How to model dirt?

[Anonymous]

Excuse me if this topic has been covered before, however I was unable to find any useful results using the search box...

Anyways, I have been reading though my archive of Model Railroad magazines and I have noticed that most modellers use 'dirt' as their primary source of ground cover. I can see why, it is a perfect match for colour and consistency, and looks great. However, I know that they don't use the standard potting soil which you find in a household plant or in your garden, becaues it is much to dark and unrealistic. I am modelling the Rocky Mountains, and so I was wodering if anyone had any suggestions on what sorts of dirt would be practical to use? Thanks for any advice.

~Robert

[nfmisso]

Hi Robert;

Get some dirt from the area you are modelling. That is one of the reasons for railfanning roadtrips <G>.

One you get it, sift it, spread it out thin on a cookie sheet (buy your spouse a new one first) and bake it at 300° to 350°F for an hour or so. This is to kill anything that might start growing on your layout, though it might release some seeds, and pine trees will start growing <G>.

Have fun.

[Anonymous]

Watch out that the dirt it clay soil free. Any clay will just gum up everything and look like a sewer.

[Jetrock]

Heh! When I was a kid I used the "use real dirt" technique without baking it first, and I did in fact get a bit of lawn growing on the layout...it was humorous to see!

[Anonymous]

Hey Robert. A quick question, did your family immigrate there from Scotland?

[Anonymous]

Also use a strong magnet to pick out anything that may get attracted to your loco's motors.

[Anonymous]

I have used dark sand which looked great just found a good patch by the park

[Seamonster]

I use real dirt on my N scale layout. I took some from the garden which was a rich black colour, some from a flowerbed which had peat mixed in it and was a bit more brownish and also swiped some of my wife's potting soil. I blended them together in different proportions to get different shades and passed it through a strainer. I didn't bother to sterilize it in the oven and haven't had anything sprout yet. Potting soil is sterilized already. The dark colour doesn't bother me because the soil around here is a rich dark black anyway and that's what I'm used to seeing so to me that's what looks natural on my layout. I also mix some of the soil with varying shades of green ground foam "grass" to use as general ground cover. It looks like sparse grass and weeds growing in dirt when glued down. Nothing looks more like dirt than dirt.
...Bob

[cacole]

I use real dirt, sifted through a flour sifter, to get the larger pieces out (mostly sand and small gravel), then mix it with water, white glue, a little liquid dishwashing detergent, and a small amount of gray el-cheapo water-based Apple brand craft paint to darken the color. In my part of Arizona, the dirt has a natural reddish color. I then spread this soupy mixture by pouring it onto the desired area and spreading it with the bottom of a teaspoon or a 1" chip brush. After it dries, it's hard to tell that it's real dirt, and it's glued down sufficiently that the layout can be vacuumed without disturbing it.

[smcgill]

Switch to g-scale and go outside and play in the dirt!!

[Anonymous]

I carry a large coffee can with me at all times. I fill it with dirt when I find a color or texture I do not have on the shelf. I do cook it and sort it through several sieves to get a coarse, medium and fine grade of material. I have colors that range from dark brown to very light tan in cans ready for use. I use the same setup to produce ballast and to separate sand into various grades. I cannot purchase the range of colors and textures mother nature has provided, but I do supplement my home-made stuff with Woodland Scenic materials as well. The rule I follow is: "if it works, use it."

Keep the steam under 300 psi.

Tom

[Anonymous]

just through dirt on it

[Anonymous]

I use real soil from my garden, dry it out in a microwave (Plastic container) then sift it and just through it on as I go along. works fine for me. Also I use sand from my local Golf club. They never miss a bag or two LOL.

[Anonymous]

USE DIRT!!! *G*
Try looking around you area for different types of soil. I don't know where you live, but most places have various different soil "profiles" within a reasonable geographic area. A strainer or sieve helps alot. Try diferent size meshes. You could also blend your real soil with some Woodland Scenics products to attain the desired tones. Not "purist", but we won't tell! *LoL*!
Unta

[dwick]

Hello Robert in Calgary:

[dwick]

Hello Robert inCalgary:
I use dirt purchased from my local garden center. I remove some of the dirt from the plastic bag and place it in a large plastic bucket. This has to sit for a few weeks so that the moisture will dry up. The dry dirt is then sifted through a household strainer and helps to remove any small stones or dried roots. The stones are set aside for scenery add-ons later. After the dirt has gone through the first stage of sifting, that batch then gets re-sifted through a fine tea strainer (they area bit expensive, but worth the price for it's purpose.). The fine dirt is placed into a large coffee can and placed in reserve for future use. I have used fine sifted dirt in my rail yards and it looks great. Just sprinkle the dirt over a 50/50 mix of Elmers Glue. Spead the glue carefully with a SMALL brush after the trackwork is completed. After the soil and glue has dried, spray a mixture of 25% glue and 75% water over the dried area. This will seal the dirt into the base of your yard or scenery. Have patience when doing this, and of course give the areas 24 hours to dry. Then, if the dirt looks too barren for you, sprinkle some green ground foam (your choice) over the areas and re-spray some glue over those areas. Coating with glue over scenicked area will make the stuff almost bullet proof.(Ha) This method has protected my diplay modules from damage by the public at train shows. You know, the ones that just have to touch your layout for some stupid reason or another.
Good Luck
Don Wick, the Yardmaster
West Bend, WI
[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

I baked my real dirt real good... It originally was storm-drain sludge and smelled it! It has a high clay content but kept a granular texture, even after whacking up the lumps with a hammer. Mixed well with WLS, too

[Anonymous]

[#ditto]
All the above advice, epecially baking it at high a temprature. I didn't do that on my first layout and the areas with real dirt and twiggs had real and living bugs!

[warner brook]

yo robert
when modeling useing real dirt you could add in some dogs and model some dog poop that would add quite a bit of realism,just don`t use real poop,the wife won`t like it.hope this helps a lot. [:D][2c]

[CBQ_Guy]

Use real dirt. Having said that, one of the best sources I read about, and so tried with excellent results, was to collect some from around the home plate area on a little leauge or softball field. Walked over to the local park where I used to live, with a broom, dustpan and bucket, and swept some up from the baseball field diamond. It is very fine, almost a powder. When you get it home just remember to still screen it and do the bake in the oven bit. This stuff worked and looked great. And I just recently read in MR about George Selios mixing some with white glue and brushing it onto his rock castings.

One disclaimer, I collected it in a very small, rural town. Your larger municipalities may not look too kindly on this activity. Be advised.