GREAT FALLS MODEL RAILROAD CLUB

Adult Education Class, including laying ballast, October 18, 2011, Photos by Dick Clark

Our adult class starts the scenery with a styrofoam base (seen in pink in the last of these photos) and plaster of Paris. After the styrofoam and plaster have been shaped to create the hills and other landscape features, the plaster is painted and details added. One of the details being added during this session was the green ground foam (used to simulate grass) which Eli Christman is shaking onto his module, using a household spice jar. In order for the ground foam to stick where needed, white glue was first poured onto the plaster of Paris and spread out with a paint brush dipped in water. As Eli demonstrates, a spray bottle lets modelers get water exactly where they want it.

Paul Lodge, Eli Christman Eli Christman and Paul Lodge Eli using spray bottle to wet corner

In the next series of pictures, Ben Dyke and his father Warren are laying the ballast and using diluted white glue to hold it in place. Ben is holding an inexpensive tool - a recycled 35 mm film container - from which the ballast flows between the ties. The ballast is spread evenly with a small paint brush. Diluted white glue is then carefully applied directly from the bottle. Ben holds a spray bottle of "wet water" getting ready for the next step. "Wet water" is ordinary tap water to which a very small amount of liquid dish detergent has been added to break the surface tension so that the glue will spread evenly. After vacuuming the edges of his module, with a little friendly advice from Eli, Ben finishes this part of his project by sprinkling on some ground foam.

Warren carefully applies diluted glue to the ballast

Warren uses glue; Ben waits with spray bottle

Ed Fournier using red tape on his module

In the picture above, Ed Fournier has covered the track on his module with red tape before applying plaster. In the pictures below, Nick Richard mixes and applies the plaster he is using to form scenery on his module.