Can I use real dirt (soil)?

[Jetrock]

Here is a thread from last year on the uses of dirt:

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=-1&TOPIC_ID=25953&REPLY_ID=255940#255940

[Marty Cozad]

"real dirt"
Now you all know I could NOT pass this one by.
YES, I use real dirt all the time!!!! looks very ,,,realistic!!![;)]


I make mountains out of it.[:p]

[Seamonster]

I use real dirt for my ground cover. I sift it but don't sterilize it. Although nothing has grown in it, it would probably be a good idea to sterilize it in the oven. I mix it with potting soil to alter the colour cand texture. Potting soil is sterilized. I put it down first, then put various types of WS grasses and weeds on top of it. I also make up a mixture of real soil and some WS grasses to make it look like dirt that is just starting to regenerate and grow weeds.

[Anonymous]

In my opinion, real dirt by far looks the most like, well, dirt!

Check out April 2005 MR (you can order it from MR back issues).

In this Issue, Pelle Soeborg shows how he creates his california dessert scenery.

He starts out with latex paint, then a layer of sand right on the paint, then uses real dirt, sand, etc. from Arizona Rock & Mineral.

On my next layout, I plan on probably starting with Arizona Rock & Mineral materials, then after a while, I eventually want to find my own dirt so I don't have to buy it.

When I tried using my own dirt as a kid, it was waaaaay too dark. But I should be able to find the right stuff now that I know that.

[cwclark]

I use real dirt but very little of it and in places far away from the train and the tracks...you must be careful of the type of dirt you use along with sterilizing it as stated above...dirt that contains iron can be drawn into your locomotive motors because of the magnetic field from the magnets in the motors can draw the iron in the dirt straight to the motor...instant emory cloth!...not good for your motors... there are better techniques out there than using real dirt, like in this month's MR there was a feature on a stuff called "ground goop" which is a combination of vermaculite, celluclay, earth tone paint, and glue which is spread out with a putty knife...another good technique is called "Zip Texturing" which uses dry plaster and dry tempera paints mixed together and sprinkled over wet plaster...Zip Texturing is the method i use most..it's easy to do and i don't have to worry about iron, bugs, and seeds sprouting when using real dirt...to make it stick to the sides of a hill or mountain , a technique called "wisping" is used...spread some dilute glue over the area you want the ground cover to stick to, and take an index card, fold it in half, but the ground cover material in the "V" of the index card and gently blow it onto the side of the hill into the wet glue...it's the best way to make any type of ground cover stick sideways on hills and mountains.... chuck

[jfugate]

The main problem with real dirt is it's usually too dark. Eng22 has done a fine job picking some dirt that is nice and light judging by his photo -- but it's hard to control the color of your dirt when you use real dirt.

In my scenery FORUM CLINIC thread on here ( http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=4&TOPIC_ID=32122 ), I recommend using plaster and mixing it with powdered tempera paint to get a color of dirt you match to photos when viewed under your layout's lighting. That way you match the dirt color correctly for far darker indoor layout lighting.

And that way you avoid the problem of "buggies" in the dirt, dirt that may be magnetic (very bad), dirt that's too coarse, wrong dirt color, etc.

[Martin4]

As I said on another post about using concrete for ballast, be aware that some soils are electrically conductive (at least partially) and could cause a short or a power loss if both rails are bridged.

Martin
Québec City

[DavidGSmith]

There can be some magnetic particles depending on where you collect it. Off the road is not good. Magnetic pieces love motors and gears.

[steveblackledge]

I use real dirt and clay, i mix clay (dried) with plaster 50/50 it makes a nice easy to spread and carve mixture, i add real dirt when i do the foliage, make sure it is well wetted with a water / alcohol mix about 85 water to 15 rubbing alcohol and then i drizzle on white glue mixed with water about 50/50, this sets like stone within days.
The rubbing alcohol makes the water penetrate better and stops the water beeding up on the surface

[eng22]

I use real dirt, baked in my oven at 450F for 90 minutes. No odor during the baking process. Then i took the dried out chunks out to the garage, put them in five gallon pale and beat the daylights out of them with a top end of a sledge hammer. After that I ran it through a flour sifter. The results were great. It produced several types of material that I use from a flour fine dirt to tiny pebbles that look great too. See photo below for real dirt on foam.

[Anonymous]

It's possible...I don't think I'm bold enough to try though.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

The trouble with unsterilised real dirt is that the foliage refuses to stop growing when it reaches scale size... otherwise we could kill two birds...

Can you post us information on what, where and how to get hold of the resins etc ... the does and don'ts... most of us would love to know that.

[Train 284]

You can, no porblem! Many people do. I use a little, but I mostly use Woodland Scneics landscaping materials.

[ReadingBob]

I like to use real dirt for my landscaping. Not to shape the terrain but, as gmcrail suggested, as a ground cover. Just to add one or two thoughts - filter the larger rocks, etc. by running the dirt through various size screening. Some of the stuff you filter out will be useful for a rougher texture in the terrain. I bake mine outdoors on a Coleman camp stove. Also, gather samples from different areas (it's not all the same) to give yourself a variety of colors to work with.

[gmcrail]

Sure, you can use real dirt - many do - but not to actually shape the terrain. Dirt, when dried, turns to dust, which is the enemy of model trains. Shape the terrain using plaster and/or foam insulation suitably carved. Paint it an earth color, and while still wet, sprinkle the dirt over it. Be sure, of course, to sterilize the soil first, to avoid having unwelcome guests of both the plant and animal varieties. You can bake it in an oven, but do it outside in an electric broiler oven to avoid stinking up the house. I would definitely not use dirt as a roadbed. Real railroads don't, so why should you?

Resin castings are a staple in the model industry, so you could use it to build most anything you need more than one of.

Not a fan of the Rock particularly, though they had some nice-looking steamers. Try a Google search on "Rock Island railroad", CRI&P, other variations.

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for that real look of ground laying on my layout. And innexpensive, is there a way to use clean soil to make variations in elevation? Or even as roadbed. If so, how can i make it so it stays in place and not settle. Where i work, i am a compostie molder, i have access to polyester resins and catalyst. I can mold about anything with it. Any ideas as to how I can use this application on a layout? My layout will be based on the Rock Island Line, anyone know of any websites that show me how this line ran?
Thanks Ryan [?][:)]