I read about a neat way to make mountains using expanding insulating foam. The article recommended covering the track with crumpled newspaper covered with plastic wrap, such as Saran Wrap. (The way I did it.) I would recommend making a more solid tunnel using foam core board or cardboard. Since my mountain backed up against a wall, I used paint stir sticks spaced across the back and then taped cardboard across the back to hold the stuff in. It was removed after curing. Shake up your canned foam and start filling it up roughly in the shape of your mountain. When it dries, (2-3 days) you can use a knife or hacksaw blade to carve and shape the mountain. A word of caution: It will keep expanding as it dries. I sprayed it along elevated tracks and it jacked them up to about 10 degrees! I had to cut the bottom off and push it all back down! When dry, I removed the cardboard from the back and pulled out the newspaper. I only had to cut it out in a few places for better clearance. It makes a strong, lightweight mountain. I’m covering most of it with trees, so rock shapes were not a big deal to me. I would use it again.
I have used accoustical ceiling tile layers alternating with thin styrofoam (beadboard) to model mountains. Liquid nails for the adhesive. I built up alternate layers representing sandstone, hard (tile) and soft (beadboard) layers. I did this in Z-scale, but in retrospect, the layers alternated too regularly. In N or HO, thinner strata layers in proportion to size of the track will allow you to varry layer thickness more easily. Also, if you can see 1:1 rock strata, one or both or 2 things is happening: (1) the layers are exposed above the ground surface at an angle, anywhere from 5° to 45°, or (2) the layers have been incised by artificial rock cut or natural water cut or canyon. Natural cuts are best represented by crumbling away the rough layer edge with your finger tips. Tile looks like sandstone or slate/shale. The beadboard, if crumbled away, looks like conglomerate after a sealing with thinned Liquid Nails. Paul
The envirotex worked ok for my layout and it still looks great with no adjustments after 7 years but be aware that it settles to a flat profile (like standing water) although I’d tried stippling it right before it was completely cured (as suggested in Model Railroader) with no real luck (it settled flat anyway!) I also painted the bottom of the rivers black (to emulate Deep water) and feathered out the embankments with a grey/green mixture. For more realism and detail (which I love) I broke up some of my yard landscaping stones with a hammer and laid in a graveled embankment at the edges of the water so that it was covered with the envirotex “water” when I poured it. They suggest you lightly blow on it as it dries since the carbon dioxide from your breathe helps remove the bubbles. (Note: this works GREAT!) Add some “water grass” reed clumps to the top with Woodland Scenics long grass (actually soft straw cut to length) in yellow and green combinations) and WOW does it look real !!! A “trick” for you mountains I found was to “break” some of the hydrocal plaster moulded rocks in half after you remove them from the molds and THEN fit them where they look best. It will add to the variety of shapes you can get in your mountain texture and the realism is scary. I’ve not read of this trick ANYWHERE in the magazines so this is the first time I’ve written this little secret to anyone since I completed my layout. I used the 2" basket weave cardboard strips (cut from boxes) and hotglue to form the “frame” of my mountains & used a staple gun to secure the edges to the wood frame of my layout. It weighs almost nothing but fully supported my 170lbs. of weight. I then covered the cardboard basketweave strips with plaster cloth and finally finished it off with hydrocal plaster rock molds I poured just using rubber rock molds, hydrocal plaster, lemon dishwashing liquid sprayed into the rubber mold before each pour (as a release agent) and a shower curtain on the floor to keep from getting the carpet in my train r
I’ve never used Envirotex, but the Woodland Scenics Realistic Water would work great. You only want to pour 1/8" or less at a time, but you can layer it if you let each layer dry completely (2-3 days). I have poured a portion nearly 1/2" deep ant it looks great (after 5 pours).
“For water, have you ever considered using real water with a waterfall and a pump? Very basic to create, and with a bit of dye, painted waterways, and obstructions to create ‘waves’ it looks extremely real.”
I would NOT reccomend this. Number one, 1:1 water does not look prototyical in an HO or smaller environment. You can’t scale down real water. But more importantly, the real water will reaise moisture/humidity levels on your layout and eventually things will begin to mold, mildew, and rot, not to mention rust. These are scenarios you want to avoid.
Ron