Don't laugh too hard...It's my first attempt!

steamhead

Active Member
Hey!!

I went the same route as you...I started to use lichen first and didn't like it, until I started cutting it real small (trying to keep it from falling apart) and then it looked OK. I also sprayed it with an acrylic to get the greenish color toned down - maybe the acrylic helped in keeping it from falling apart. I'm also using the clump foliage, also keeping it small - after all, large vegetation doesn't really belong in a desert...
Keep up the good work!!!:thumb:

Gus (LC&P).
 

UP SD40-2

Senior Member
Steve, i too, am NOT a big fan of lichen, it was all we had back in the 70's and early 80's:( , but clump foliage came along, and REALLY looks 1000x better:thumb: . though i think Gus is right, if "worked with", it can look good;). i have seen lichen on layouts and it did look good, not sure how they did it though. BTW, looking at the last pics in the last few posts you have done just about makes me want to start over:eek: . the rock work and water you have done looks FANTASTIC in the pics!!!!:thumb: makes me wish i had the room to put a mountain and water;) . your doing GREAT!!!:thumb: , KEEP THE PICS COMING!!:thumb: :D -Deano
 

UP SD40-2

Senior Member
OH YEA, have you thought about using N scale FINE ballast for the sand/earth problem you are having? i use N scale ballast for gravel roads in HO scale, looks GREAT! just a thought. :D -Deano
 

Nazgul

Active Member
Miles I was goofin' on you...I wanted you to see this pic:

http://www.the-gauge.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=30092&d=1158887217
sign1
I'll post a real one on Deano's thread.
S.H.
I'll try cutting it and seeing if it helps...thanks
Deano
Thanks buddy...I appreciate your kind words....I'll try the fine ballast
vipe:
For a dirt look, why not sift some real dirt? Bake it in the over first to remove any moisture, and to break it up a little bit, then put it in something that would work to sift it
I did mention I was LAZY....didn't I?tooth1
thank you:thumb:
 
I am not Omnipresent!

"He's everywhere?" Well, almost. But I am trying to lose weight.

I highly recommend Silflor products grasses from Scenic Express. If you've got the money it's SO worth it. I bought a couple sample packs, since that's way more than I'll ever need for the Timesaver layout and was really impressed. Once I've done a bit more with it I'll share, perhaps on my website which is in dire need of an update.

As for lichen...I've had good results covering it with WS dark green fine ground foam and using it to represent Mountain Laurel or Rhododendrons. Just dot a little pink or white on a few branches to represent blossoms if it's the right season. The 'branch' structure of lichen reminded me of the inner branches of the Rhodys while the foam isn't exactly like the long waxy leaves of the bushes but is close enough at a distance.

And the station/road dilemma...some bridges (like the great girder with "Twin River" on it...That is SO cool!) double as roads if decked/planked appropriately. This is easily done by cutting balsa sheet to size, 'planking' it by scribing with a mechanical pencil (my own technique that shades and scribes all at once...although not really new to the strathmore generation of scratchbuilders...just works well with a soft wood like balsa), staining it and gluing it over the ties. If it's the right thickness you don't have to worry about clearance. Just weather it heavily with black chalk to simulate ground in coal dust.

Galen
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
UP SD40-2 said:
OH YEA, have you thought about using N scale FINE ballast for the sand/earth problem you are having? i use N scale ballast for gravel roads in HO scale, looks GREAT! just a thought. :D -Deano

I use N-Scale and HO-Scale ballast mixes all the time for yards and loads. It gives it more of a variety and looks great!!:thumb: :D :)
 

fsm1000

Member
For dirt I found that well... dirt is best. Sand is just too big even in O scale. One thing you can also try is rock dust. I got a pail of crushed rock for 40 cents at a landscaping place. It has rock dust in it. Extremely fine stuff.
Hope that helps.
 

Nazgul

Active Member
Thanks everybody you all make good points and the answers tie into my next question.
It involves what ya all think would look best. Which of these approaches will give the BEST overall results. Please bear in mind that I have no real seasonal preference (except NO winter). Also I will be adding trees (conifer) albeit fairly sparsely on this end of the lay out.
Please don't laugh at my weak attempts at MS Paint.........on second thought....go ahead and laugh...I did!sign1


first choice: Keep going in the direction I'm presently headed...Dirt, a little sand, some really small rocks where I can, bushes, under-growth, ect.
Scenery 073.jpg

Second choice: Burnt grass, weeds, dirt patches peeking through here and there.
Scenery 073 grass.jpg

Third choice: green grass, bushes....green!
Scenery 073 burnt grass.jpg

Fourth choice: Some combo of the above

Fifth choice: something I didn't think of (is that possible?:D )
 

Nazgul

Active Member
man I thought those pictures looked bad before I posted them.......but they are B A DDDDDDDDDD!:rolleyes: sign1
 
forest goop

If memory serves me right...I recall reading about some sort of forest floor scenery goop that was a mix of blended leaves, white glue, some sort of anti-mold agent since the stuff took so long to set up, and sculptamold...I think. Anyway, this round-robin group of modelers did a series of articles in MR on making deciduous trees and one was on planting. They spread this goop around first, then planted from the ground up; fallen branches, smaller bushes, small trees, trunks, then finally trees with tops. In the end the goop dried, holding all together and making a very realistic looking forest floor. For a conifer forest it will have a somewhat different look, but perhaps pine needles can be ground instead of leaves to produce a different look?

BTW, I like the vibrant green.

Galen
 
I really like the Green IDEA. It adds some Life to your mountains and I think would look really nice with some nice tress in their as well.

Good work.....and you gotta love Paint.
 

viperman

Active Member
I like the idea of the grass, but with a little bit of dirt showing through. Add some rocks and an occasional pine tree
 

Nazgul

Active Member
Thanks Galen
I'll try and dig up the info from the issues.

Thats 3 votes for green, is it going to be a "landslide"?...........sorry:rolleyes: tooth1
 

91rioja

Member
Go with the green. Also, may I suggest a fall season? That way you could add some aspens in their fall yellow phase as well.
 

Nazgul

Active Member
And the winner is......

GREEN!
here are links of photos that I found that convey 1 possible look that the scene can have. I could always do a lot less trees. What surprised me was the drastic slopes that trees and other plant life can grow on! That helps me out....so, take a look and see what you think:thumb:
http://englishriverwebsite.com/LewisClarkColumbiaRiver/Images/HCRH_from_rowena_crest_2005.jpg
http://englishriverwebsite.com/LewisClarkColumbiaRiver/Images/rowena_gap_from_chamberlain_lake_2005.jpg
http://englishriverwebsite.com/LewisClarkColumbiaRiver/Images/mitchell_point_from_ruthton_park_2005.jpg
http://englishriverwebsite.com/LewisClarkColumbiaRiver/Images/hwy-14_tunnel_no3_from_mitchell_point_2005.jpg

That should give you a rough idea of what I'm thinking
I guess I may need to learn how to make trees...heading to The Academy:D
 
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