Birch trees anyone!

[DigitalGriffin]

Excellent job Mr. Hill! Excellent job. I would have passed them off for the real thing if I saw them in a film.

[ARTHILL]

The most dramatic and unussual multiple trunk grove I have seen was in Northern Minnesota where there was a logging camp about 50 years ago that cut a hillside full of huge birch, 24" - 36" trunks. These then grew suckers which now are full sized birch trees. They for a neat donut shaped circle around the now long gone stump. I did not have a camera with me that day. I intend to model my memory of that sometime this winter, though no one will believe the effect when it is done.

[edkowal]

When you plant your birch trees on your layout, remember that birch has a particular typr of environment that it likes. You will find birch trees in areas where the normal forest environment has been disturbed in some way. Usually a clearing or on the outskirts of the woods. This is because birch trees do not tolerate shade very well. They are one of the first trees to take hold when an area has been cleared.

Secondly, the phenomenon that was mentioned earlier in this post, where several trunks come out of the ground in the same place, is caused by an infection of the birch by some sort of disease. As I understand, this infection kills off the tree that it infects, but leaves the root structure. New shoots develop into trees from this root structure, and you wind up with several new trees growing out of the same place in the ground. So you may not see this effect on every tree in a particular area.

In photos that I've seen of birch groves from the NorthEast, I haven't noticed a lot of these multiple trunk trees, although I'm sure there are some.

But the key thing is to place them at the edge of the forest, or at the edge of a clearing. Since they'd need light to grow, it will look more believable.

-Ed

[ARTHILL]

The trees are easier than learning to post pics. Am looking forward to your trees and other things. If I can do lt, you certainly can. Have fun

[Anonymous]

Wow, simply amazing, I am so happy you post this, give me a month or so to figure out how to post pictures here and I will do the same! Man, I love this group of people. ~bows in respect~

[ARTHILL]

I did a little piece on birch trees a month ago or so. In the forest all birch trees are a single trunk tree. In town as a decerative tree you will have the multiuple truck thing. I used Queen of the Praire from our garden. This is what it looks like.



I then painted the trunks white with latex house paint (after I dried them in the garage.) I then painted Mars Black spots with a tiny artist brush. I then spray painted the leaves. I used dark green followed by light green followed by a little yellow. I did not add foam, but others might. Here are a couple shots of the first planting.






Here is a pic of the prototype.



Good luck and post some pics. We are all learning this together.
PS I found them easy and fun to do.

[Anonymous]

the problem with making birch's is that, Unlike Aspens (Nice tree BTW) they have several small trunks coming out of the ground then one large ones. And I wanted to do this very prototypical. the other thing is, I need a forest, heh. SO. there is that, and thanks for the info so far. going to go look at scenic express right now.

[mondotrains]

Hi,
I make good looking birch trees by using the Scenic Express kit. I spray the branches/trunks with white paint but you could also dip them in a can of paint. When dry, add the small specks of black on the bark and then add the leaves, using the light green ones. They are fun to make and don't cost much. Go to www.scenicexpress.com and click on Super Trees. Again, use the Noch light colored green leaves. If you buy a kit, you'll get enough stuff to make a lot of trees.

I would try making some trees before you spend the extra bucks to buy ready-made ones. It's real fun to make your own and the Scenic Express stuff makes the most realistic trees I've seen.

Hope this helps.
Mondo

[grandeman]

I would think that they would be similar to aspens, except for the marks on the bark. Here's my aspen method.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=-1&TOPIC_ID=45651&REPLY_ID=493841#493841

[Anonymous]

I am modeling the Dm&ir. I am in need of birch tree. I would rather not make them. I will make them if I have to. Does anyone have any suggestions or links to decent birch trees, Or a good way to make them? thanks in advance!