My Tokuyama station layout

[cteno4]

has anyone tried the white PVA glue technique? ive seen a number of japanese scenery articles that have used it well to create smaller water spaces. you can paint it on in layers and give surface water textures well. my worries is that it might yellow with time. ive been meaning to experiment with it but not gotten around to it.

 

regular acrylic medium is a good water simulator. you just have to apply it in thin layers not a huge blob at once. its well stabilized so wont yellow with time at all. you can also get it in thick gel consistencies that you can sculpt waves or running water well with.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[nah00]

I used duct tape as a dam and the woodland scenics water all stayed put.

Is there anything that duct tape can't fix?

[cteno4]

Nuff said...

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=duct+tape+uses&sa=X&prmd=isvn&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&fir=dSRCUogUgvM8kM%253A%252CyG1preR2G9BfZM%252C_%253Bjjl3QeBO5lX-YM%253A%252CGRaseew-XmYGNM%252C_%253B6DdyLVOnUyybkM%253A%252CoCLCh1Nww8DzFM%252C_%253B9En3lfhChRJ_jM%253A%252CGRaseew-XmYGNM%252C_%253BnQ6lwYeAS8X1iM%253A%252CGRaseew-XmYGNM%252C_%253BGbJauibh2Xa9nM%253A%252CNbjvIyJ3s2dKiM%252C_%253BpsthoDVbqLtbiM%253A%252CFgbHDbblGJN-fM%252C_%253BUga7gGYizKZCAM%253A%252Cp_7_xOJ9941MyM%252C_%253BtdVpjWnbB3-z_M%253A%252Co_xVr8fzDqw-DM%252C_%253BncmmGQjoNdEH6M%253A%252CemoWgvb__lVlQM%252C_&usg=__PKTe6w0cuy68_psZEuso81LYOsw%3D&ved=0ahUKEwiLrsai18HKAhXDPD4KHVM7BVQQ7AkIIQ&biw=1024&bih=729#tbm=isch&q=duct+tape+uses

 

Scary as you scroll deeper...

 

Jeff

[Eurostar25]

Hi Paul, yes very true, I feel half the fun is by trial and error.

Hi Jeff, I've used epoxy before but I've seen it go yellow over time, can't say I've tried pva but that's probably worth a shot if it's just a small puddle to do.

[cteno4]

Eurostar,

 

Yep without stabilizers epoxies will yellow. I can't remember what we use to use but we did a bunch of hatch cover tables when I was a kid and there was something that dad added to the clear epoxies to keep them clear. We have one 40+ years at their house that is still clear!

 

Yeah most of the PVA examples I have seen have bee a stream or a small corner patch of a module.manfnthen again they may not have cared it it lasted past a few years!

 

Jeff

[HantuBlauLOL]

my friend on FB used window glue for water wave effect..

[cteno4]

Silicone caulking? Yes Ive seen that uses for waves and rushing water as well. Pretty stable stuff as well.

 

Jeff

[Eurostar25]

Slow progress update on the corner module.

The gap between the two works a treat, all the trains that will use it cleared the viaduct track fine.

I'll be using the viaduct supports where they will be visible but will make some wooden ones for the hidden area that will also be at irregular shapes to remain clear of the lower track.

[katoftw]

How much gap you got?

[Pauljag900]

Hi Scott,how you doing mate? Corner module looking good mate,I ve a similar scenario on mine wher the ground level starts to climb under the viaduct track and instead of installing the joiners into the track I fitted them to the piers and just rested the track on them and it gave about an extra 3-4 mm in height for clearance.Maybe not technically perfect but a simple fix to gain a tad more height.That said if your trains clear it then it's no problem,I just have to make sure my catenary is nt fully pulled up on mine,

Paul

Edited March 4, 2016 by Pauljag900

[Eurostar25]

@katoftw I didn't check it exactly but I should've noted it. I'll get back to you on that one. Albeit those than ran; E259, E531, E231, EF210, EH500 and a DE10 all cleared it but those with pantographs had theirs lowered, I didn't test it with them up which I'll get around to doing.

