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River Bed/Bottoms

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  • Member since
    January 2008
  • 595 posts
River Bed/Bottoms
Posted by mreagant on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 7:25 PM

I'm about to scenic detail along the banks and bottoms of a river under a series of plate girder bridges.  Does anyone have photos of how they did color/plants/rocks, etc.?

Location is western/southwestern so no significant hardwood trees.  Maybe cottonwoods.

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Columbia, Pa.
  • 1,592 posts
Posted by Grampys Trains on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 11:13 PM

Hi: Here's Hammer Creek.

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,481 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 11:29 PM

This is the more placid Mill Stream in Moose Bay:

The water is Envirotex.  The smaller trees are Woodland Scenics, while the tall, thin ones are seedum from the garden, sprayed dark green with hand-painted gray trunks.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    May 2006
  • From: Brisbane, Australia
  • 784 posts
Posted by mikelhh on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 6:14 AM

 

 

Before the water

 

Mike

Modelling the UK in 00, and New England - MEC, B&M, D&H and Guilford - in H0

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • 1,132 posts
Posted by saronaterry on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 6:46 AM

Bear Creek.  Water is Envirotex Lite.Still need trees and such on the banks.Modeled area is NW Wisconsin

 

 

Terry

Terry in NW Wisconsin

Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel

  • Member since
    November 2007
  • From: Traverse City, MI
  • 266 posts
Posted by camaro on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 12:02 PM

Check out Lance Mindheim's "Voodoo & Palmettos" Florida "East Rail" Section.  Lance lists all the types of grass that he used along the banks of the canal.  There was extensive use of "Prairie Tuft"s and various types of other grasses from Silflor and Heki.

www.lancemindheim.com

Larry

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 4:46 PM

Originally my river looked like this...for about two years plus.  I first created a water-proof river bed of plaster because I was going to pour epoxy for the 'water'.   When it was set, not yet dried, I slathered yellow glue over that surface and then sprinkled garden soil in a light layer.  I also sprinkled larger gravel bits to simulate a rocky river bed.  When it was all dried, I dammed the edges of the narrow shelf on which this bridge and river are set, and then did two 1/8" thick pours of a two part epoxy. 

I got tired of that look, wanting something more realistic, something closer to what I see in the Fraser River a few hours from here where the CN and Canadian Pacific run through the Rockies.  I changed nothing about what existed to that point, but merely poured another coat of two part epoxy, except this time I added about a teaspoon of plaster of paris and one drop of "Hauder Medium Green" acrylic paint in the small plastic bottles you find at Wal Mart in their crafts section.  The volume of the pour over this area may have been close to 3/4 of a cup...that's all.  It foamed and bublbled enough as I mixed it that I was quite dismayed, but figured what the heck..and poured it, spreading it around to ensure full coverage and that it wouldn't be too thick.  Suprrisingly, it dried very well and bubble-free.  I wanted a more natural water surface, showing movement, so I added a thin, stippled layer of gel gloss medium using a good sized artist's brush on its side.  This is how it looks now, and I have to give myself a good rating considering what the Fraser River really looks like.

-Crandell

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • 595 posts
Posted by mreagant on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 8:41 PM

Great stuff, and thanks for posting the photos.  Gives me some good ideas.

  • Member since
    May 2007
  • From: East Haddam, CT
  • 3,272 posts
Posted by CTValleyRR on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 10:12 PM

I made a diarama for Take a Train to Work day a couple of years ago.  These pix show the Connecticut river -- a broad, deep river with little of the bottom showing except right at the banks.

  

Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford

"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford

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