Attempting a scenic cut through hills, advice welcomed.

[Chops]

Trying to model something like this:

Having to add more layers to round out the crinkles in the surface. British hills are not crinkly, they are smooth and round. Stephenson was famous for his cuts through hills, not sure what the substrata would be, more like sedimentary rock, like limestone, or sandstone, or granite?

Also, the inner cut has to be advanced a few centimeters closer to the track. Has to be more crowded, but not so much as to foul passenger stock.

Advice welcomed. (I have not been to Britain since 1975, and am working from photographs and memory).

Adding in some turf along the roadbed base. This, I hope, will soften the demarcation of the rigid plastic and the ground level. I've done as much as I dare to dampen the sheen with an India Ink wash. It will never look perfect, but I am OK with that. Those who lay down glue and ballast upon raw track are very brave, as once that is done changing the routing or repairing faulty bits now becomes a massive public works project. Not to mention, I've never been terribly skilled at getting set track just right for any length of time, as heat and cold and warpage eventually moves things about and cause derailments. This EZ track is about as fool proof as it comes, lay it and forget it. For, me it's been a blessing. However, some of the really heavy pizza cutter wheels don't like the crossings (they tolerate everything else) and I am frequently having to assault the diamonds with a rat tail file to deepen and widen the frogs. As of this writing, I am contemplating removing the inner guard rails entirely, as they have no real function as to look somewhat like the real thing, but pizza cutters object, and I adore my vintage stuff.

[Richard08]

Your ground being hilly the way it is 'matches' the industry and back scene in the 3rd photo so all good I'd say. It looks a bit northern, so granite/igneous rock with the quite defined ridges you have what would match - though if that's a bit Dark Satanic Mills you could move it south a bit and go for chalk/limestone to brighten things up a bit, but maybe have to round off the corners a bit to get the rolling hills effect. Just my 2p,

[Lancastrian]

Hi Chops. This is what I have done on my N layout.

My N gauge layout articles are HERE

[Bufferstop]

Hi Chops
Don't forget the fences, British tracks are nearly always fenced, post and rail or these days palisade. Land owners made it a condition of granting wayleave, they didn't want the great unwashed descending from trains and wandering on their land. Might frighten the grouse you know!

[Chops]

A fine bit of art there, Lancastrian. Is that to be the final color? If so, may I suggest a desert scene? That looks quite like where I live In El Paso, Texas? The current effort is beginning to resemble Wales or Scotland, a venue I enjoy, none the less. I used polyester padding to try to round out the crags. Not perfect, but a little better.

[Dad-1]

Ouch, Chops,

That's a bit too emerald green, Scotland & Wales are wild, but not
quite jungle, that is unless the climate doomsters are right !!
Try a few different mixes, perhaps with a little brown, or dark grey.
Our countryside is always a patchwork of slightly different colours.
The patchiness usually showing previous land use over thousands of
years.
Anyway keep it going, sometimes the madder idea the better !!
Regards to Nessie.

Geoff T.

[Lancastrian]

A fine bit of art there, Lancastrian. Is that to be the final color?

I have attached two photographs just taken but not very good. Excuse the mess on the layout, ongoing works.

[Jaz]

As Lancastrian has shown you see soil best painted soil colour then add a soil substrate, I can’t fault I did the same
1st attempt

Then someone kindly pointed out paint solid brown I went pale, and leave some bare looks more natural,
Avoid bright coloured grass duller works better

Static grass if you can afford it and cope with it.

Different lengths
Hope this helps
When you lay the plaster use a paint brush and brush like you paint over the the plaster it helps fill the holes.

[Lancastrian]

I must admit Jazz, any soil and sand on my layouts is actually soil and sand, previously washed and then dried in an old frying pan on my cooker. I can get away with doing things like this because I do live on my own.

[Jaz]

That will make a good difference to the finished product, not certain I would like an invite to dinner though lol

[Lancastrian]

Ahhh: Jaz,, so that's why no one turns up when invited.

[glencairn]

Looking back I think Chops was last online in February.

Anyone know how he is?

Glencairn