Post 13 7-22-2016
Mountain and Tunnel Construction
Every train layout needs a mountain so the trains can go through tunnels. My childhood layout had a small Dad made mountain and tunnel on one track in the right back corner of the layout. The mountain was made from plaster of Paris and had a Christmas tree stand in it. Trains under the Christmas tree really add to the Christmas season.
I made my mountain to cover both the inside and outside loops and is located in the same back right corner of the layout. It originally had one switch under the mountain with one outside loop track going in CCW and two tracks coming out. At a later date another switch was added under the mountain and a third track on the outside loop came out the mountain behind the background board, out of sight. I have removed some of the background when the train layout was put up on legs in the train room.
Picture of Two tracks going in Mountain
Picture of Three tracks leaving the Mountain on Right and one track out behind the Background or tunnel to the Left This gives two track in and four tracks out of the mountain. 
The mountain frame was made from ¾ inch boards for a base around the mountain perimeter and 1/4 and 3/8 inch plywood framing to make the mountains shape. Care was taken to be sure none of the tunnel supports interfered with the train track and right of way. Tunnel portals were cut from ½ inch plywood. The mountain shape was covered by stapling aluminum window screen on to fill the openings between the framing and fill in the mountain shape. An access door was made in the side of the mountain to allow clearance of train wrecks and derailments.
View of Mountain with access Door for derailments
Access Door removed showing two Marx switches inside mountain
View Inside mountain showing framing and some window screen on left
Sears Textured Paint, a powder that was mixed with water to make a paste was used, with paper towels, to cover the aluminum screen wire. Textured paint was used by painters to add swirls to ceilings to hide the tape seams and may not be available now but something similar should be available. It has proven to be a great mountain material and did not crack and is much lighter than plaster of Paris and is more durable than paper mache and not susceptible to bug attack. The textured paint was used to soak paper towels that were laid on the wire screen to form the surface. Several layers and coats were used.
5 pounds of Texture Paint powder was used and this one left over.
Here is an overall picture of the mountain. With trains going CCW, 2 tracks go in and 4 tracks go out (one under the white covered and hidden behind the blue box car).
The mountain was painted with oil based green and brown paint colors to appear like vegetation. Concrete poured tunnel portals was made by gluing pieces of card board, from a paper tablet, leaving gaps to simulate seems from the pour. The tunnel portals were painted with light gray paint and flat black paint was lightly brushed on above the track to simulate smoke stains from the steam engines. This mountain just sets on the layout and was stored in attic for 9 or 10 months when the layout was not down on the floor in action.
The layout spent 20 years plus on the floor of a den or living room with the family Christmas tree standing near the mountain for two weeks or so before and after Christmas.
Charlie
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