Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge

[TMo]

Back to scenery!

I did make a little headway working on a digital representation of my layout, but I'm going to need some time to work through some of the nuances of the software.  Rather than bang my head against my computer monitor, I've been back at work on Mud Run.  

Finished almost all of the ballast efforts in the area, so I'm now going to be working on the foreground between the river and the tracks.  This areas going to be heavily dressed with a wide variety of ground covers, shrubs, rocks and small trees just like the prototype.  I'm a bit concerned that it's going to mean a lot of work if I get a derailment in the curve, but we'll deal with that if we have to.

First thing to apply is a good covering of "brown stuff" to simulate loam, leaves, dead flora.  I collect this stuff from a wide variety of sources with sawdust as a major component.  Coffee grounds, tea leaves, ground up leaves, ground foam, leftovers of all types.  I had an empty plastic mixed nut container that works well for collecting and mixing the "brown stuff".  I keep a plastic spoon in there for mixing and applying the contents.

       

I apply a good smattering of wood glue with a chip brush and then coat on the brown stuff and let it sit overnight.  Then I'll take the loose stuff off with a sock-covered vacuum and dump the extra back into the brown stuff container.  I'll work my way around the Mud Run curve until I get good coverage and the look is "right".  Goal is to build the scenery from the ground up.