Workbench
Want to start scenic modelling but don’t know where to start? Peter Marriott offers eight essential products that will help you get the best from your layout.
PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER MARRIOTT
Plethora is a word that is regularly used in the wrong context. How many times do you see a manufacturer proudly claiming that its new product has a “plethora of fine detail”. That means that it actually has too much fine detail.
But it could be argued that the one area in railway modelling where plethora could be correctly applied is scenic detailing. For those of us used to this world, we can navigate our way around the seemingly endless selection of products and can argue the merits of one brand over another.
Manufacturers keep supplying new and innovative products to the market and we’re in an advantageous position to judge how those new products will work in everyday use.
Yet for the newcomer, the sheer array of scenic products must present a baffling and bewildering barrier.
Now, that’s not me saying manufacturers should stop developing new products or that new manufacturers aren’t welcome to the market. Far from it. But was there a way for me to guide those new to hobby – or indeed those setting out on their first scenic modelling journeys – through the minefield?
I pondered this while on the way home from an enjoyable – and inspirational – visit to both the Vale of Rheidol and Talyllyn Railways a few years ago. I really wanted to capture that essence of the narrow gauge, with a railway seemingly running on a ledge on a hillside, a feature common on both railways.
Could I, while creating such a narrow gauge cene, use it as a emonstrator for my avourite scenic roducts, some new, some familiar? Well, that’s what this little scene is designed to do. Consisting of a single narrow gauge line, raised on an embankment above a footpath, with a trickle of a waterfall tumbling down the valley, the diorama has allowed me to employ a range of materials and techniques, so allowing me to share eight useful scenic tips which will hopefully help with your own modelling projects.
TIP 1 FLOWERING BUSHES
Flowering bushes are a good way to add dashes of colour and different textures to your layout. You can add them to hedgerows or to the lineside. The colour of the flowers can really help set the season your layout depicts.
Busch has a range of 120mm by 80mm mats that are one of the best sources of flowering bushes. They come in several colours with the foliage up to 35mm, so are ideal for the popular scales.
What to buy? Busch 3595 White Flowering Shrubs
Price: £8.75
Availability: Golden Valley Hobbies
Tel: 01981 241237
Web: wwwgoldenvalleyhobbies.com
HOW TO USE IT
Break off a piece of the material to the size you want. Then cut away its backing material.
Glue to the landscape with white glue that will dry clear and matt. I recommend Mod Podge Matte Medium.
TIP 2 DIFFERENT HEIGHT GRASSES
We’ve covered how to plant static grass countless times over the years but there’s much more to static grass than simply switching on your GrasMaster. Realistic miniature grass requires careful study of the prototype.
To plant realistic grass, it is necessary to use different height fibres, over-planting one layer with another. In my experience, Noch’s are some of the best subdued colours that can be mixed together.
What to buy? Noch • 08321 2.5mm Dark Green Scatter Grass • 08324 2.5mm Golden Yellow Scatter Grass
Price: £3.05 each
Availability: Gaugemaster
Tel: 01903 884488
Web: www.gaugemasterretail.com
HOW TO USE IT
Spread on a little glue over the area you want grassed. Then plant with light green 2mm fibres.
Once the glue has dried, dab on a little glue on top of some of the 2mm fibres. Then repeat with 4mm medium green fibres.
Leave to dry overnight. The following day, apply some small areas of glue and plant 7mm dark green fibres.
TIP 3 CHOOSE THE RIGHT TREES
A tree can make or break a scene, particularly when used in the foreground. Don’t skimp here! There are loads of good quality trees available from Busch, Faller, Noch (its Master Trees range) and Premium range of Woodland Scenics.
However, I’ve been impressed by Primo Models’ range. The trunk, foliage and lower branches are well produced and they come in lovely cardboard packaging.
What to buy? Primo Models Larch Model Trees
Price: from £9.00
Availability: Primo Models
Tel: 07928 856138
Web: www.primomodels.co.uk
HOW TO USE IT
Planting a tree couldn’t be easier. Make a hole in the landscape using a bradawl or even a screwdriver.
Press the tree into the hole and secure with your favourite clear, matt adhesive.
TIP 4 ADD CAMEOS
Small scenes of everyday life can really catch the eye if done well. They can even make the layout feel bigger because they keep your attention for longer.
