I happened to have built a mountain with a Skate & Ski Resort at the top. Since there are skiers on the slope, I decided to use Hydrocal plaster for the "snow" on the slope, since it can be sculpted to form ridges, and is firm enough to glue the skiers on the slope. The Walthers Ski Lift was added, to give some automation. I also used the magnetic skating pond, with HO scale skaters. Skiers and skaters seem to be the only HO scale bundled figures. Has anyone tried Boraxo for snow? I just applied white paint to the hill to the left of the ski slope, and have planted several dozen Woodland Scenic (Reindeer moss)"Super Trees", which give a good impression of leafless Winter trees,(or early Spring trees). I like Tangerine Jack's idea of using balsa filler and Sparkles. I may use it to fill in the mountain snow effect. Bob Hahn
At Seattle in 2004 two rails put on a multi-part clinic on modeling snow; their "snow" was some of the most realistic that I have ever seen. If memory serves me they mentioned that they were preparing an article for publication but I don't recall running across it in the past few years. Somewhere in my files I have the handouts for this clinic but I can't lay my hands on it at this particular moment.
Fall foilage in the Appalachians is my scenery interest but I may put a dusting of snow on my higher elevations to accent the lateness of the season.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Southwest Chief wrote:Does this count? Probably not Before we built the outdoor layout in Colorado, the plan was to build an indoor HO layout based on Flagstaff Arizona in the winter. Snow was planned, as was 1980s Amtrak and Santa Fe, but we decided to go outside instead.
Does this count? Probably not
Before we built the outdoor layout in Colorado, the plan was to build an indoor HO layout based on Flagstaff Arizona in the winter. Snow was planned, as was 1980s Amtrak and Santa Fe, but we decided to go outside instead.
Now that's snow modeling at its finest! Can't beat the real thing!
Modeling the fictional B&M Dowe, NH branch in the early 50's.
HarryHotspur wrote: How do you model a rainscape?
How do you model a rainscape?
Well, to start with, darker shades or colors in the same family as the rest of the layout, rain clouds and streaks on the backdrop, GLOSS medium overcoat on the scenery, lots of puddles and rivulets with "realistic water" and "water effects. Also people in raincoats. Someone (Preiser ???) makes a perfect man leaning into the wind while his overcoat flys out around him.
Take a look at the book I mentioned above if you can find it in a library or club. - I believe that it shows some methods.
My ceiling slopes over that area with a 10 on 12 pitch. Long term plans include installing a piece of plexiglas in the sloped ceiling. The plexi will be painted with thunderheads and dark grey. Edges painted to blend. There will be some thin spots shaped like lightning bolts (also light yellow paint) with LEDs behind them. I plan to light the LEDs up in time to a sound track of a storm. Kind of the old "light organs" some of us hooked to our speakers in college.
That area is about a year from completion.
Karl
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
gunkhead wrote:Some people use plaster dust.
I'd be really careful with plaster dust - dry, it's an abrasive. You don't want to get any up into your wheels, gears, and bearings!
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Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com
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"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins
http://fhn.site90.net
Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, COClick Here for my model train photo website
Here are a couple from our club layout. It was fun and easy to do.
The above shows part of Alger Pass. It is about 10 feet long and resides in a hallway portion of the layout.
The second pic shows a GN rotary at the slide.
more layout photos at www.BSME.org
Guilford Guy-I like that shot. It LOOKS cold!
I remember MR had a shot in Trackside Photos a while back of a Soo Line caboose in a winter scene and it looked fantastic!
I am SERIOUSLY contemplating a dusting of snow on the higher elevation of The Buttes on my MR. It's set in the California Sierra during October, and it's not unusual to get an early snow around 6-8,000 feet around that time.
Besides, I've been looking at that new Athearn rotary. Yummy!
