Multitasking

There are a few irons in the fire right now, all layout related but in very different directions.

Ever wonder what is meant by "ground foam"? I've seen it mentioned over and over again in magazine articles. I think it's generally assumed that everyone knows what ground foam actually is. For those who, like me, were never totally sure I thought I'd show my version of the stuff. I started with floral foam. The craft store sells two kinds. One is a kind of spongy dark green styrofoam and is not the stuff you want. The other is light green (sea foam) fine grained carvable foam that holds moisture. The latter is the foam I used. Costs about $2 for a 8" x 3-1/2" x 2-3/4 block...

Floral Foam

To grind it I just ran a file over it. It makes a very fine, light fluffy powder...

Ground Foam

I took the tree I made in the last entry and pulled the reindeer moss off. I sprayed on some tacky glue thinned water and dish detergent. I dipped the lichen/moss in the ground foam to make thicker foliage...

Foam Coated Reindeer Moss

I added the moss back to the ethertree armature and arranged it so it resembled a real tree...

Finished Tree

Yes, the tree can stand on it's own. Those roots come in handy.

Another area in the works is the topography at Horseshoe Curve. I tried the "arch" approach but wasn't happy with it. Eric, one of the fellows at Railwire, suggested I use the nested contour method I had outlined in "Taking The Scenic Route: Part 4"...

Nested Contours

Nested Contours Section

Eric pointed out that stringers weren't necessary and I might use dowels for uprights...

You would think it would be obvious to me, but my brain doesn't work that way. I thought I might use PVC pipe instead of dowels. I kept thinking on it and it occurred to me that I could combine two methods and get the same results. If I use the nested contours and support them with 2" high strips I could shape the strips to match the contours...

Cross Section: Horseshoe Curve

Haven't started the physical work yet so I don't know how it will work. The "steps" will be covered with craft paper to make a smoother slope.

I've also started work on the passenger shark B unit. Except for the ends, which are cut from V-Line scraps the shell and frame will be scratchbuilt from plastic. The trucks are parts from one of the DL109 mechs I was going to use for these models...

B Unit Beginning

Regards,

Frank Musick

Building a dream layout on a nightmare budget

The Allegheny Eastern Railroad