I'm not impressed with the regular tree making kits from Woodland. At lease the few I've tried. Are there kits out there that have better quality trees, or perhaps instructions on how to make quality trees? One of the things I would like to see are trees with leaves.
Thanks for any information.
The first step in modelling trees is the same as for modelling locos or whatever - study the prototype - take lots of photos - choose the one you want to model and then decide on the best technique(s) to recreate it in model form. A generic tree is like a generic locomotive, it won't satisfy a serious modeller for long.
Regards, Greg.P. NZ
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Bill Carl has an excellent tree making how-to with photos:
Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad:
I have not used these myself, but there appears to be a lot of modelers that have switch from Woodland Scenics to Scenic Express trees.
There are products available (not necessarily kits) that will produce excellent trees with a little work. The best I've found in the way of tree armatures are Scenic Express' Super Trees. Once simply treated and painted, they can be flocked with ground foam to produce very realistic-looking HO or N scale trees. The product isn't exactly dirt cheap but each package makes several dozen (hundreds in their larger box) of individual trees...while the leftovers make outstanding bushes. It's a shame picture posts aren't allowed but I think you can find an example of them on my layout by going to:
What does the hopper dump go to?
CNJ999 wrote in news:1176953599.934020.30090 @y5g2000hsa.googlegroups.com:
The best tree armatures and branches I've found have been in my own yard. They're the roots from the helicopter tree (silver maple, I think) and make quite good dead/dormant trees. It's a bit of a trick to put foilage on them, though.
Puckdropper
Steve, it's to a local coal dealer's facility. The very low angle of the original photo is a bit misleading in revealing the true nature of the terrain. If you look carefully, you'll see evidence of a short bridge just ahead of the locomotive and a rather more obvious one infront of the hopper. In fact, there's a road there below the grade of the trackage. A view set at 90-degrees from the original shot (seen below) shows a totally different situation that might be expected from the former.
These trees will mold up unless you have a VERY dry train room. They look good for a month, then either are moldly or crumble.
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Wikipedia: The McDonald's of the Information Age
I can't speak for your experience but in my trainroom, which isn't particularly dry, the Super Trees have lasted pefectly. The images I posted are of the these trees after four years of being in place on the layout. I've never experience any crumbling or mold.
CNJ999
You guys must have the patients of Job. :) I want to model an operating
*railroad*, as far as switching and such, but as for scenery I just plan to lay out some grass, add some buildings and Lionel operating accessories, etc. I'll just buy pre-made trees when I get to that point. But not the styrofoam tunnels... I'll have to figure out how to make something better. Maybe one of the Woodland Scenics kits.Just out of curiosity, were you into modeling things before you were into trains, or did the modeling come with the interest in trains?
I think it's the Sycamore maple that has the helicopter seeds.
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Swa one about "planting" trees but nothing about making them. : (
dlm
It's theory rather than actual practice - my layouts have gone from bits of unrecognisable stuff from the garden hedge to bought trees to assorted soldered wire armatures, Woodland scenics, Faller ready made ... One day all the old ones will be gone and the perfect ones will be there in their place ;-)
Over my 50 years in the hobby I've had periods where operation came first, then loco building, wagon building, electronic controllers, signalling, computer control, mechanisims after I bought a lathe ... It's an extremely varied hobby and there's always something new to do, to learn.
Trains were always there for as far back as I can remember, but I had a spell in model aircraft (lost so many that it no longer seemed worth while), then motorcycles, cars, girls, bands ... My wife say's I'm one track minded - whichever track I'm on at the given moment.
Regards, Greg.P.
Nice pics. I especially like the ky / clouds in the second shot.
I thought the landscape and buildings looked more northeastern than Kentuckian, so I looked and looked for gelatinous smears until I figured out you'd dropped the "s", and it was sky, not KY.
Never miiiind.
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There is a link near the top of Bill Carl's tree planting page that will take you to the tree making clinic:
Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad:
I am a proud fumble fingered typist.
Tyops are my specialiyt.
Lysesxic ytpist's tunie!!!
John, he has no experience of Supertrees - you replied to a troll.
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