Black Jack's Bar Outside Wolf Creek MT
Part 3
3) A Module for teaching Model Railroad Photography
By Paul Wussow
What you see here is a small module that was created for teaching Model Railroad Photography. This photo shows the module without much foliage as the foliage is normally not cemented down so it can be changed for different photo opportunities. For a number of years I traveled to National Model Railroad Association meeting throughout the Midwest Region to give clinics teaching people how to photograph their models. In order to be able to do this I needed an example of a model to photograph, by building this module I was able to transport a little piece of a layout around the area in my car. The modules size also allowed the clinic participants to move it so that they could see different angles from which to take their photos.
This module is constructed out of construction foam that is light in weight and yet strong enough to be self-supporting. The foam is stacked and glued together with Liquid Nails for Projects, which does not melt the foam. By doing this I was able to provide hills that rise out of a river valley without adding weight of plaster. The foam is then cut with a paring knife to the approximate shape of the land it is to represent. Next I covered the foam with Sculptamold Modeling Compound, a wood fiber and plaster mix. I carved this to take the shape of rocks or dirt covered fields. A coat of water based paint seals the plaster and allowed me to add layers of ground foam from Woodland Scenics products that look like dirt, grass and weeds. Holes are drilled or pressed into the surface to allow the “planting” of trees. Acrylic paints and gloss medium create a river on top of the base material to which rocks and grasses, as well as fishermen were added.
The roadbed for the railroad is construction foam with ditches carved on each side. Ties are glued to the roadbed and later rails are hand spiked to the ties. The bridge was scratch built as a Sn3 bridge, but it worked out fine for this module. When the entire track was in place ballast was poured onto the track and brushed to the correct location. I secured all of the materials to the module with diluted white glue.
The automobile road is made in the same way as the railroad roadbed but does not have ties and rails. However the railroad crossing does have planks set between and on each side of the rails to allow the automobiles to cross the tracks without having to bump over the rails or cause them to go out of gauge.
The creek was cut out of the land and sculpted with a knife down one layer of foam. The lowest layer of foam provided a flat creek bed. Acrylic paints and gloss medium create a river to which rocks and grasses, as well as fishermen were added. Rocks and foliage were added along the banks and into the creek to provide for fishing locations and pools for the fish. The final surface of the creek was gloss medium to give the creek a wet look.
I added the brothers fly fishing and have had groups of picnickers gather under the trees across the river from the bar. One time we even had a Hobo camp there with a campfire.
- Fictional Story of Model Structure
- Model Building in HO Scale
- Module for teaching Model Railroad Photography
- Fictional accounts of life in the summer of 1937
Update 12/28/14