Building the Pinacle Creek Mining & Timber Co. RR

[fcwilt]

Not a big deal but the ties floating in space look a bit odd.

[HOexplorer]

fcwilt, Actually it is a big deal. I've looked at the bridge and admired it for a piece of nice art, for lack of better example. You've pointed out something that I gave some, but not enough, thought too. We just can't have ties floating in air.

Someone can hunt for 'ties in the air' I'm sure they exist in the real world. I will go along with you and forsake an artsy bridge for a more practical one. Thanks, Jim

[HOexplorer]

Toot, I need your address.

Next up: Super Trees The Ultimate Tutorial

What are they? How to 'do' them. Different techniques.

Maybe today, but probably tomorrow. Jim

[HOexplorer]

Super Trees

When I started model railroading in the Fall of 2005 I had never heard of Super Trees. I pretty much stuck with Woodland Scenics products because my LHS carried them and they looked good to a beginner. I don't even know if Super Trees were in existence then. But somewhere along the line I 'discovered' them. Here you can see the good sized box and some of the tannish color trees themselves.



Super Trees are available through Scenic Express. SE is not cheap, but they offer many scenery items seen all over the PCM&T Co. layout.

Probably the most interesting scenic improvement for model railroading is Super Trees. It grows in Finland or some place. One can make bushes large and small. Trees can be made. Good sized trees even in HO. I was never fond of lichen found on so many layouts built after WWII. Unless you made your own trees or had sage brush available lichen was about it for deciduous trees. Whenever I see it my eyes always saw lichen, not a tree or a bush. Super Trees has helped cause the demise of lichen usage.

I will show many ways to make convincing deciduous trees, bushes to.

Jim

[HOexplorer]

Next you need to spray paint some brown on your Super Trees. I use Rustoleum Brown Satin. Any brand any brownish or brownish gray color will do.



Most modelers tend to model mid-summer so I thought I would start with Green. Not all green is created equal however. Study these trees.



On the left is the most common example of a Super Tree I see on layouts. This is the shaken method. I used a nice fine grained green and simply shook it on the tree. Naturally hairspray was sprayed on first. After the green is done another hairspray spray to fix it. Not a bad tree.

Compare the first tree with the second from the left, the one next to it. Bingo! Something is different. Color is a bit darker and you may see specks of yellow. (dead leaves?) Also this trees was rolled in the ground cover, which in this case was Woodland Scenics Green Blend. It is a medium sized grain. I like this look. It actually shows some resemblance to a tree in the real world. The 'leaves' for the most part are on the ends of the branches just like real trees. When you shake this stuff on a tree it attaches a bit to the limbs.

The third tree is a shaken, but could be rolled, tree. This time I used Woodland Scenics Light Green Coarse Turf. I get a different 'look' using this product. I could have used Dark Green or Burnt Grass color as well. In fact most "Green" seasoned layouts should not have all the same colors.

The last green tree is different again. First step was to roll it in WS Green Blend like the second tree. Then I sprinkled WS Dark Green Static Grass on the tree to form yet another tree.

The point here is that Super Trees can be done in many ways. Don't get trapped filling your layout with tree number one above. Experiment. Combine colors and techniques. Mother nature has all types of trees mixed in with the prominent tree of a given area. More later. Jim

[HOexplorer]

Next up is Late Summer. In most parts of the country the leaves just start to turn around Labor Day. Not for me in San Diego, just at this point now.



Here we can see just a touch of yellow on our four trees. On the far right tree I used WS Harvest Gold Static Grass. On tree #3 I used WS Coarse Yellow Grass. On the two left trees I used Autumn color from JTT.

Early Fall can be portrayed by simply adding more of the above colors. I start using more of JTT Autumn because it is not the gawdy red and yellow of WS Fall colors.



Many of you have this Fall look right now. I did this tree a bit different. I rolled it in WS Earth Blend. I only rolled it once and very lightly. Now you can see some of the green leaves, but most of the color is from JTT Autumn and JTT LateFall blend which gives a more reddish appearance.



Not all deciduous trees are created equal. On this tree because of a light roll I've opened up the interior of the tree creating a lighter airy tree. Many things can be done with Super Trees.

Hint: In this last picture you see some 'branches' I plucked off. I recommend doing the tree with these ground covers and then pluck off some branches if you want. This way you've save a step by having some bushes already finished for you. Jim

[tootnkumin]

Who's JTT Jim, not familiar with. You've probably mentioned them previously but can't find the reference.

[HOexplorer]

Finishing Up with Super Trees

Here is a photo I call Oct 1st. Notice the tree has multiple colors. It is not full Fall so different colors make for a nice tree.



Finally I have some 'high country' on the PCM&T Co. layout. It stands to reason that trees would 'turn' sooner in the high country even on the same date.



When you put all the tree coloring tips together you can have a layout that looks more like real life. Which leads to this photo:



Enjoy, Jim

[HOexplorer]

Toot, Prizes where sent yesterday.

As for JTT check out this photo. I only had late fall left over. Check out the website in the right hand lower corner. Jim

[tootnkumin]

Thanks Jim, I shall keenly await them, let's see if the postal services can beat the 8 days that they achieved for the MTH flat cars I bought from Smithburg MD.
I can see why you didn't want to block the light coming in from the window, really brings that scene to life.

Enjoying this tutorial, especially when modelling a country far removed from my locale. Trees here in SE Qld don't seem to loose their leaves for any great length of time so don't change color much (except when they get burnt off and were moving into a very bad bushfire season now).