Modeling water on sloping riverbed

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I have a riverbed that gradually slopes about a half inch downward over a 3 foot distance, then a 1 inch vertical drop (13ft N scale waterfall) continuing on for about another 6 inches (this last stretch is level). I plan on using Woodland Scenics Realistic Water since I’m familiar with it from my previous layout (but I still admittedly consider myself a novice). I have a general idea as to how I’m going to pour, but I’m just wondering if anyone has advice or can point me to books/online articles about modeling water on uneven/sloping surfaces.

Thanks…Al

2

What is your “vision” for this waterway?

I would probably take the easy way out and “terrace” the waterway, with a low waterfall or two between flat spaces. Alternately, you could have a shorter, steeper space filled with rapids.

This tannery pond flows into a lower stream bed to the left side.

I used the low tracks crossing on trestles to hide the transitions between levels.

3

Here is what I did. I used “Magic Water” and created my stream bed on a piece of foam beadboard appropriately scenicked and sealed. The product was poured when the foam beadboard was flat on the table top. I then used that piece slightly elevated for my “bubbling brook” creekbed, with modest little swirls of rushing water using gloss medium highlighted with bits of dry brushed white paint. I think it looks very plausible.

Am I making myself clear?

Magic Water is so “wet” that it would be impossible to capture that look of a sloping stream any other way, in my view.

Dave Nelson

4

When I applied the Mod Podge, it went on pretty thick and didn’t look likely to run at a shallow angle.

5

Al,

Think about how water acts in nature. It’s the great leveler. Where you see a sloping riverbed, it’s usually whitewater or otherwise disturbed.

The easiest way to duplicate that is what Mr. B suggested: think in terms of pools and transitions, as that duplicates how water shapes its path.

Is it possible to modify your streambed by dividing it into pools and transitions? These need not be large if you talking 1/2" over 3’, but will make the process much easier. I’ve used rock and talus material from WS for this with success. It need not by an impervious dam, but enough so that the surface tension helps dam things up. This also will facilitate pouring it in sections, which is more manageable even if yhou have experience with the product.

6

Dave I think you nailed it for me! Your way will work for me. I’ve been using Magic Water or Parks Super Glaze from a blue box store for several years and it works great if you can pour it on a flat surface, it’s very runny. The Super Glaze is much cheaper than Magic Water and I can’t tell any difference in either the mixing or the finished water project, and it’s available locally.

Thanks Dave!

I will cut out my creek and do a flat pour then reinstall it.

7

Here’s an example of Mr. B’s idea of a “terraced” stream. There is a very shallow waterfall where the sticks appear on the right side of the stream.

8

I could not add this in process photo to my previous post. This shot shows the two levels of the stream.

9

The engineer of the animal kingdom built this crude but effective dam and created a pond above it.

I got the beavers from Musket Miniatures. The one in the center was filed flat to make a “waterline model” beaver, placed on the water (Envirotex) and then a final layer was poured to semi-submerge him.

10

Grampy and Mr. B:

Great water scenes!!! I hope I can do half as well.

Dave