ATSF Los Angeles Division, circa 1949

[SP-Wolf]

Hey Otto,

Looking great - and, coming along nicely.

Best regards,
Wolf

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks Wolf! I see an op session in your future
Well, sometime in 2022! Happy and Healthy New Year!
Otto

[MDW]

Thanks Michel! I dislike the messiness of foam as well (although it has its applications). But the main reason I like cardboard strips is that on my hilly/mountainous projects, I like to have as much scenery below the track boards as I do above. Big fills and cuts, balancing the earthwork, and for me, cardboard gives me better control. Often, layouts that are built on a flat baseplate, plywood or foam, have most of the scenery layered up above the base, with maybe a token depression here and there.

Otto-
I get it.  My layout also has a fair amount of below the roadbed scenery & some benchwork complexity that doesn’t lend itself to stacking foam slabs.  I guess that’s why I’m leaning towards cardboard strips.   

The LA Division c1949 progress is looking great, by the way.

Michel

[Cajonpassfan]

Speaking of the cost of hobby plaster "specialist bandage" for scenery, I found this on a medical supply site on Amazon: a 12-pack of fast setting bandages 4"x 5 yds. each....that's theoretically almost 60 sq. ft. of scenery base for about $30. Not bad. And it's fast setting, too. Arrived today. A great find I think😎
Time to cover some cardboard strips!
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

Made a bit of scenery progress tonite. I forgot how much I enjoy doing scenery. The first pic is about $2.50's worth of specialist bandage, one roll, the second about four bucks, not quite two. Money well spent I think. The Alray section house and fruit grove is just a mock up for now...
To be continued😎
Otto

[OldEastRR]

Luckily we didn't get into a huge thread drift on which construction method is best for scenery.  Truth is, it depends on what kind of terrain and locales you are modeling. For flat desert/prairie/big city scenes, table construction with some foam works well. For deep canyons, hilly terrain, or lots of waterways then cardboard and plaster works. Then there's the foaming sheet method like Bragdon has, and I don't think anybody uses wire window screen supported on lathes and slathered with plaster any more. I used open benchwork with foam at the bottom (for depressed waterways), table with 1/2" foam on top for towns and gently graded areas, supported 4" foam between mains when the drop below track level was less than 2", and stacked foam on framework for outcroppings and compact hills. I've even used the Bragdon foam to make scene dividers with some depth and texture.

Beautiful work on the layout -- I'm still holding out for even a rough draft of a track plan someday. 

[Angus Shops]

In mountainous terrain I use wire screen (an electric stapler is a huge help), plaster cloth, followed by about 1/8” of plaster of Paris, or more where required to achieve specific effects, such as carved rock and properly shaped cuts and fills, and etc. I buy the plaster in 25 lb. bags at the local Lowes and use it liberally. When needed I use wadded up newsprint under the wire to retain its shape for the plaster cloth application or the weight will push the wire down on larger area. Im always careful to remove the wadded paper afterwards; I’m concerned about my layout being unnecessarily flammable. To be honest, that’s one of the reasons I’ve not used foam on my layouts…

[Cajonpassfan]

Luckily we didn't get into a huge thread drift on which construction method is best for scenery. 
...
Beautiful work on the layout -- I'm still holding out for even a rough draft of a track plan someday. 

Thank you @OldEastRR, appreciated. The plan below shows the area of Alray, except I made the siding longer (9'-6') by moving the highway, tunnels and "Big Cut" up a ways, to the left. There's also a bit more distance between the Summit side and the Alray side.
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

A nice, relaxing day at home today. More cardboard and plaster bandages, around Bridge A-63 just above Cajon station and below a place called "Drawbar Flat". Apparently, a lot of drawbars died there where a short flat stretch between grades created pulling and pushing forces too great for the metallurgy of the era.
But I digress. I roughed in Cajon Creek which follows the original 3% line a little ways but wasn't happy with how close the creek and track came to the isle. So I decided to add a triangular piece of scenery to accommodate the full creek. It makes access to Sullivan's  Curve a bit far to reach, and the end of the isle narrows to 24", but I like the scenic possibilities. I may yet make the triangular piece removable, or not; time will tell.
Pics below with and without the triangular addition...
Otto

[Santa Fe Guy]

Nice work Otto, that Triangle could be a curved fascia and still look good. Might give a little more access.
Rod.

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks Rod, interesting idea, and I may yet do that, time will tell
Meanwhile, I've been working on my "other" layout, a friend's in HO. Another bridge to install and a canyon to justify it. Lots of cardboard, hot glue sticks, rosin paper and plaster bandages. Having fun with it. Sculptamold comes next....
I just need to find a way to balance my hobby time between the two. In some ways, I find the HO one easier, or maybe it's because it's  freelance vs. my proto-based.

[OldEastRR]

Adding little fill-in sections to inside corners is a nice technique for "remodeling" an origianal track plan/layout frame. Used strictly as a cosmetic feature, not being integral to the framework, means there's no huge construction project or addition to figure in. Even a small addition in a key spot can make a big difference. While helping a friend build a portable layout, one key prototypical feature was this long straight trestle. However with box-shaped sections  and how the plan was laid out on them, meant the long trestle would have to be an s-shape. However, adding a small wedge piece to the end of an inside corner gave just enough room to put a section of track to achieve the straight trestle. It was a very simple task to fab and attach the piece and it made a big difference in the appearance of the whole layout. 

[Scottl]

Love how that scene came together to frame the bridge.

Thanks Rod, interesting idea, and I may yet do that, time will tell
Meanwhile, I've been working on my "other" layout, a friend's in HO. Another bridge to install and a canyon to justify it. Lots of cardboard, hot glue sticks, rosin paper and plaster bandages. Having fun with it. Sculptamold comes next....
I just need to find a way to balance my hobby time between the two. In some ways, I find the HO one easier, or maybe it's because it's  freelance vs. my proto-based.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Otto I'm with you working on other friends layouts.
I'm currently painting a back drop on a good friends new HOn3 layout and its giving me great pleasure.
Keep having fun is the main game.
Regards for the New Year.
Rod.

[Cajonpassfan]

Otto I'm with you working on other friends layouts.
...
Keep having fun is the main game.
Regards for the New Year.
Rod.

You got that right my friend! Happy and Healthy 2022 to you too!
Otto