Good yard ground cover help needed

[alangdance]

Can anybody tell me what different types of ground cover would have been used in

goods yards during the 50s amd 60s. How do would I model them and what materials

are available.

 

Any help would be most grateful.

 

Regards

 

 

Alan

[Andrew F]

It's probably best to first get some good photo's of the ground cover of the area you are modelling and try to replicate that exactly but generally the ground may be something like ash ballast upto the sleeper tops giving the whole track area a sunken in look.

You could try building up the area between tracks upto near sleeper-top height with a suitable material like cork or card and then ballasting the track with scatter. Once the PVA is dry you can then brush PVA neat onto the areas between the tracks and sprinkle scatter on this too. I've used Javis brown and grey scatters for this and when the PVA is dry you can then use varying abrasive papers to sand the surface to get a variable texture and then finish off with Wickes test emulsions. You can also gouge in some ruts etc.

A yard in the 50's and 60's may also be quite overgrown. The finest Woodland flock can be good for moss, then there's all the other stuff like static grass and basket liner/blonde wig stuff and fur that can be painted with watercolours.

 

Cheers

 

Andy

[Captain Kernow]

Have a look at Chris Nevard's website and see how he used Humbrol Air Clay to build up the ground surface and muddy/cinder-type ballast in the sidings on Catcott Burtle - it is very clever and convincing.

[devondynosoar118]

Very fine aquarium or play sand is good- you can make it as rutted or smooth as you want then use a dilute PVA and ink wash to colour it any shade you like. Check the post I did on my blog to see how I did it.

I love how everyone has a differnent wasy of doing the same jobs.

[ChrisB]

Kiln dried sand as used to finish off block paving is very fine and very useful. It's availablefrom most builders' merchants for around 3 quid for a bag that will last you forever!

[meple]

I suggest a look at photographs as many goods yards were cobbled or much of the area.

[darren01]

HI

Have you looked at the yard ash from C+L

Darren