material that I mentioned before. The |
| your predetermined ruling grade.Once this is | | | | cardboard strips and the Woodland Scenics plaster |
| accomplished you may begin to build mountains, hills, | | | | cloth. Included with this product is a product called |
| streams, canyons, gorges where bridges would go, | | | | Sculptamold which comes in a semi-powder form with |
| rivers and other unique characteristics that will provide | | | | fine shredded paper like paper Mache. You add water |
| scenic beauty through the layout. | | | | to it until it has a semi-loose consistence. Using a putty |
| The tools required are putty knives, water, Hot Gun | | | | knife you mold the Sculptamold onto the dry plaster |
| for gluing, scissors, plastic bucket or large plastic bowel, | | | | cloth completely covering the surface. Different |
| wood stirring device like used for paint, possibly an | | | | shapes and contours can be produced that look like |
| electric stapler, masking tape and paper towels.The | | | | most rock formations found. You can work with the |
| types of products available are numerous. Much of it is | | | | Sculptamold while wet to create a ridge, canyon walls, |
| general household material that you would normally | | | | over hangs, etc. Do not over do it when making up the |
| through away. For example, cut up cardboard strips | | | | Sculptamold for it will harden on you within about a half |
| one inch wide from boxes to what ever length you | | | | an hour. The temperature of the room has an effect |
| need. If the card board isn't quiet long enough splice | | | | on the water evaporation rate. Just work in away that |
| together a strip using a Hot Glue Gun. The card board | | | | will cover the surface in a timely manner. Don't get into |
| is the means to build a general frame of mountain or | | | | a hurry.In the Part II article we will discuss the painting |
| mountain ranges, small hills, track sidings, etc.You may | | | | of the mountains and other formations, addition of |
| want to use chicken wire and bend it to your liking and | | | | various grasses, plants, shrubs and trees along with |
| staple the edges to the appropriate mounting points to | | | | artificial water. Learn to build culverts for the water to |
| create what you want. You will still need some type of | | | | flow; addition of real rocks and other materials including |
| supporting material to hold the chicken wire in place | | | | bridges, tunnels and walls to create realistic scenes.Joy |
| such as heavy card board or prices of wood. I don't | | | | Ball has been involved in the restoration and |
| recommend it for it is expensive, heavy and difficult to | | | | maintenance of a variety of Brass Model |
| handle.The other form of contour making is to use | | | | Locomotives. Through her years of expertise, Mrs. Ball |
| Styrofoam. It can be cut/shaved to the height and | | | | has perfected the art of train restoration often |
| depth you want. Once the basic mountain is formed it | | | | spending countless hours preserving vintage Brass |
| can be covered with different kinds of media to | | | | Locomotives to running condition of even the newest |
| create a mountain of your choice.Basically you have to | | | | Brass Model Replicas. |