Yes Dave, I’ve been relying heavily on both the 1954 and the 1965 Lionel produced ‘how to use our stuff’ manuals provided here by forum members. I’ve found them almost as indispensable as the great wealth of knowledge gleaned from reading this forum.
JD...Thank you for taking the time to help me solve this! In fact, I’m blown away by your updated version of my track plan drawing...I hadn’t even considered using the far left section of the inner mainline loop (the one you colored blue) as a siding. But now that I see it, it seems so obvious. Thank you!
Thanks fur the scenery kudos. It was my first attempt, and I’m truly amazed how it turned out! For the terrain I used quilt batting, the stuff that is used inside when you’re sewing together a quilt! It was very inexpensive and easy to use. I happened to find a YouTube video of a guy using it to make mountains with, and he states that he liked the look so much that he’s going to cover his entire layout with it. I’ll try to add a link to his video below. If I’m unable to, search for “Colorado Joint Line” & specifically his “how to make realistic scenery” video on YouTube...
Basically you make the landforms out of blue or pink foam. Then ‘paint’ over everything with mod podge or elmer’s glue. Then drape the quit batting over the wet glue, pushing the batting into the nooks & crannies. 24hrs later, when the glue has dried, you paint over it with your earth colored brown latex paint. The batting soaks up a lot of paint, and takes a day or two to dry, but this is a good thing because you then sprinkle your various colors and textures of ground foam everywhere. If you push large clump foliage or lichen chunks into the wet paint, they stick as well. I haven’t even had to break into my jar of scenic cement yet...saving that for trees I guess. And speaking of trees, the leftover batting make great tree and bush foliage if you tease & pull it apart a little.
12’ X 12’ bag of “low loft” quilt batting... $10 Gallon jug of Elmer’s white glue... $15 Gallon of Lowe’s cheapest flat paint tinted brown... $12 A few jugs of Woodland Scenic’s ground foam... $6 each Two bags of Dollar Store paint brushes...$2 Under $50 to do my entire layout’s scenery as it’s pictued. I think that is incredible value.
I should state that although I frequently buy everything I can at one of my LHS, craft stores like Hobby Lobby & Michaels continually have 40% off anything coupons. Hobby Lobby in particular carries Woodland Scenics’ coarse turf, clump foliage, trees, bushes, stones, hay bales, cement,etc etc. Their led lights as well, plus they have a huge section of lichens by the flower arrangement stuff, for much less than inflated ‘hobby specific’ stuff. At 40% off, it makes the big jar of their coarse turf only $6!
Thanks again guys for your help!
Tom
