Has anyone ever used those cast stones for fireplaces or on the front of houses for rocks on your layout? They are flat on the backside and a realistic looking rock on the face, fairly light too.
I saw some on a jobsite yesterday and thought about getting some for my layout. The limestone ones look like they would work real well.
N Scale Diesels......I like 'em
Some have used real rock and I guess that some of the precast may work if there is enough detail in it's surface.
The problem w/ these and most real rock is that they don't scale well and they are very heavy. Plaster castings, carved foam and other methods (stacked acoustic ceiling tile for example), give you considerable flexability to fit and blend into the scenery.
Yes, I have found certain pieces of "real" shale or other sedimentary rock that look real good. For the most part igneous rock is too smooth(worn) or the fractured finish just doesn't look right to scale down. The precast rock may look good to the eye, but the same holds true.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org