Best Of Interactive Scenery Clinic Week 3: The Right of Way

[Skip]

Does anyone scenic the area before they ballast?  I read somewhere that this is the better way.  Afterall, the grass was probably there before the railroad came through.  I am trying this is one area of my new layout.  I have applied WS turf up to the roadbed, and sometime later I will ballast.  What are your thoughts?

[John]

I always put the ballast down last ..

[Dave V]

I always put the ballast down last on my other layouts, but on my current layout I ballasted first.  I honestly found it easier to control the ballast edge this way:



So my ground cover takes care of the ragged cinder edge:

[wm3798]

I like to ballast early in the process.  I won't say I do it first every time, but it does help stabilize the track, and it's easier to clean up if there's not a bunch of other stuff in the way.

However, on embankments and other situations where the ballast needs to be held back, I'll put down a layer of ground cover first.


The tracks in the foreground would have been ballasted first, then ground cover applied to the embankment, with the track on top ballasted last.  The ground cover provides a nice "fence" to keep the ballast where it belongs on the upper track.
Lee

[DKS]

Does anyone scenic the area before they ballast?

I do rockwork and apply base earth material (Sculptamold or whatever) before ballasting, as these can affect the ballast profile. But, I do greenery and detailing after ballasting so that the alcohol or glue do not damage the delicate scenery materials.

[Zox]

This may be more of a "how-not-to," but it's the method that's worked for me so far: http://members.aol.com/battletekker/ballast.html

I'm still deciding on the best technique to fill in between the rails. Ideally, of course, that part would be done when the track is initially glued down.

[Puddington]

Some great stuff here - one technique I've used for tough rock faces is to use modeling clay.....



Any grey or brown modeling clay works and can be purchased at most craft stores.



I use Woodland scenics molds; press the clay into the mold at any thickness you want; it depends on how thick you want the rock outcropping.



The clay is then removed from the mold and it is very easy to manipulate; you can "mold" it to the base very easily.



Pieces can be joined easily; you can mold the edges flat to the base and you can work with the details while the clay is still wet.



Holes for trees or other scenic items can be "pre placed" before the caly drys.

The clay drys in about 24 hours. Yes; it does shrink but I have found that if you join the pieces well and you allow for shrinkage and "over size" the rock pieces it is easy to blend the ends to the scenery. Using the modeling clay allows you a lot of freedom to work on the rock face while it is wet and then again when it is dry, but yu get the exact shape you want because it molds to the base.



The rocks on the right were made in the fashion I described.



as were these....

An easy way to custom make rock faces for difficult areas.

[inkaneer]

if you want a razor sharp edge to your ballast then apply the ballast first but before you do tape the edge as if you were painting then 'paint' white glue or matte medium then either pull up the tape or apply your ballast and then pull up the tape.  Viola a nice razor edge ballast.   Works best if you pre-wet the ballast with wet water so the glue will 'wick' to it.  Rubbing alcohol may evaporate too fast.  I do all my ballast this way.  It ensures that the glue gets to the bottom of the ballast rather than just form a crust on top. 

[inkaneer]

How large/small is mainline RR ballast anyway?  I have been using material that I run through sieves that give about 1.75-2.5 inches.  I know older trackage and sidings may get something smaller down to ashes or cinders and even sand.

[3rdrail]

This stuff was done about 40 years ago.

Here's a rock cut that has been drilled and blasted to get track clearance:


Some more sedimentary rock. I carved the rock faces, but I was a lot closer to my geology classes in collge back then.  ;D


This is more recently ballasted track on my photography diorama. The track is Atlas code 80, with Highball ballast and WS cinders.

[wm3798]

For rocks, I've found that nothing works better than...  well....  Rocks.


I collected a bag o' rocks at McCoy's Ferry, which is on the Potomac River west of Williamsport on the WM main line, which is still used by CSX as far as Cherry Run.  The embankment below the steel trestle there is lousy with loose shale of all sizes, all in that wonderful warm brown so common along the Potomac Valley.  I filled a couple of WalMart bags...

I embedded the rocks into the Sculptamold goop that I use to cover my foam land forms.  As the tinted Sculptamold begins to set, I sprinkle some ground foam over it to give it some color and texture.

Once it sets up, I go back with some light washes of greys and blacks to enhance the shadows of the rocks, and to blend them into the base scenery.



I then start to work in some trees and underbrush to fill in the scene.



Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've been slacking here, I apologize.

But instead of writing it all out, again, I'll just post the link:
http://conrail1285.com/news.asp?storyid=29

[Caleb Austin]

I agree with Lee and others, I put down ballast first. If the ballast shoulder looks too big I can bring the turf up and blend it in a bit.

[Phil Olmsted]

All your work is incredible!  I can't begin to tell you how helpful these threads are to newbies like me.

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge.

Phil in San Francisco

[GrampysTrains]

Hi: This is the first scene one would encounter as they approach my layout. The rocks are Hydrocal castings from WS rubber molds. I cast them separately, and use a mix of Sculptamold and Structolite/Gypsolite to "glue" them to the base, and partly submerge them into the surrounding terrain. Then I soak the castings and surrounding terrain with alcohol/India ink. Then I use a very thin mix of wet water and my basic earth colored latex paint. Then, more alcohol/ink, until they look "right" to me. Then, I dry brush with light gray latex paint.  The ballast is WS med. gray mix. I use a child's medicine dropper to apply staight alcohol and diluted white glue. I weather with diluted earth latex paint. BTW, HO scale.