Søren's Model Railway Pages

To try out some of the materials from Noch and Woodland Scenics, I bought the diorama package (product number 98910) and thought that I would give it a try. I also bought the "nature tree" package (product number 23100), various types of flockings and a can of spray glue. According to Noch, the latter products should enable me to build lots of life like trees. This post contains pictures of the result. I will describe them as we go along. My appologies for not showing the entire process, but no such pictures exists. Enjoy!

The landscape package contains both the boards for forming the diorama frame and all the materials you need to build the diorama shown in the guide book. I have bought additional landscaping materials in order to experiment with various things. The landscape on these pictures is not any particular landscape nor have I tried to replicate any particular prototype. This is plain imagination and me trying out a few ideas.

 

To get started you will need a lot of news papers. Noch rely on you to be able to fill the diorama frame with folded news papers to form a base for the landscape. Included in the package is a roll of gypsum to lay over the news papers and form a solid base for the landscape materials. Brown paint is also included to create the illusion of dirt below the grass.

When the whole thing is completed I got it to look like in the pictures below. The first picture is an overview picture, you can see the track and the trees hovering over it. A piece of track is included in the package, but I think you should use your own track system to practice on what you can do with that.

The rocks are made of gypsum and painted with three different colours to make them look like rock. The colours are included in the package and applied using a sponge.

Here are some of the details. I have created some gravel running down the side of one of the larger rocks. This was an idea I got from the guide book.

The guide book also contains instructions on how to create the old drain below the tracks. This is my idea on how this may look like. The rushes are made of long grass, I bet you can buy some lasercut now, but this will do well I think.

Noch did not include any artificial water in the package, so I have not tested how it will work out, but it is always nice with an idea for future improvements.

The long grass along the track bed is made with Noch's wild grass (product number 07124) piece that you can cut into smaller pieces and place anywhere you want long grass. You do not have to use an electrostatic grass machine.

The sea foam trees are actually not that hard to create. I am not completely satisfied with the result though, but I think the trees may look good when mixed with industrial trees. I will have to practice a bit more, if the trees are to look better.

Your key to succes in making your own trees is to control the spray glue. If you apply too much, the glue colours the branches white.

This is my first time trying out do-it-yourself trees, practice makes perfect someone said.

The nature tree package is good if you are not creating any particular sort of trees. The randomness of the sea foam makes it almost impossible to create special kinds of trees, although the one on the picture below could be some sort of old oak tree (or some sort of broccoli). :-)

This was my idea on what you can do with Noch's landscape package and nature tree package. Leave a comment and tell me what you think. :-)

For those interested the locomotive on the picture is Roco number 63980 and the gondola is Märklin number 00757-04 with DC wheels 70 0580.

Happy landscaping!