The Picture is of the logging camp. The earth color you see, is a piece of brown material, that has been stapled & in some areas glued to the board. Once that is done, use crushed dried lichen, (which you can find in most Hobby Stores) to add some color, a little gravel, whatever you want to put on it to give it the appearance of looking like what it is supposed to be. Plant trees etc. Let your immagination run away with you.
Here you will have a good view of the carved styrofoam. When you cut the foam, you have a mottled effect. You can paint either with water or oil paint. You can also get a good effect, after you have painted it, or before, by using a contact cement (it comes in tubes) and make a few lines with it, horizontal, vertical, on a slant, or a combination of all. It eats up the areas where it is put, for a deeper effect. In this picture, you can see some green paint, to give it a grassey look and gray to give it a rocky look. The buildings etc. are from one of my larger layouts, I believe that this one is about 25-30 years old. When you get to my "New" layout, you will see some of the same buildings.
The left side of this picture, is all styrofoam, that has been glued to the wood supports of the upper level. The color is not that great, but it was carved with the contact cement, painted gray, to look like rocks. There is more strophone on the bottom of the bridge that is in the center.
The upper landing is a combination of balsa wood & cardboard. When the train leaves this area to go here is made of cardboard. The track in the back, with the inspectors car , is laid on cardboard as well braced with strips of balsa wood, also decorated with styrofom, carved & painted gray with a little black as rock, to be part of the mountain. The landing is all balsa.
As you go through my Model Railroad Pages, there are more pictures, more descriptions, and you will get the idea of little it would cost to decorate Even on large layouts. All you need is a little imagination. If you have any questions send them to me at
1/5/02 3:24:50 PM |