 

@pauljag900 thanks for the idea Paul, I might look at lifting it ever so slightly just over the portion of the double track running beneath. Perhaps just a few shims of styrene or the like will be enough. I must give them a run with pantographs extended and see what needs to be done. Cheers

[Pauljag900]

Hi Scott,this is the area I mean,need to change piers to doubles,not sure you can see properly,the other option I may try is to lift it from the base and maybe add in a bit of a grass mound to hide it,if you can understand that? Ha ha

Paul

[Eurostar25]

That could certainly work Paul, clump foliage hides everything around the piers, glue stains, paint drops etc

[Pauljag900]

Ha ha ,yes it does.

With the single piers you can get incline piers that are the same as the 50mm support piers so it's easy to glue one on top of the other to gain extra height,for example a 5 with a 3 glued on top will give you a really good clearance, but they do nt do incline piers in the double poured concrete piers,bit of a pain really,tho I have used singles side by side on double track but they re a different colour so need painting.All a bit of a pain really if you want any more than the standard 50mm height.

Paul

[Eurostar25]

Thanks for the heads up. Luckily mine will mostly be hidden in tunnels so I've just got to make sure they're strong and connected to the viaduct track well. Don't want any derailments in the tunnel as I haven't got access to it. I figured it's short enough that a hand or rescue loco should be able to pull out whatever topples over mid tunnel.

[Pauljag900]

You should be ok then mate ,like you said,just make sure they re well glued down.

I m in the process of trying to work out if I can fit a bit of a mountain in one of the corners of the other board,but mine will need to be remove able for cleaning and de rail ends.jusy got the last three buildings for the station area board so just need to wire the lights and street lights up.i m replacing the kato plastic lights with working ones.I ve also got a few cars with working lights but the headlights are a bit bright to be honest so I tend to place them where they will illuminate the layout .

Paul

[cteno4]

Eurostar,

 

If you can at all think about making your hillside removable as cleaning tracks, etc may need access later. Murphy's law of layouts will rule that if you don't make access you will need to get at that track!

 

Jeff

[Eurostar25]

@Paul the illumination side is something I would definitelt like to get into later on.

 

@Jeff thanks for the hint, I may look at making a hinged door on the rear panels and making the hill out of cardboard strips and a plaster gauze shell rather than polystyrene to keep it hollow.

[cteno4]

Yeah I tend to listed to lord Murphy, acts like insurance, if you do it you won't need it!

 

Is the backside just flat? Then easy to just carve out an opening.

 

Jeff

[Eurostar25]

Hi Jeff, yes it is flat, might look at just creating a hinged door which will open outwards, I'll hit up a hardware store next week and see what's around for the hinges.

[cteno4]

Could just hold it in place with a few pieces of Velcro or even a couple of small screws. Won't have to access it much other that to clean tracks most likely.

 

Jeff

[Pauljag900]

Hi Scott,on my glacier mountain I cut out a hole on the back ,the I the piece I d cut out I trimmed about 6 mm off it and wit the use of 3mm spacers I pinned it back in the hole,I then covered it with the plaster cloth,when it was dry I cut around the sides and the bottom with a knife but left the top attached,I glued a small piece on the inside to stop it going in too far,took out the pins and there was my hinged door.Just another suggestion for you to think about mate,

Paul

[Eurostar25]

Good idea, thanks Paul

[cteno4]

Other idea is to just have the whole thing lift off. You can hide the seams behind a wall or with some small greenery, etc. this really is the simplest way in the end as you just need to make a base piece that lies on the module and then make your sentry up from that. No door to make and easy total access to the tracks. Track can get cruddy while doing scenery like this (very good idea to cover it with painters tape) and needs lots of cleaning when done and with it lifted off this is wayyyy easier!

 

You can do a couple of simple pegs into the module that fit in holes of the scenery base to keep it locked in proper alignment and during any transport.

 

I've found doing scenery this way where possible to make life much easier in the long run!

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[Eurostar25]

Great tips thanks Jeff, I've got a big block of polystyrene sitting at home so I might start shaping it and giving that a go to see if it'll work as a mountain. I just don't want a join to be visible around the mountain, but like you say I should be able to cover it up with scenery. I'm starting to prefer this option over the access panel at the back as that could still make access to cleaning the tracks quite limited.