When we look at our day-to-day railway that takes us to work or on holiday, convey goods/freight to keep the country going, it’s not that big in the world as a whole. The railway we see fits into a scene within the area around it. I feel if we want our railway to looks real, it too must fit into a scene. In other words, it more than just tracks on a board.
A
section of landscape, hills, cuttings, bush, parkland with trees make our
railway look bigger, it creates distance and nothing looks better than a train
passing behind nature, it looks the real deal.
I find it so relaxing to set a train up running around the layout, for a
few minutes I will seat down one end and watch a train running on the other end
of the layout. The train will run into a cutting, come out over a bridge and
twist in behind trees before approaching a level crossing on the edge of town.
When
changing ends to seat at the other end of the layout the train will pass behind
the cattle/sheep yards, behind more trees in a park, then turn to come behind a
sawmill. It’s just like standing track side train spotting.
Let’s
look at some happy snaps for a recent holiday down south with trees beside the
railway line. These photos are taken in the Mt George area near Taree NSW.
In today’s world, there is no shortage of readymade trees that are inexpensive to buy. These can be further enhanced by adding additional foliage using various methods.
Most of my tree are handmade, unique to the layout. There is nothing flash about them, the method used has been around for many years. When I joined Australia Model Railway Association in 1973, the twisting of wire method was in the “Beginner’s Guide” I was sent. Attending conventions, reading magazines and viewing YouTube, a few other methods have popped up from time to time. At the end of the day, it’s what you are happy with.
Mainly,
it been seeing and watching others make trees and having a go for myself, so I
guess it’s nothing new and the credit belongs to other modellers for which I’m
very appreciative. Just about all my trees are the twisted wire method. Yes,
they take time to twist up the trunks and branches, but it’s came be achieved
watching TV in the evenings. The wire used is what I can lay my hands on. I
like the multi stand fine copper the best, its soft and easy to twist. The wire
that I’m using at present was found on the side of the road by a mate, I guess
it fell off the back of a truck.
Multi strand copper wire.
Forming
trunk and branches.
These trees take some time to twist into shape.
Florist wire and heavier wire all can be used, not all trees are the same and different wire types gives a different tree.
This pack of craft wire was purchased from a cheap shop for $2.00 and made up 4 trees.
Some
trees will turn out better than others, there is no such thing as a bad looking
tree, some you came use towards the front of the layout for all to see, other
go towards the back scene behind others. You will never have enough trees. Some
tree you can see through them, others are all bush. Soft craft can be twisted
up in a very short time.
20
lengths of craft wire above made this tree. This took just a few minutes to
form.
Most trees, I have a length of wire protruding on the bottom of the trunk. The tree them only needs small hole in the layout for mounting. Plus, you can move your tree around or remove them for photos etc.
Tie
wire from Bunnings can also be used to form a tree. There is various
thickness.
Once
the tree has been twisted into some sort of sharp, the wire is covered with
diluted Selleys “No More Gaps”, just a few drops of water will thin it to paste
that can be brushed onto the wire. A few drops of acrylic paint can add some colour
towards the final appearance. “No More Gaps” is available in different colours
as well. To take the twisted wire look away from your master piece, the “No
More Gaps” may be required a couple of coats, the final application can be
dabbed on to give a bark look. Once dry the “No More Gaps” is flexible and the
branches can be moved around to found the outline of the tree. After the “No
More Gaps” has set, paint the branches the appropriate colour for the tree you
are modelling. Air brush makes this easy, hand painting is OK too.
The
cap to seal the tube once finished is the cap off a Vallejo paint dropper
bottle.
Add
colour with acrylic paint.
The tree roots can be added for some type of trees.
To
finish, dry brushing trunks and branches with another colour can add to the end
product and make your tree look a million dollars.
Various methods have been used for adding foliage. The early trees on the layout the foliage was pillow stuffing sprayed black, leaves added was saw dust saved from build the layout frame. The saw dust was dyed various shade of green using clothing dye from Spotlight. Some modellers use hair spray to attach leaves, I was using diluted PVC or Woodland Scenic Cement for ballasting your track. PVC can give a gloss finish.
Bushers on the backdrop were made the same way.