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
- Harry
selector wrote:I will be posting a winter scene in WPF this weekend. If you take a gander through that thread, it'll be there before long. I used Woodland Scenics "snow". Useful stuff! And a little goes a long way. For dusting lightly about two square feet, I think I used about 2/3 cup of the stuff. It vacuums up nicely afterwards, as you would expect.-Crandell
I will be posting a winter scene in WPF this weekend. If you take a gander through that thread, it'll be there before long. I used Woodland Scenics "snow". Useful stuff! And a little goes a long way. For dusting lightly about two square feet, I think I used about 2/3 cup of the stuff. It vacuums up nicely afterwards, as you would expect.
-Crandell
Pardon my ignorance, but what is WPF?
larak wrote: Ulrich wrote:Do any of you model snowy winter scenes? That being said, my layout progresses from spring through summer to early autumn with a rainscape along the way. The autumn part is still under early construction, spring/summer 80%.Karl
Ulrich wrote:Do any of you model snowy winter scenes?
Do any of you model snowy winter scenes?
Legend has it that John Allen sprinkled flour on part of the Gorre and Daphetid as a photographic prop - then vacuumed it up again because his birds started flying south...
There are practical problems to modeling snow, mostly having to do with full-scale dust. A scene with snow drifts could end up looking like the Mojave, absent frequent visits of a Dust-Buster. OTOH, underclothed micropeople aren't that much of a problem. A few minutes and some thick paint can equip that beach scene bikini-filler with bunny britches, mukluks and a hooded parka. Adding clothes and weight is easy - going the other way isn't.
If the modeled scene includes a ski resort, the moving chair lift or cable-borne gondola could be included as realistic animated scenery.
On the master plan to which I am (slowly) building, there is a town, at the far end of the narrow gauge and the bottom of my priority list, named Miyukidani. With a name like Beautiful Snow Valley, what else could it be?
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Alex
The Dixie D Short Line "Lux Lucet In Tenebris Nihil Igitur Mors Est Ad Nos 2001"
Too durn depressing for me We get real winters in upstate NY (not as bad as Minnesota though) and the real snow is sufficient, thank you.
That being said, my layout progresses from spring through summer to early autumn with a rainscape along the way. The autumn part is still under early construction, spring/summer 80%.
I may include a square foot or two of snow at the highest and furthest area after the rest is done. I recall seeing some cool ways to make ice in old issues of MR. (pun intended).
Also, this book shows some techniques:
Interiors and people figures make such a difference. Especially the people.
I've made this with snow from Noch, perhaps like snow from Woodland. It's removable.
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
My last layout was set in early winter, kind of a "first snow" time period...which in northern Minnesota can be mid-September of course!! My new two-deck layout is going have one deck as summer, one as mid-winter.
One problem is that about 99% of figures are made for summer. There's very few figures of people bundled up for winter. Trees can be another issue, although the new 'dead' trees that are out will help. It's easier to model a tree in summer than in winter, where you can see all the branches and twigs of the tree exposed.
This is a temporary removeable Christmas scene on the 4x8 "plywood central". It's made of layers of that terrrible pellet type white 3/4" stuff - used it because of color. The buildings, trees, and some of the other stuff is the Christmas Village type stuff, trains & most of the figs are regular HO. This was put together with the help of my grandson John The foam was cut out with a hot knife, glued to gether with white Elmer's, and the edges smothed by useing a Bernzamatic torch (in the detached garage - don't ever do this in the house!!) The neat part is that I pick it up after the holidays & the foam is ready for next year! This is the previous year's set-up.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
(ONLY THREE MONTHS EARLY)
Just to see how it might look I have sprinkled plaster powder on to represent a light snowfall.
Vacuumed it up again pretty promptly though. I'll be using Woodland Scenics snow when I get around to buying some.
Mike
Modelling the UK in 00, and New England - MEC, B&M, D&H and Guilford - in H0
I'm looking at changing seasons on my model railroad for a couple of reasons.. Snow is a great cover and eliminates the need for alot of detail. And snowy winter scenes seem to be a rarity among modelers. Do any of you model snowy winter scenes? All the layouts I have seen assume warm seasons without snow (as if global warming has come early in the modeler world).