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Scenery - Mountains Articles

7 Steps to Realistic Rocks

Using ceiling tile to create rock layers.

Adding Character

The author decided to remove a section of his mountains to model a rock retaining wall, which includes two water drainage pipes that flow water. The describes the whole process and the article includes some construction photos.

Building Believable Buffs

Simple, step-by-step procedure for building realistic bluffs to cover the area between two tracks at different elevations.

Building Scenery

How to overcome your fears of doing scenery for the first time on your layout.

Casting Boulders

The author shows his step-by-step process for casting loose boulders using molds and Hydrocal.

Clay Rock Construction

This article shows how to create shallow-profile rock cuts.

Creating a Landslide

The author described how he dealt with the dark shadows formed by the mountain on the layout's backdrop.

Detailing Tunnels

The author describes how he cast tunnel interiors.

Geodesic Foam Scenery Part 2

In this installment the manufacturer of this product shows us how to make rock castings, painting the rocks, and installing them.

Geodesic Foam Scenery Part Three

In this installment the author describes how he paints the rocks, adds ground cover, trees, bushes, water, figures, and other details.

Geology: The Basis for Scenery

The author describes the how and why of mountain formations and how we can model that.

How To: Rock Castings from Molds Using Hydrocal

Using Hydrocal and molds to make cliff and mountain rock castings.

Inexpensive Molds for an Infinite Variety of Rock Cliffs and Crags

Making rock molds using bathroom silicone, shown in step-by-step photos.

Low-cost Scenery

Using heavy-duty moving paper to form the scenery base shell for the layout. Two layers are all that's needed before applying scenery materials.

Making Rock Molds

Step-by-step text and photo guide on how the author makes his rock molds. He shows two methods, one using a single large rock and one using a board full of smaller rocks (to make a vertical rock wall, for example).

Modeling Cuts and Fills

A brief how-to article on how to model cuts and fills (land above and below the track level).

Modeling State Line Tunnel on the NEB&W

This article covers the construction of the tunnel. It includes prototype and modeled photos that share a striking resemblance.

Mormon Rocks

Creating a 3D backdrop of the famous Mormon Rocks, Utah. Includes step-by-step photos of how the author built this scene.

Paper Shell Scenery

Instead of using plaster, the author used red rosin paper to create base of his scenery. Has lots of scenery construction photos and talks about how to create a tree mat forest.

Permanent Snow Fences

A description of and how to model wooden snow fences. These fences held the snow back from the track during th winter months, but were left in place during the rest of the year. Includes scale drawings, prototype and model photos. and example trackplan placement of the fences.

Realistic Rock Castings from Molds

Using coal as a mold source for outcrop-scale rock structures.

Rocks Along the Right of Way

Includes prototype photos of track close to mountains.

Rocks Aren't Hard

About attempting to match rock formations to the area we are modeling. Model and prototype photos. How did the Appalachian mountains form? How did the Rocky Mountains form? Includes a full geological map of the U.S. and Canada.

Rubber Rocks, Wire Weeds, and Other Scenery Tips

The author describes how he makes rocks using cut-up sponges. From the left-over parts he makes ground foam. The article also covers making small weeds using multi-strand electrical wire.

Scenery Colors and Textures

How to paint rocks and surrounding terrain using water-based paints.

Selective Compression and Landforms

Using selective compression to bring mountains closer to the track.

Snow at Condor Pass

Creating a scene in a portion of the author's layout separated by a view-block. The author discusses how he created "winter trees".

The Bread and Jam Method of Cliff Building

Creating near-vertical cliffs.

The Scenery Clinic Pt. XII

This installment covers how the author built rocky cliffs using plaster castings.

The Scenery Clinic Pt. XIII

This installment discusses how Paul paints his castings to make them look like realistic rock.

The Scenery Clinic XI

Making rock castings from molds.

Timber-lined Tunnels

This article describes the tunnel on the Southern Pacific's Santa Cruz - Olympia line. Includes prototype photos and scaled drawings.

Using Rock Molds

The author describes how he built the walls of a rock quarry by using real rock of which he made the molds.

Weathered Rock Surface

Carving heavily weathered rock faces.

What's Neat

The column covers building rocky scenery.