Help on the Hill

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I am working on the hill in the back corner of my layout and could use some help. I know that I do not want it to just be flat on the top, but I am stuck on what to do. Do I leave the back and the right side completely flat, or do I slope them in at the top some.

Here is where I am at right now, for some reason because of the corner, I’m stuck on what to do.

Here is an example of what I would like:

2

Watch this video and then fly at it. If you want lots of trees they are easy to stick into foam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1D4KBB_GC4

Brent

3

One of my favorite activities.Here is what I would do:

  1. Glue on about 4 more layers of foam

  2. Get out the serrated steak knife and start digging and cutting and gouging away untill it looks the right shape. If you gouge too much, glue a chunk of foam in and continue.

  3. When you get the right shape, carve in some rock out croppings and stones on top. Be more agressive than you think and exagerate the shapes.

  4. Get out the wire brush and add some texture depending on the kind of rock your hill is made out of.

  5. Give the whole thing a coat of house paint, maybe adding some sawdust and drywall mud for added texture.

  6. Add trees, bushes, ground cover and clutter to taste.

It is fun, easy, and takes more persistance than talent. The secrete is to get agressive.

4

Newspaper and plaster cloth:

5

Since most hill tops are above us, just flat up against your backdrop usually looks OK. I did roll the backs of mine a little, because it may displayed at a lower height for kids and adults will have more of a birds eye view.

Some depth can be added by painting on your backdrop.

Good luck,

Richard

6

I like Phoebe Vet’s scene a lot. When you look at it, your eyes are drawn away from the wall and right to the bandstand. Taking a cue from stage magicians, remember that a lot of good modeling is about illusion. It’s tough to put a mountain into the corner of a room and have it look right, particularly on close examination. So, catch the viewer’s eye and keep it away from the wall, by emphasizing details a bit closer. Rock outcroppings and trees do this well, but a small pond or stream is even better. If you have a lot of trees, consider a path between them with hikers or perhaps a moose on it.

7

Thank you Mr.B. I am a great fan of YOUR work, so a compliment from you means a lot.

8

I ended up using some newspaper over the foam, then plaster over the newspaper. I am happy with the results so far, now I just need to paint it.

Can I use latex paint in place of acrylic paint in one of those adjustable spray bottles? What is the ratio of paint to water to use for a wash?

9

I use latex paint on plastercloth. I use it straight out of the can, applied with a brush.

10

Mine is built just like yours…PS Foam Board. I’m now working on the house for the top of it, and then to the beach in front of it where it will mesh well with the Lionel Lighthouse.

11

To top-off the narrow top of a hill, I layered thin zig-zags of conifer trees of varying colors. Bob Hahn

12

When laying up hills to the backdrop, just remember that you also need to show all other scenery contours that fit into your local. Arthill descibes his “love” of weilding that serrated knife, and he does an unbelievable job of actually carving and detailing foam. Pheobevet shows the terraine quite well leading into the corner backdrop. Just try not to fall into that plunk a pile of foam on the praire look. Well of coarse if you are modeling that plains look.

13

I think you’ve got too many big flat sheets all about the same size. Think of it like a topigraphical map, doing layers of different sizes. As for what’s there now you can add smaller pieces of foam at the top, then cut them to shape, or add paper wads and plaster over them.

In working recently on a similar spot on my layout, I laid the foam sheet on edge and cut out the general shape of the hills I wanted, from low to high with high being the corner. Then I filled in with wads of paper and held them in place with masking tape. That gave me the general shape, and I could add or remove paper where I wanted it higher or lower. I chose to use paper towels and white glue, followed by a mix of sanding grout and water, rather than plaster, but either way works out about the same.

14

That is exactly what I did with the newspaper and plaster, here is where I am. Now if I could just figure out how to paint it to make it look the way I want it to. I tried three times and still can’t get it right.