Time to get off my duff and pick something to do. I've almost finished up on last year's challenge, but we'll put that aside for now and concentrate on one area of my layout. I would like to take the area that I have circled in this photo, and finish it up. I had planned on putting in a few buildings to create an edge-of-town cityscape, but since I elevated the tracks there, it might look a bit more natural to finish it mostly like the edge of a mountain scene. I'm not sure just how I plan on doing it, but my challenge is to do it only with the materials I have on hand. :o No buying anything including kits, plaster, foam, paint and landscape or other building material... not a thing. If I don't have enough of what I need, I'll improvise with what I do have on hand. Kind of sounds like one of those cooking show challenges on the Food Network.

The area is about 54", or around 720 N scale feet wide. It varies from about 4" to 9" in depth, not much to work with, but I've seen some people here do some really cleaver things in less space than that and so that's my inspiration.

[attachment=13273]

Don, not sure what you have in mind, but that backdrop is just begging to have a "forest" in front of it !! Maybe even "Full of Bears" :o 8-)


No, :oops: not football players.
or........maybe.......Rattle snakes !!!!!

Sumpter250 Wrote:Don, not sure what you have in mind, but that backdrop is just begging to have a "forest" in front of it !! Maybe even "Full of Bears" :o 8-)


No, :oops: not football players.
or........maybe.......Rattle snakes !!!!!

I know you're a bit partial to the Bears, but didn't they get knocked out before the playoffs? Oh, you mean those bears... :oops:

Yeah, you're right, a desert scene would be a whole lot easier, but I was thinking about doing a tree-lined hill kinda like in the style of Tyson Rayles. Got to give that boy credit, he knows his trees.

Thanks Don! I agree with Pete, that area is begging for trees not a cityscape. That's a good thing as trees are cheap, mine average about 10 cents apiece.

Tyson Rayles Wrote:Thanks Don! I agree with Pete, that area is begging for trees not a cityscape. That's a good thing as trees are cheap, mine average about 10 cents apiece.

Yeah Mike, I agree. I need to do more with trees and this is a golden opportunity to do just that. First though, I have a bit of housecleaning to do in that area.

ezdays Wrote:"Tyson Rayles" wrote, Thanks Don! I agree with Pete, that area is begging for trees not a cityscape. That's a good thing as trees are cheap, mine average about 10 cents apiece.
Yeah Mike, I agree. I need to do more with trees and this is a golden opportunity to do just that. First though, I have a bit of housecleaning to do in that area.

I don't know :oops: - - - looks to me as you've already "cleaned" all the houses out of that "area"

Sumpter250 Wrote:

ezdays Wrote:"Tyson Rayles" wrote, Thanks Don! I agree with Pete, that area is begging for trees not a cityscape. That's a good thing as trees are cheap, mine average about 10 cents apiece.
Yeah Mike, I agree. I need to do more with trees and this is a golden opportunity to do just that. First though, I have a bit of housecleaning to do in that area.

I don't know :oops: - - - looks to me as you've already "cleaned" all the houses out of that "area"

Big tornado hit one night while we were asleep

ezdays Wrote:Big tornado hit one night while we were asleep

I just blame the cats!!!

ngauger Wrote:

ezdays Wrote:Big tornado hit one night while we were asleep

I just blame the cats!!!

Don't have any, so a tornado was my next choice. We live too far away from water to blame a hurricane. :hey:

Alright, it may appear that I have given up, but in fact I have made a bit of progress. I'm going ahead with the plan to put a tree-lined hill in this area. This means that I'll have to redo some of the backdrop in behind the hill as well, which is fine since I think that needs some improvement anyway. Here's the first steps in the process, cutting and gluing the foam. No biggie, but every journey starts with the first tiny step.

[attachment=13402]

[attachment=13401]

No applause please

OK, yesterday I did make a bit more progress. I have not secured the hill to my layout yet since I plan on working on it in my garage since it's easier to do it and it does appear that I can just about finish it before gluing it in place. It's just a whole lot easier to work on this way. BTW, my wife thinks it looks like one half of a Star War's Battle Cruiser. :o Maybe it won't once I get some trees planted.

Before first coat of plaster:

[attachment=13404]

First coat finished. I used paper towels dipped in plaster just to get the basic shape of the hill:

[attachment=13403]

Good to see you getting started Don ! I also have to give your wife high marks for even knowing what a Star Wars battle cruiser is !

Progress is slow, I'm way behind some others in this challenge, but then again, I'm a lot older too so sometimes it's an achievement just to be able to think about working on this project, never mind actually doing something. :o Anyway, here is a few steps towards my goal:

The final shape before plaster:
[attachment=13441]

Then I soaked paper towels in plaster and applied:
[attachment=13440]

The next step was to coat the plaster with joint compound. I thinned it out and smoothed it over with my hands, and used it out of the tub to sculptured it to make the rock shapes. I normally use only the tools shown when doing rock formations, and find I can rework the compound over a few hours time as it begins to harden to get the shapes I want:
[attachment=13439]

Yup! now it looks like a "mothballed" Star Wars Battle Cruiser !
Time to moor it in it's place, and let the foliage grow over it.

Looks like progress to me...