This is Model Railroading

This is Model Railroading

It doesn't matter what scale you're interested in, this is model railroading. Half a world away, in Germany, these eight guys get together, talk trash, and play with trains. Exactly what we do in the N-Land Pacific Group.

We've been sharing some emails, despite the language barrier. Bernd (second from the right) has asked to join our Group. He writes, "I must admit that I have fun provoking these guys (at Free-moN) just as Ed ;-) but that´s not my intention in your group. Most time I would be a 'passive' member. When I come to California, I will bring you some bottles of dark beer, so we can practice 'drink´n´drive."

Except for the driving part, that sounds great to me.

Mold Building

Mold Building

I'm going to be needing a lot of rock molds on the diorama I'm building for the little Porter. That means I've been on the look out for good rocks when I'm walking my girls down in the creek. That normally isn't a good place to look for "parent rocks" because the action of the creek polishes the stones into round boulders. Sometimes I get lucky and find a good subject and drag it home.

So what makes a good rock? I'm looking for a rock that has character and looks interesting, but I also want it to look prototypical for a scale version of the area I'll be modeling. I also look for an area where I can use the mold at different angles so my scenery doesn't repeat the same fissures over and over. If you pay attention to geology, you'll see that there are rules to how rocks and cliffs appear. I also want a rock without tight creases or overhangs that could snag the latex or hang onto the plaster cast too tightly.

I call the good rocks "parents" because they will have many offspring after the molding process. I give the parents a good scrubbing with detergent and a power nozzle. I don't want anything coming off and sticking to the latex. Make sure that the parent is completely dry because wet latex thins with water and we don't want that to happen. You also want to buy quality latex. I hate to say it, but don't buy it from model railroading stores because most of them have had their latex on inventory since they first put that Trojan in their wallet. I'm convinced that when a hobby shop goes out of business, that blue bottle of Mountains in Minutes latex just gets dusted off and Walthers sells it to the next guy opening a train store. I buy my latex from high volume craft stores like Michael's. The best I've found is called Mold Builder which is 100% latex.

Before I start describing the process of making the mold, I've got to cover my butt and urge you to check out this Latex Allergy Warning.

I take a cheap disposable brush and just paint the latex onto the parent. Make sure you get into the nooks and crannies and above all else -- keep thin layers of latex. It will dry within a couple hours and then you can apply another coat. If you keep your brush in a zip-lock bag between coats, you can use the same brush throughout the 20 or so coats you'll be applying to the parent. If you put on too thick of a coat of latex, you'll have pockets of wet latex that may never dry. It usually takes me about four days to finish a mold.

On rare occasions, I will strengthen the latex mold by putting on a piece of cheesecloth before the last two coats of latex. I only have done this with molds that I don't want to distort while molding. Since I want variety with rocks, I don't usually bother. When it is time to take the mold off the parent, just start peeling back at a corner and work slowly.

The Leg Lamp

The Leg Lamp

"It's not just a lamp, it's a major award!" That of course is a quote from the best holiday movie of all time, "A Christmas Story."

How cool is it that my Christmas present from my Mom and Dad is a two-foot tall version of this fra-gee-lay spectacle? This is better than an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot, range model air rifle! And how cool is it that my wife insists that it goes in the front window, just like in the movie?

"Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window" and that, of course is trains. I worked on the scenery around Blue Cut for a while today, and I hope to spend some more time on the layout this week (after I finish riling up the posers on the Free-moN list).

Kind of Fuzzy

Kind of Fuzzy

Believe it or not, I was actually playing trains last night. I've been stalled, thinking about the 100 square feet of scenery that needs to look like the fuzzy brown stuff you see in these photos from Canyon and Dell in the Cajon Pass.

I was walking through the automotive section at WalMart, and there was a roll of Medium Almond, Ozite replacement carpet for car interiors. The store lighting made it look like it was a sign from above, because I instantly thought of the brush in the Pass. It seemed too easy, and I shook my head no and pushed my cart to the next isle. But I stopped and returned for a second look. I actually put it back and forth into my cart three times before I decided it was worth the $9 gamble.

When I got home, I unraveled it, and stared at it for at least an hour. Anyone looking at me must surely think I was the Rain Man - definitely not wearing my underwear. I finally decided to cut about a ten-inch square and try it out on a scrap of wood. I used a hot-glue gun to attach the edges and provide some hills. I then sprinkled some Woodland Scenics Earth Blended Turf into the carpet, and then provided some highlights with WS Fine Yellow Turf. I sprayed everything with rubbing alcohol and then glued it down with WS Scenic Cement. I then soaked some Olive Underbrush in Scenic Cement and placed it randomly on the carpet with tweezers.

The first thing I noticed in the morning is that the glue was still wet in many places. I think the synthetic fiber of the carpet may actually repel the glue. I'm going to let it dry another day and see how it goes. I need to experiment with using some hair clippers to cut trails, paths and roads through the stuff. I'd really appreciate your opinion of the results, especially since I have over 100 square feet of area to cover.