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Has anyone tried making hoodoos on their layour?
I came across some out west and thought they'd be a great way to scenic the inch or so between tracks on the helix.
Here's what I've done so far but I think I need to rethink my methods, or maybe try filling in the space with foliage....
This is styrofoam shapes with plaster wrap over screen mesh, no room for rock molds.
I'll see if I can find the proto pix.
Nice work. Something to consider since you can't use rock molds. Use a test section and dent the rock face with a couple of different tools. I think you'll get the same effect.
Nice work! Please post update pics as it progresses - I'm very interested in this technique as well. *thumbsup*
Mark
Interesting, I'll need something similar, but mine will just be eroded dirt.
Yeah I'm going for the eroded sand look, just don't think I've got it yet.
I might try adding some weeds and brush, we'll see if that keeps the "big knife" at bay.
Hoodoos would be extremely difficult to get looking right in the space you have. Hoodoos are usually very eroded and friable sandstone that collapses on a regular basis. You can look for pictures in Bryce Canyon National Park to see typical hoodoos. A railroad would never make a cut through a hoodoo formation when they are that close to the track because of the constant threat of landslide. This is one of the reasons why the UP never built in the area of Zion and Bryce National Parks.
Any rock formations that close to the track have to be either very competent or would needs lots of cribbing and retaining walls to hold it in place. I'm think that something like limestone, hard sandstone, or granite would make the most sense. If you want to have an eroded sand look, you really need to cut way back on the angle of the slope to the track. All material has an angle of repose, an angle from where it's not likely to move. Eroding sandstone would likely have been cut back so the angle of repose was not more than 30 degrees, which means a wide and shallow cut at the tracks. It's your railroad, of course, so do what you think looks good to you. Just some geological and engineering information to think about.
I've added some formations that I guess qualify, but they are a little different than yours. I'm modeling the southwest and wanted a Bryce/Zion Canyon look. I used ceiling tiles broken into pieces. Here's a couple of pics.
Doc
Jim, I think that's what looks out of place is I didn't have room for the repose. On the CPR they are very close to the "towers" but it's more of a sand stone I think. It can be carved as evidenced by the names and drawings scribed in, also birds have burrows in the sides. The CPR guy said when the sides come down they are like concrete and take out the tracks and roadbed!
Doc, that's a great looking tower, I need that on top the cliff!
Thanx for the response so far guys, I'll try and find the photos today.
Well the sand towers wasn't working out quite like I had hoped, so we're going with a sandstone sort of effect.
Ah heck, whatever it is it's turning out not too bad scenery wise.
Here's a pic with some shrubs in place, the overhanging tree is a maple root turned upside down. I threw in an overpass and an abandoned track
as this site originally called for a siding that didn't make the cut.
I plan to texture the "rock faces" yet and add a little more debris.
Rico, IMHO I think it looks good.
It's more daring than anything I've ever tried.
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