I'm fairly new to this, started two years ago, then had surgery on my neck and stopped. I am back now and really wanting to get my platform up for my son. My platform has 2" thick pink foam on the top of it. My question is this, is it "protocol" to paint it a certain color, or cover it up with landscaping grasses and structures. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
There is no firm "protocol" for anything when it comes to fun stuff. If you're creating something for your son to enjoy, protocol doesn't even exist..
Now, about foam:
If you choose to color it, it's best done with plain old flat latex paint. Paint it several different colors as appropriate such as gray road surfaces, brown dirt areas, green fields,......You can also carve it (think rivers or streams) with a sharp knife or a hot foam carver, similar to a soldering iron.
If you want to add trees, they will be easily installed by sticking the trunks into the foam - like a toothpick into a cupcake. Same goes for other details like fence posts, road signs, power poles, etc.
Buildings and other "accessories" can be installed in a similar fashion.
You can attach the railroad track in several ways, but I suggest using a cork roadbed applied to the pink foam with white glue and the track fastened to the cork with very small wire brads and white glue thinned with a bit of water.
If it's practical to do so, run your wires underneath the "platform" and fish them up through holes in the foam. Holes in the pink foam are easily created by heating the end of a straightened coat hanger with a candle flame and poking the hot end down through the foam. Be sure to use an oven mitt to hold the hanger and use PLENTY OF VENTILATION. If you can, melt the holes outdoors or with the garage door opened.
Finally, use this website as a reference. Kalmbach has a multitude of publications from which you can draw tips, how-to's, and a host of other useful stuff.
Good Luck!
Chico Chip
My son and I have also used the pink foam on his model railroad. We painted it a dirt brown latex paint. The reason for this is that it appears as soil in any area that the grass or other vegetation do not quite cover making a very realistic appearance. For areas that are going to be Alpine rocks we used a neutral gray. Another advantage is that the latex protects the foam from certain glues and paints that dissolve the foam. We affixed his flexible track with super glue to the painted foam and it has held extremely well over the years. Nice thing about foam is that you can carve below grade relief into it and that creates a more realistic appearance. In the two attached photos you can see where we used the brown paint and the gray paint.
Great photos.
Gabesdad, this is what I was tryiong to describe without the graphics.
Good job, Major.
Excellent suggestions folks. My layout was originally intended to be a place to run the trains that are a part of my collection and nothing more. Once I got started however it was hard to stop and I developed two towns without ever painting the blue foam that I use as a base. Hence, I named my layout the Blueboard Central Division of American Flyer Lines. I think it all depends on how detailed you want to be in your scenery.
The Northwoods Flyer Collection
of
American Flyer Trains
"The Toy For the Boy"
Thanks for all the feedback.... I would prefer to paint it, but wasn't sure what color, type of paint, etc...but I like that brown.....I have been totally freelancing this platform, and really am determined to get this done... I have fasttrack down already and have purchased several buildings and scenery accents to put on it....Thanks again everyone
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