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Scenery modeling

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Scenery modeling
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 28, 2003 9:21 AM
how do you model your scenery
  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Midtown Sacramento
  • 3,340 posts
Posted by Jetrock on Tuesday, October 28, 2003 10:20 AM
My dad showed me how to use the Hydrocal & paper towels method when I was a kid, which I used on model railroads and for things like dioramas in high school. I got some experience making Styrofoam scenery in college when I was into science fiction miniatures wargaming (mostly 15mm and 25mm minis, which are close enough to HO and S scales respectively that I could transfer a lot of skills from model railroading) though it was all "recycled" cheap packing-material foam with latex housepaint (good for quick & dirty wargaming standards) rather than using insulation foam or foam intended for model use.

My current project is an urban layout in a very flat area so I won't be building any mountains. The "scenery" as such will be concrete streets and buildings, although the prototype I'm modeling features a *lot* of trees (even today, an aerial view of downtown Sacramento is a canopy of green with buildings sticking out of it--only Paris has more trees per square mile) so I guess that counts as scenery modeling. I'm building streets and foundations from cardstock and styrene, with styrene sidewalks, on a base of 1/8" foamcore. Non-paved areas will be plaster or Sculptamold applied directly to the MDF subroadbed.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 28, 2003 10:26 AM
QUOTE: Newbies
would you consider yourself:
Yeah, I'm a newbie, but I consider myself a pro. Who in the brain trust thought this up? FRED
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 28, 2003 12:25 PM
My roommate and I are amateurs, however, club members who have seen our work have commented on the fact that it looks quite professional.

  • Member since
    October 2012
  • 527 posts
Posted by eastcoast on Wednesday, November 5, 2003 9:58 AM
In some skills, I am proficient, not professional.
There are however, skills that I need alot of work
in and practice is the way to improve on them.
My scenery at the time is slow to go as I am kind
of practicing all the methods to see which I like best
and what I can do easily with my time I have to model.
For example, I can do awesome trackwork and structure
detailing. BUT.... I absolutely SUCK at doing trees and ballast.
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Posted by vsmith on Wednesday, November 5, 2003 10:29 AM
Just started up again last year in 2002 with the hobby, planned an outdoor garden RR then got booted to the garage when the missis' didnt want me ripping up the yard. So now I'm building a 1/2" scale g guage indoor layout. Imaging HO blown up 5 times, things I could get away with in HO just dont cut the mustard in G gauge. The level of detail required to make trains and structures look "real" not superdetailed, just believable, is a tremendous jump from HO. So now I consider myself starting over from almost scratch as an enthusiastic amatuer, give me a couple more years and then ask me if I'm a Pro.

   Have fun with your trains

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Posted by vsmith on Wednesday, November 5, 2003 10:31 AM
Is this subject heading "scenery modeling" supposed to be with this poll on "are you a newbie"??

they dont jive together...

   Have fun with your trains

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 5, 2003 3:06 PM
I use any tecniques and materials avialable to achive the desired results.Some times it the classic hart shell scenery method. OThers it plaster over wire screen. Just what is ever handy, avialable, and best suited for the job I guess

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