| Once you've got a train layout set up on a flat table, | | | | itself, providing you make the appropriate supports. |
| you might want to make it more interesting by adding | | | | Basically, you cut wooden support blocks to the |
| some mountains and hills. There are a couple of ways | | | | appropriate size, then drape window screening (called |
| to do this, and they are both easy. | | | | "fly screen" in Australia) over the blocks, stapling the |
| Papier-Mâché Method | | | | screen to the blocks. You should fasten the blocks to |
| If your layout is temporary, or you don't want to spend | | | | the table with screws or nails first, so they don't move |
| much money, you can use the | | | | around. |
| papier-mâché method. Basically, you just | | | | If you want, you can build a second track bed around |
| scrunch up some newspapers into the general shape | | | | or through the mountain, elevated above the table. |
| of the hill or mountain, then cover them with sheets of | | | | Simply use support blocks and plywood to make a |
| newspaper dipped in papier-mâché paste. | | | | rigid base for the track. |
| The traditional method of making | | | | Once the screening is in place, pinch it in places to |
| papier-mâché paste is to add one part | | | | make rugged edges, ditches, and valleys. Then mix up |
| water to one part flour. Some people prefer to boil the | | | | some common household plaster (available at any |
| paste, saying that it makes the consistency smoother. | | | | hardware store to fix holes in a plaster wall) and |
| Water to flour ratio is changed to five parts water to | | | | slobber it over the screen. There is no need to be |
| one part flour in this case. Other people use a three to | | | | careful, just make sure all the screen is covered. A |
| one or a one to one ratio of water and polyvinyl | | | | thicker plaster mix works much better than a thin mix, |
| acetate wood glue. Still others say that starch makes | | | | as the latter allows the screen to show through. |
| a fine paste. Adding a dash of cinnamon to the | | | | When you get to the rugged vertical bits, use |
| mixture gives the paste a pleasant smell; adding a | | | | horizontal strokes of a knife to simulate rock cuts. Let |
| dash of salt and sugar reduces the chances of the | | | | the plaster dry overnight and then paint as described |
| product developing mould. | | | | above. |
| You simply dip sheets of newspaper (fold them a | | | | Finally, finish it off with lichen bushes and trees as |
| couple of times to make them thicker) in the paste and | | | | appropriate. |
| drape them over the scrunched up newspapers. The | | | | Don't Forget Access |
| sheets will be soft and pliable, so mould them into hills | | | | When you are deciding how big to make your |
| and valleys as you like. Let the | | | | mountain, and where to place it, also think about |
| papier-mâché dry overnight. You will find | | | | derailments. Murphy's Law guarantees that, at some |
| that it is hard and rigid, like a piñata. | | | | point, your train is going to derail in the tunnel through |
| Paint it with a water-based paint in shades of green | | | | your mountain. Make sure the tunnel entrance is large |
| (for grass) and brown (for dirt) and grey (for rock). | | | | enough so you can reach in and get your train out. |
| You can also use spray paint, but make sure it is | | | | Or consider these alternatives: If you have made a |
| matte, not glossy, paint. While the paint is still wet, | | | | papier-mâché mountain, and not glued it to |
| sprinkle some grass (available at the hobby shop) or | | | | the table, you can simply lift it off the table. |
| green-coloured sawdust. When the paint is dry, add | | | | If you have made a permanent wood block and wire |
| some lichen for bushes and trees (also available at | | | | screen mountain, then consider cutting access holes in |
| any hobby shop). | | | | the table, below the mountain, so you can reach in and |
| Window Screening and Wooden Supports | | | | right the train or remove it. Don't make the holes too |
| If your train layout is permanent, a more durable | | | | close to the track, because if the train does derail at |
| method of making mountains and hills is to use | | | | that spot, you don't want it to fall through the hole onto |
| screening and wooden supports. This also has the | | | | the floor. |
| advantage that you can run tracks on the mountain | | | | |