I have redone the new Athearn grain truck (shortened bed) and modified a Classic Metal Works truck, now I need to add some grain loads to the rear beds. Any suggestions for corn or grain loads in HO?
Thanks in advance.
Gary
If the trucks are moving down the road, the beds are covered by a tarp and secured to hooks or loops outside the truck bed by ropes. If this is the case, you won’t see the product.
If you do want to see the product, corn may be simulated with sand. Corn, when coming from the farm, is shucked but still on the cob, so the color would be similar to playground sand.
Grain is much finer and may be hard to simulate. Some years back there was a scenery company that made a scenery product called “fuzz”. This was a powder fine wood product. It was a cream-tan color. If you could find that, it would be about right. Fine ground foam may be too coarse for grain.
Sawdust?
For an open load cut a piece of foam (pink or blue) to fit and shaped with a fine rasp or course sanding pad. Paint it with a latex paint to seal it, then get a can of fine textured spray paint the color of grain. Rust-o-leum Desert Bisque isn’t too far off for some grains, something lighter might work too.
Good luck,
How about a small piece of foam, topped off with corn meal, secured by a 50/50 mix of water and white glue, just like we ballast. I was planning to use corn meal in a couple grain trucks at my grain elevator, and some more spilled along the tracks.
I wouldn’t use foodstuffs on a train layout. Insects and rodents would appreciate it if you did, though.
Just a suggestion for using the sawdust idea, but I’ve noticed that when sanding anything made from balsa, I end up with some very fine sawdust. Might that work for you?
Most of the time you wouldn’t even see the load, though…only when it’s actually being loaded.