17 November 2022 Constructing a Backdrop to Hide Back Fence

I have a very long run, over 6 metres (20Ft) that runs across my back fence which looked a bit unsightly.

Unsightly Fence

I tried to grow tall plants to fill in the space between the levels with no success. 

After a number of failed attempts to get any plants to grow up behind the upper deck of the railway to cover the fence, I next tried to use some plastic foliage tiles to fill the back area in, but they did not stand up to the harsh Australian sunlight over the hot weather season and fell to bits and it also did not look realistic.

 

Plastic Foliage Tiles

I finally decided to put in a painted backdrop to partially hide the fence and give something to view the trains on the upper deck against.

 To construct it I used 2.4M x 600mm x 4.5mm Fibre Cement Sheeting used by builders to fill in under house eaves.

Sheeting

I placed it along the fence and marked it using a string line to a height that was level with the top rail.

 

One panel showing top rail

Sheeting in place for marking height

I tapered the sheet at one end to blend it into a cutting at the end of a bridge.  The other end will be blended in next to the high trestle bridge.

Tapered end

Trestle bridge end

I painted the sheeting pale blue using cheap Matt exterior house acrylic paint tinted with artist's acrylic paints bought from a $2 shop as a base onto which I will paint some mountains and hills to try to give a bit of depth to the whole scene similar to what I did on my HO layout.

HO Backdrop-Background 

Some of the paints used for tinting

 

6 December 2020 Meadow and Rocky Riverbed under Trestle Bridges

Under the trestle bridges I made a meadow by laying the turf partially over fibre cement sheet and a wire mesh former.

I made a rocky river bed by laying landscaping rocks over part of the mesh former that supports the turf this allows rainwater to pass through reducing the chance of rot in support tinbers.

Turf on fibre cement baseboard

Turf meadow on wire mesh

Meadow and Rocky Riverbed

4 December 2020 Grassy Bank/Hillside

 To simulate grassy bank/hillside, I used artificial turf over a wire support frame.

The turf was stapled to a frame made from a fence paling bent to follow the track curve and the track bed.

Between the upper and lower levels the gap was filled with fibre sheeting covered in acrylic render.

Wire netting frame work

Wire netting close up

Completed turf bank with render cliff

Cutting wall made with render

 

 

Using House Render to make Cliffs/Cutting Walls

 

To make simulated cliffs /cutting walls, I use Acrylic House Render coloured with an Oxide which is applied over fibre cement sheeting, preferably over the rough side for better adhesion.

Method;

• Make a dry mix of the render and some oxide (amount used can be varied to give the desired colour) 
• Add water to make a paste similar consistency to cement mortar used by bricklayers 
• Wet fibre cement to slow down water absorption from render to stop it from crumbling. 
• Trowel render onto the fibre cement while the backing was still damp. 

Optional; acrylic paint washes can be applied to dry render to give different shades and to break up the colour.

The render can also be applied over polystyrene.

Bag of Acrylic Render

Bag of Colour Oxide

Cutting wall made with render