There are so many possible sources for cameo scenes. The ModelU range of figures is worthy of mention but you do have to be handy with a paintbrush to get the best from them. Of the ready-to-plant selection, Noch’s figure sets are a really quick and easy ways to add a cameo to your layout – and I used several here.
Couldn’t be easier: choose the desired location and secure with a small blob of PVA adhesive.
What to buy? Noch 15891 Anglers x5
Price: £17.25
Availability: Gaugemaster
Tel: 01903 884488
Web: www.gaugemasterretail.com
Rather than another ‘how to use it’, this time it’s a word of warning: plan your cameo use carefully. Aim to mirror real life scenes, avoid cliches and don’t over do it!
TIP 5 FREE STUFF
Good as they undoubtedly are, modern scenic products can be quite expensive. So a ten-minute walk around your garden or local park can yield lots of modelling material.
Fallen twigs are perhaps the most useful and can be used for anything from timber loads to tree stuff. Remember to only use discarded material – don’t start ripping twigs from trees or moss from stones!
What to buy? Twigs and sticks
Price: Free!
Availability: Garden, park, local woodland
HOW TO USE IT
It is best to work with twigs that are fully dried. If they’re damp, leave them in a warm room or the airing cupboard to dry.
Cut off any side shoots as near to the main stalk as possible using a sharp craft knife over a cutting board.
Fix to the layout using PVA… or any adhesive that dries matt and clear.
TOP TIP
Keep any loose pieces of leftover bark to crush between your fingers for representing the debris around the base of a tree and on the floor of a wood or forest.
TIP 6 VARY THE COLOUR
You only have to look out of your window to see the huge variety of colour that Mother Nature has to offer. It’s currently spring, yet how often do we see the purples, pinks and whites of spring blossom modelled? Not often.
I make no apologies for using these small trees from Primo Models, which are available in a number of foliage colours. What makes them great is that, at 5cm tall, they can be used to represent a flowering bush.
What to buy? Primo Models Blooming Apple Tree
Price: £10.00
Availability: Primo Models
Tel: 07928 856138
Web: www.primomodels.co.uk
HOW TO USE IT
Dead easy! Use the same technique for planting trees described on the left.
TIP 7 SCENIC PAINTS
Remember when all we had was lichen and coloured sawdust? New from WW Scenics are five different shades of modelling mud.
Effectively a textured paint, they come in 100ml re-sealable pots and there are Smooth, Fine, or Coarse Textures to choose from.
The beauty of these ‘muds’ is that they can be mixed to form different shades or textures. They can even be used to fill gaps in the landscape too.
What to buy? WW Scenics • Clay Wet Mud • Black Peat Wet Mud • Brown Clay Wet Mud • Light Brown Wet Mud • Coarse Dry Mud. RRP: £9.99 each
Availability: WW Scenics
Tel: 01792 815841
Web: www.wwscenics.com
HOW TO USE IT
Take an old, flat paintbrush and paint the mud where you want it to go. Then leave to dry. I used it on this diorama to make a forest track.
TIP 8 GRASS TUFTS
Grass tufts can be useful for adding height and colour to a scene, though it is best to avoid those that look just what they are – a bunch of static grass fibres on top of a blob of glue. Unlike static grass, tufts come into their own in isolated areas where it’s not worth getting out your grass applicator.
Again, there are myriad tuft manufacturers but I’ve been won over by those from Primo Models. The fibres are nicely subdued and the flower effects are finely applied. There’s a good range of different heights and colour combinations.
What to buy? Primo Models • Brown Grass Clumps 12mm • Brown Green Grass Clumps 6-12mm
Price: £3.00 each
Availability: Primo Models
Tel: 07928 856138
Web: www.primomodels.co.uk
HOW TO USE IT
Planting tufts is a quick process. First, put a dab of white glue on the landscape where the tuft is to go.
Hold with a pair of tweezers, then push it in the still-wet glue. Leave until the glue cures.
1.
Model Rail
Subscribe to Model Rail magazine and get the most out of your hobby
Each issue of Model Rail covers every stage of modelling, from buying your first model train set right through to museum standard fine-scale modelling. Find inspiration for your next project with our helpful tips, advice and in-depth detail on model trains and layouts.
Choose the right subscription for you and get instant digital access to the latest issue.