What's New on the PRR Panhandle 2.0?

[healey36]

Are you planning to lay track before going hot and heavy on scenery? I'm not that familiar with the sequence of building a scale layout, but presume that sometimes clearances can be an issue. Just asking, not suggesting one way or another...

[G3750]

Are you planning to lay track before going hot and heavy on scenery? I'm not that familiar with the sequence of building a scale layout, but presume that sometimes clearances can be an issue. Just asking, not suggesting one way or another...

Yes. But because it will be difficult to reach the areas behind the bridge on either side of the river, I plan to do that scenery (including the river pour) before returning to usual sequence of:
1) benchwork
2) track laying
3) wiring the track
4) testing the track and operational characteristics
5) building scenery

George

[healey36]

Makes sense, especially the river pour. When I've done that in the past, albeit on a much smaller scale, I unknowingly slopped/splashed it around much more than I realized. I'm really looking forward to seeing the next phase (as you probably are as well).

[rogruth]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the next phase (as you probably are as well).

Me too.

[G3750]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the next phase (as you probably are as well).

Me too.

Oh, yeah. That's where I am as well.

This will really be a feel-your-way effort for me. I have very little experience with scenery - Panhandle 1 only got to the plywood jungle stage.

Oh well. Sometimes you have to jump in the deep-end with both feet!

George

[healey36]

Busted out the hot-wire foam-cutter yet?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I have very little experience with scenery

You do the reading and now you watch the Youtube demos, etc. but in the end you just try stuff and if you don't like it, you rip it out.

One thing to minimize that is to build a few small modules of scenery test stuff and to learn what works for you and what you like or not.

[healey36]

One thing, among many, I struggle with is how to make cut foam look like a rock face. I've read the books, watched the Youtube clips, just can't get something that looks representative. In the end it still looks like slabs of foam in layers.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

One thing, among many, I struggle with is how to make cut foam look like a rock face. I've read the books, watched the Youtube clips, just can't get something that looks representative. In the end it still looks like slabs of foam in layers.

Have you tried using ceiling tiles? I've seen a few clinics on using them and they look pretty good.

[healey36]

I've used it to build up hills, but never for an exposed rock-face. I've used a few of those molds Woodland Scenics makes, and those work pretty well, but it's time-consuming and a bit tedious. I've seen foam that's been carved to look like rock, and it can be very convincing. Just haven't mastered the technique, I guess.

[chuck]

You can model rock faces that actually look like stacked styrofoam (sandstone, limestone, shale). If you use some shims on the base layer the slabs do not have to be parallel to the table top. You can go with carved vertical stacks to mimic basalt. I mix up very small batches of thinned Hydrocal and applied that with a fairly stiff brush. You can drag the brush over the plaster as it dries for additional texturing. You have to use small batches because it sets up insanely fast. Regular plaster takes too long to set and the moisture tends to go places you don't want it to. The brushes will get beat up very quickly so don't plan on using them for anything else. The plaster also provides a base for possible detailed plaster rock molds to grab on. It also drastically increases the weight of the scenery. This is mainly an issue on a portable layout or for removable hatches. The Hydrocal treated foam can be made to look like weathered sedimentary/metamorphic rock or igneous extrusions like granite/basalt/feldspars.

I've had better luck using Gesso over the plaster for the purposes of coloring the rock faces. You can use more traditional direct spray on washes but I find Gesso adds additional texture and is designed to be used as a primer for painting. You can layer base paints and washes to get the effects you are looking for.

[rogruth]

I ran my trains for @ 2.5 years with no scenery. But talking with some of our friends here on MTJ encouraged me to get started.
IMHO the best advice was to remember if you don't like something just do it again.

[G3750]

Just got back to this thread for the first time in nearly a week. Teaching college courses (that's my other job) takes up a fair amount of time. (Wait, I'm retired and working 5 days a week? WTF is wrong with me? )

Anyway, I've used foam in layers for a slag dump on Panhandle 1. I spread spackling compound over it and painted it gray. That was the only scenery on the whole railroad. I thought it was decent looking (I can do better).

Slag2 002.JPG (3.41 MiB) Viewed 7836 times

Slag3 004.JPG (2.99 MiB) Viewed 7836 times

This will be a bit different. I will need a bit of a rock cliff under Pier 1. And there will be a slope towards the river both in front of and behind the section of track east of the arch. Steubenville's side of the river will have a tunnel portal and steep hillside. So there's going to be a lot of diverse stuff.

George

[rogruth]

Go, George, go!

[healey36]

Teaching college courses, working at the shop...you're not getting how this retirement thing works, are you?

Here's an attempt at carved-foam rock from a few years ago:



Needs some refinement.