Latest hillside progress

Fluid Dynamics Nov 10, 2004

  1. Fluid Dynamics

    Fluid Dynamics TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks guys, I'm having a lot of fun with it.

    The shaping of the hillside was done with a large serrated steak knife, then planed with a sureform plane, then sanded with 150 grit sandpaper, and then filled with lightweight filler and resanded. Then I covered it with woodland scenics plaster cloth and painted it with latex paint.

    The gloss on the paint should go away after I rough it up with sandpaper. I painted the white plaster so if my ground foam groundcover had spaces where it didn't cover completely, the stark white plaster wouldn't catch the eye.

    I don't know what I'll do next . . build the bridge or start spreading the ground foam. Here are a few pics from the Cuesta pass to show the effect I'm going to shoot for, maybe with a little greener shade of grass than "summer brown". There are random boulders in the hills and most of the large trees grow in the folds of the hillsides where the water drains.

    [​IMG]
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  2. Derek

    Derek TrainBoard Member

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    Your hill looks awesome, I admire your courage in cutting out all the trackage and using N scale for what its good for. There's no way I can faithfully represent that on my spaghetti bowl. I really need some of that tan latex paint too, I keep ending up with orange ground [​IMG]

    You keep tempting me to show off this gorgeous area and its hills! Here're some supplemental shots:
    [​IMG]

    This is from the top of Bishop Peak about 1000ft above San Luis Obispo. Absolutely incredible when you go up during sunrise. Just as the sun was peaking over the mountains, these autoracks came rolling down the grade on this occasion:
    [​IMG]
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  3. Fluid Dynamics

    Fluid Dynamics TrainBoard Supporter

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    Wow! Thanks for posting those pics! I haven't been able to find any shots of the horse shoe like that.

    I understand the temptation to build a layout for operation and not an overall large scene. It is a big compromise shooting just for the main line scenic side of it. I'm on the fence about even putting in a yard in. It would almost clutter up the open theme of the layout.

    My track plan has changed sligtly and I'll try to finish a new sketch of it and post it. I'm now considering keeping the grade climbing all the way through the industrial area on the second dogbone, then hiding the back half of the loop and having it lead to a three turn helix in order to lead back into the yard. This large elevated industrial area would give room for a hidden turnaround loop along with return helix from the top of the grade. The whole back and side of this area would be exposed so I could clean the track and fix derailments.

    Here is my old sketch from last year:

    [​IMG]
     
  4. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    Fluid, you really are the reason I decided to get my butt out of the armchair. Thanks for posting.
     
  5. Fluid Dynamics

    Fluid Dynamics TrainBoard Supporter

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    Lol, glad I could help! Remember I built all this randomly over the past year. I put some thought and a little bit of planning into it but from the start I viewed it as just an experiment, not some grandeur plan. [​IMG] My trackplan sketch should make that obvious, ha ha. It takes the pressure for perfection off me to look at it this way.
     
  6. Fotheringill

    Fotheringill TrainBoard Member

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    Hemi- How did you get your work shown in first picture above to be so lifelike?
     
  7. Ed M

    Ed M Passed away May 2012 In Memoriam

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    Really does look good. I especially like the gradual slope on the hills. I also enjoy you're sharing the development with us. It's nice to see the work in progress.
     
  8. Fluid Dynamics

    Fluid Dynamics TrainBoard Supporter

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    I started experimenting with ground foam.

    [​IMG]

    It was woodland scenics "yellow grass" fine ground foam. I applied it by mixing up a 50% water, 10% rubbing alcahol, 40% white glue mix, then brushed it on and sifted the foam over it with a mini-wire strainer. Then I blew off the excess. Now that it's dry it appears to be well bonded to the surface.

    Pretty neat stuff.
     
  9. Fluid Dynamics

    Fluid Dynamics TrainBoard Supporter

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    Here is some progress on the fascia.

    [​IMG]
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    The fascia makes a big difference in the overall appearance, even though it is not trimmed yet.
     
  10. dave n

    dave n TrainBoard Supporter

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    Looking really nice. What are you using for fascia? It looks thinner than hardboard.

    OBTW, you inspired me to work on my scenery more. You are right about having a higher density of bushes/trees in the valley areas - I'm adding more greenery to the loop approach area on my layout as a result. I had more greenery (and greener grass) near the dry creek bed, but your observation is a good one for the higher areas. One of the finer points of SoCal scenery - thanks!
     