More
recently I have been using Heki flou for tree that you can see through. This is
available in a number of colours and shades in netting and loose foam. 1550
Light Green, 1551 Medium Green, 1552 Dark Green, 1553 Pine Green,1554 Bright
Green, 1555 White Blossen, 1556 Autumn Yellow, 1557 Autumn Brown. You pull out it into clumps and stretch it out
over the branches. It also good for vines growing along a fence or ground
cover. As it’s pulled apart and out, some greenery will drop off, these bits
came be used to cover or to enhance other trees.
Woodland
Scenics “Poy Firer” Green FP 178 can form a good base to add leaves.
When pulling the Heki flou apart, some of the greenery will fall off, this can be applied over top of the Poy Firer.
Our
current Jacaranda Trees have “Lavender” SE 6562 Super Leaf scale leaves from
Scenic Express. I did purchase this from the US. The Woodlands Scenics “Poy
Firer” Green FP 178 is stretched on over various branches and the Superleaf is
sprinkled on. Lately I have been sticking the leaves on with Matte Medum, about
20% Matte Medium with 80% water in a spray bottle.
Jacaranda Tree next to a tree make using the pillow stuffing.
Fallen
branches under the tree adds realism. Mulch can be added for fallen dry leaves.
The
foliage for this poinciana tree is “Flower Soft” used for card marking.
This tree was given to me as a gift from a nearby modeler. Thank you Bob, much appreciated.
Our
early Jacaranda Trees, “Flower Soft” was used, lavender and lilac. It was
marketed by www.katysuedesigns.com,
checking the website the product is no longer shown, maybe it’s no longer
available.
These days Woodland Scenics has arrange of Turf, Flock and Foliage. Heki, Koch, Peco and Hornby all have arrange of scenery products. I think most us are locked into was is available in the local hobby shop, and these are not that local these days with the nearest to me closing down recently.
When using Heki flou, unfold the netting, rip off required length and stretch out over branches. When happy with the shape, apply glue to branch and place netting into place. Move around all branches until tree is complete.
Some of the greenery (beads) will fall off
during the process, sweep them up as they can be used on another tree.
When
using the Woodland Scenics “Poy Firer”, much the same process. Rip off sections
and stretch it out across the branches and glue into position.
After the glue has set, apply foliage of choice, I’m using the Heki flou that came off doing the other trees.
To
stick the foliage into place I use diluted Matte Medium, one cup (20 ML) Matte
Medium with 4 cups of water. Add a drop of detergent and stir. This completed
six trees. A small spray bottle is great to wet the foliage. This spray bottle came from Specsavers with
lens cleaner for my glasses. The measuring cup come with a Chinese meal full of
sauce, they are good for clean paint brushes too.
Sprinkle the loose beads onto the Poy Firer. When happy with coverage, spay the with tree with diluted Matte Medium.
Check
the sides to see you have the coverage required. I also spray the underside to
make sure it all fixed to the branches. The Heki
flou I had was in two shades of green, some branch had one shade, other had
the other colour. The tree could be further enhanced with an air brush by
spraying small areas of the foliage with some shades of brown/grey for branches
dying off.
Some end results
Multi strand brass wire
This
tree is free standing and can be moved around the layout to change the scenery
on the layout. The tree ended up 65 ft tall, you will see it later on the
layout.
The
trees above have the Heki flou only,
the one below is the Poy Firer with the beads added. It gives a thicker foliage appearance, less
smaller branches visible.
Craft
wire, twenty (20) lengths made the full tree.
This
tree above has the Heki flou only,
the others below have the Poy Firer with the beads added.
In checking out the end result you may find some areas may need a touch up.
Select the location on the layout
and plant the tree.
The This one went to Amby West, the rest of the trees were added to the Westgate.
This is the 65 footer on the layout.
Until next time, have fun with your railway and enjoy the hobby. The Westgate workshop has been busy in both the wagon and carriage shops with new rollingstock. My skills are being tested I can tell you.
Don’t forget the Bundaberg Model Train and Hobby Expo is on again, 21st & 22nd of March.
Arthur H.
Acknowledgements.
Australian Model Railway Magazine. June 2014 Issue 306 Vol.26 #9 “Why not Model Gum Trees?” by Ross Hurly.