mountain scenerary

[Smokeyone]

Hello
I am looking for inspiration or even better a plan/design/photographs/web site of a mountain that I can put a helix inside. Had several attempts already
but each time it ends up looking like a drum. The helix is 3'6" in diameter and I would like to go up about 18". Not so much a how to question (although that would help) but more of a design question.
Thanks very much

[Anonymous]

[#welcome][#welcome]


Wow! thats a big mountain! The only thing I can suggest to avoid the "drum" look is make the base as wide as possible and then keep going up over the helix to a peak. Of course you dont want it looking like a funnel either so you will have to have lots of variation.

[selector]

For a realistic look, you will have to make one "aitch" of a mountain for a helix of that size. What I suggest is a cookie-cutter method of 2" extruded foam. Make wide base sections that conform to the shape of the mountain that you envision near its base. The idea is to make a hollow mountain, natch, so cut out crescent-shaped pieces that will change the contours here and there. Lay them out in a circle to form your mountain base, and then cut subsequent layers by making them thinner as you go. At some point, near 4" above your heighest track, you can cut a whole sheet for a cap, and then continue to build layers, each smaller than the last, until you get your rounded mountain top, or you shape a peak by gluing some long triangles of foam on the last flat piece, long edges facing up. Cover them with drapings of plaster cloth to shape the peak.

You could consider a vicious, substantial, rock slide on on face of your mountain. It would be a challenge to model such a slide realistically.

[GMTRacing]

That's a big project you've chosen. 36 x 18 is in fact a drum, and if you spread the peak to look at all realistic you will end up about 6ft wide at the base. I tried just an 8' rise on a limited base and ended up with a collapsed cake. Even with a sheer face on one side you will still have quite a challenge no matter what scale you're using. There are a few layout books with layouts featuring a helix (101 track plans come to mind) check them out and see if that helps. J.R.

[leighant]

I wonder if you should put ALL your helix inside a mountain. Could half of it be behind a backdrop? Can you post a sketch of how your layout is situation in your room/space? Have you see long wide shots of John Allen's Gorre and Daphetid Railroad? Some of his mountains looked almost like drums.

[Smokeyone]

Thanks very much for all the replies. Now I have food for thought and perhaps a flat top mountain or is it hill would be better. Where can I find the pix of John Allen's railroad please to see how he did it.
Thanks again

[Anonymous]

My only advice is that if you have a flat top mountain you might still get that "drum" look. If you have enough vertical space I think you should give it some kind of peak.

[Anonymous]

Have you seen "The Matterhorn" at Disneyland? This is really a helix in a mountain. If you go to Google Images search you will see some pictures that could be copied. Search for Matterhorn Disneyland and click images.[:)]
Bill

[ereimer]

kalmbach published a book by linn westcott called 'model railroading with john allen' that is probably the best source for info on the G&D . i checked their website and couldn't find it so i guess it's out of print .

searching the 'index of magazines' at the top of this page will get you lots of info , specifically there was a series of articles in 'railroad model craftsman' from dec 1980 to aug 1981 . finding the old mags is a different matter

[waltersrails]

When it comes to scenery my freind wes is an expert at sceanry. he makes the greatest mountains and sceanery ive every seen.

[pcarrell]

An option that came to my mind (and one was alluded to with reference to the matterhorn) would be to give the mountain a kind of a "swiss cheese" effect, allowing the train to appear every now and then as it climbs the helix. This would require you to "offset" some of the tiers by inserting some straight track into the helix so that it looks believable, but it might give you a more realistic approach to doing the scenery. You would use a little more square footage, but you could scenic it as a large hill, mountain, or even a fairily steep cliff if you wanted. It would also help in keeping track of the train so that its not out of view for so long. Lastly, their are prototype instances of this type of thing, although they are the exception, not the norm.

[Anonymous]

depending on the area your modeling, you could try a crater, or a plateau with an indian reservation on top or something. it may be hard to hid the entrances and exits of the track and such. but it would probably look good if you were able to do it right.