  11. Fluid Dynamics

    Fluid Dynamics TrainBoard Supporter

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    Splendid!

    The fascia is just temporarily 3/32" illustration board that I will cover with plaster. I don't know how well it will work out yet but decided to give it a try. I've been able to get the plaster really smooth on the foam so perhaps I could do the same on the fascia.

    Hardboard would be perfect if I had a wood structure to fasten it to, but i reasoned that the lighter tag board would get reinforced with plaster cloth and be easily glued to the foam hulk than something more rigid.

    In a way I'm building this like your typical foam / fiberglass homebuilt kitplane . . by building up the shape with light and soft materials and then reinforcing it all with an overlay of composite materials.
     
  12. Grantha

    Grantha TrainBoard Member

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    Few rail bridges I've seen or read about surpass the High Level Bridge in Lethbridge, Alberta. Built in 1909, this is one of the longest and highest bridges of its type in the world. It spans 1 mile (1.6km) and is nearly 100 metres high (320 feet). Here's a photo I found on the net of this bridge.

    [​IMG]
    Here's a links to a nice panoramic view of the bridge. High Level Panorama
     
  13. Fluid Dynamics

    Fluid Dynamics TrainBoard Supporter

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  14. Fluid Dynamics

    Fluid Dynamics TrainBoard Supporter

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    A closing pair of pics of the filling process before final ground cover begins.

    [​IMG]
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  15. NS Fan

    NS Fan TrainBoard Member

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    Looking great !

    I look at the wide open space you have created then look at what I'm trying to do and it looks like a pile of Spaghetti.. :D

    Keep it going pal !
     
  16. Fluid Dynamics

    Fluid Dynamics TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks, I love big scenery and simple trackage. Here is some groundcover going on.

    [​IMG]
     
  17. dave n

    dave n TrainBoard Supporter

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    Excellent! Fascia makes a huge difference in appearance, doesn't it?

    Looking great. What colors of ground cover are you using? I've got about 10 different colors, from 3 or 4 different manufacturers, on my layout - plus some actual dirt from SoCal that I sifted. Variety is the spice of life! There are just so many different variations in real life - depending on amount of water in a given area, amount of sunlight exposed to, season of the year.. . .

    I'm unable to find any dead/dried bush material - have you had any luck? One thing I've been thinking about doing is airbrushing some small bushes (before putting them on the layout) w/ shades of brown to simulate dried brush - anyone tried that?

    The arid/desert scenery of California is complex and challenging to get dead on- those that say it is easy obviously haven't tried it!
     
  18. Fluid Dynamics

    Fluid Dynamics TrainBoard Supporter

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    Yes I love the difference the fascia made. I extended part of the edge outward (by the upper bridge approach) so that the fill wouldn't be right on the fascia, and love the new look.

    The groundcover so far has just beeen woodland scenics fine yellow grass ground foam. There are variations in its color on the hillside from some old sanding dust that got mixed in in places, and varying degrees of thickness of the cover over the tan paint.

    I haven't yet started trying to find the brush and trees that I will use. It seems like it will be a big project, but there is a lot of lichens and twigs for sale at the local hobby store that I can choose from. The Cuesta pass seems to be a lot simpler than Tehachapi for vegetation. It's more hilly than rugged, so when in doubt, it's short grass and oak trees. :D

    As for the size of the trees, some of them on the prototype are enormous. I might try to get this effect in one or two places up front on the layout, but I was planning on using successively smaller trees up the slope of the hillside to make them look further away than they are. While I'm sticking to 18"+ radius, it's still a very tight curve compared to the 40+" a true prototypical scale curve would be in N scale in this area, so I'm trying to hide the small size of the scene in any way possible.

    But yes, there is a lot more to southern California scenery than trees and some grass . .

    But now I'm really starting to look forward to building the bridge and laying the track so I can airbrush it and lay ballast.

    Here is how the hillside looked a few minutes ago, after having the filler sanded smooth.

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Fluid Dynamics

    Fluid Dynamics TrainBoard Supporter

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    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Looks like I might finish this hillside soon . . scenery is easy once the main shape of the terrain is there. [​IMG]
     
  20. atsf_arizona

    atsf_arizona TrainBoard Supporter

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    Fluid Dynamics,

    Looking really great. Fascia really makes a difference.

    You're going to have good model photo opportunities on this layout. (smile!)

    I love big scenery and small trains running through it too. I also model the southwest US. You're off to a great start, please keep us posted.
     

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