Good morning, I am wanting to put something on this hill. I built it with the intension of putting a rock quarry here but found it to be to small, so I just put some trees on it for now.
I was hoping that some of you might have some suggestions. I have thought about a water treatment plant, or an electricial sub-station, or maybe a park/camping area, The trees can be removed, it is on top of a hill with a rather steep gravel road (the road could be paved). The area in question is about 4’ wide and about 2’ deep, with 2 curved tracks going through it.
By looking at the next pic and thinking about all the unwanted guest I seem to have around, maybe a zoo? haha
Thanks for any suggestions. Mike
Thanks for the input Bob, I had that advice given to me a week or so ago, what I do not know is how to go about changing it now aside from pulling up some trees and that would ruin the mountain. I cannot go in and airbrush just a few trees without getting paint where I do not want it. any suggestions? I did put a dead/dying tree on the other portion on the layout and it made it look a lot better, I plan to put more different color trees on that part since I do need a few more trees there. Any good advice on making leavey trees? I have used WS before but the folage will not stay on and they do not look that great. Thanks for replying. Mike
You could acquire some sphagnum moss, dye it in two or three shades of green, and then place small tufts of it between the top thirds of the pines that are currently in place. You will see a big improvement.
slector, I guess I do not understand what you mean, what is ‘‘sphagnum moss’’ and what do you mean about the top thirds? The top 1/3 of the tree or make like a row about 1/3 down? Please explain. Mike
Possible use of a hill based on my own layout: [1] build the hill up a bit and install a mine with a single siding, [2] without adding track, put in a forest lookout tower, [3] as mentioned, a camping site with tents, trailers, and maybe some deer or bears, [4] an A-frame cabin and yard. Most layouts are short of places for people to live. I also have a monastery – Kibri cathedral kit and Preiser monks – on one mountain. Takes a space about 24"x30" with surrounding grounds. You could also have a stable, fenced pasture, and horses in a space like this.
Hi Mike, It may be time to get to a craft store like Michael’s and go to the flower arrangment area. Look at the branches available as well as the packaged stuff. There you will find ferns, caspia, moss and all kinds of cool stuff. It may also be time to get a few cans of CHEAP acrylic spray cans of greens and yellows. A light coat of several colors will make sure every tree is a little different. With some care and cardboard pieces for covering you can lightly spray paint the existing trees right on the layout. This takes some doing. Protect the track and other things with coverings of any kind that work. All this takes more practice than advice, but it is a blast.
You can also raid the gardens around for seed pods that make great trees and bushes. In Minnesota it is just getting to the time when the are done flowereing and ready for picking.
If not you have two options around the same principle…
Some quarries start in one place, get their buildings/facilities set up and then shift elsewhere nearby… solution that saves moving all the expensive plant is to feed the plant by a conveyor system, an internal RR or trucks… some even go mad and use cableways… but they are hard to model.
The other option is a quarry that started up and foundered… this is surprisingly not that uncommon… what appeared to be a good seam of whatever suddenly played out. The leisure park behind my home where I walk the dog did exactly that… and the brick works / clay pit back of where I grew up produced a monster unique piece of geology that I don’t think anyone has explained yet… they ran into clay that was already burned into brick… a half mile long lump of brick. Someone didn’t check exactly where this went and the row of shops where I had my first saturday job was built astride the lump… naturally one half slid one way and the other the other. For some reason the guy who owned the shop I worked in didn’t think that getting a bigger shop inch by inch was such a good idea.
Meanwhile, back at your layout…
trees…
If you can find a good tree body good foliage can be made from accoustic wadding for loud speakers. this is like lamb’s wool but synthetic, non flamable and comes in whacking great lumps for not much $. It’s usually white but will hold any sprayed colour and doesn’t go into soggy lumps. You tease it out for how dense you want the foliage to be, spray it, tear it into smaller bits, spray the tree body with glue and throw the “foliage” at it. It works for me but i don’t have any pics (or know how to post them).
