-
First Time : Foam Carving, Weathering, Ballasting
Hello!
I am thrilled to report all the track has been secured to the layout!
The last step of gluing down the track was to detail the KATO viaduct. I don’t care for the new plastic shine of KATO’s viaduct, so I wanted to hit it with a coat of hobby Matte spray. What a difference a coat of Matte can make! Then I thought I could make it look even better by using some weathering powders on it. I have never weathered anything, but thought it’d be best to try before securing the viaduct to the layout. What do you think of the transformation?
First picture shows the transformation:
TOP: Stock
MIDDLE: Coat of Matte spray
BOTTOM: Weathering Powders, sealed with 2nd coat of Matte
I know ballasting is upcoming, so I decided to ballast the viaduct while I had them separated from the layout. I used a small bead of Elmer’s glue on the outside of each rail and then used a pipette to squirt some Scenic Cement between the rails and then covered with ballast. This was my first time ballasting track and I am pleased with the result. I do need more practice and I do have a heavy hand, but I learned less is more, layer it, and to welcome a mess!
While things were drying I pulled out the hot foam carver to try shaping some foam. I’ve never used a hot foam carver before, but I wanted to get familiar with the tool because I am considering carving my mountain out of foam. The rail yard in the front is on a plateau, so I carved the backside to give it a rock like texture, kind of like Riprap. I think it came out well for a first timer, dumb luck I guess. I think once painted or covered in scenery it’ll look natural.
That’s my update for now! Thanks for your support and feedback! Have a good one!
– Hububba
