Model Railroading > Blue Foam Mountains - Part 8 (the blue is turning white)

So 2017 turned out to be a pretty blue year for the second level at the California Southern Model Railroad Club. Between January 19, 2017 and January 17, 2018 somewhere between 60-70 cubic feet of blue insulation foam board was acquired, cut, arranged, affixed, carved, shaved, and even melted into a plethora of geologic shapes and features. 2018 is now on track to pretty much cover up all those countless hours worth of effort and hard work with multiple layers of the layout's scenery surface shell in the form of plaster cloth and hydrocal.

Over a month into it now and we just passed 200 square feet of plaster cloth installation, still just roughly 65% of the total surface area to be covered on the top deck. With this first layer of plaster cloth now well along to being installed, the secondary layer of hard setting A-11 hydrocal plaster can begin to be applied on top for the shell's final surface layer. Next step after that will be coloring with various earth toned paints and pigments before adding ballast, dirt, ground foam, and finally the larger vegetation.

Additional upper level construction over the past few months you may notice in the pictures has included installation of the contoured upper row of the layout's 3/4" pine fascia work.


Below, a few images of the last couple months worth of progress. starting with a (before) shot showing the just the finished foam work.

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Rounding the first horseshoe at Canyon Siding.

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And now extending uphill beyond Canyon, halfway around the second upper level horseshoe.

Thanks for the views.

~ Mr. MRL

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This is a great time, in the development of any layout. You can work for 2-3 hours, and see 2-3 hours of actual progress. So many projects involve tasks that aren't plainly visible (like wiring up a turnout or block, where all the efforts are hidden under the benchwork).

Very impressive contours so far . . . keep posting pics of the evolution of the pike.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/18 07:43 by NSyorktown.

Really nice work. I am jealous. Rounding the top of the fascia looks great. Please keep posting.
Mark

Casselton
Houston, TX

I really like the fascia and the admire the abilities of whoever is doing your bench work. Also, the little things like the corners on your peninsula; how a piece of a river was added with a rise on the opposite bank. Then on the other corner, you have the scenery falling away - all subtle differences. There has to be bunch of money in the blue foam. What does it cost a sheet down there in La La Land?

Rick

Beautiful work . Love the Blue Mountains ,but it appears the ice age is finally coming to an end.

I wonder if it is possible to mix fabric dye into the mix water to stain the plaster cloth so no future bumps result in white chips?

Great progress Robbie.Your potash train will look good wandering around there.
Regards,DK

Great job, well done. I think I see a spot that was missed (LOL)

Really nice work, wow!

What is being weighed down in the photo with the spikes etc?

-Jason

rapidotrains Wrote:
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> Really nice work, wow!
>
> What is being weighed down in the photo with the
> spikes etc?
>
> -Jason


There were several large sections of foamwork between the track and front edge that had been designed to be removable while final signal wiring and block detection was worked out over the last year. With final wiring complete and plaster scenery progressing, these sections needed to be secured to the layout framework with wood glue.

Mr. MRL

rschonfelder Wrote:
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> ...
> There has to be bunch of money in the blue foam.
> What does it cost a sheet down there in La La Land?
>
> Rick

2” thick, 2x8’ sheets cost the club about $20 a piece. We purchased 20 of them, plus used several additional 1.5” sheets that were donated by a train club friend.

Mr. MRL

The mountains are coming a long nicely.

BTW, is there any yard or industrial/city areas to the layout?

Cheers, Jim

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> The mountains are coming a long nicely.
>
> BTW, is there any yard or industrial/city areas to
> the layout?
>
> Cheers, Jim


Sure is plenty of secondary and yard trackage throughout the lower level of the layout.

Mr. MRL