New Portal and tree planting

Lightbender

Lightbender

Member
Dec 28, 2003
139
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Vancouver, Canada.
www.thegemdoctor.com
I made a couple of portals over the weekend from bamboo skewers because I needed something anything. A little more paint and they could be keepers;
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I also made some ground foam, spread it around and did a little more tree planting;
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Luckily Shaywen showed up with her camera and took some great shots. The layout doesn't look anywhere near as good as her photographs.
 
Hi Tony,
I like the tunnel portals very much, you did a great job on those. Nice photo's also.
shamus
 
Gee thanks guys, I savour your comments with gratitude and inspiration.

The trees are made from the old flower/fruit heads of the Hardhack plant. These plants shed their leaves in October leaving the great looking tree like heads.
Hardhack website This page shows what the plant looks like during the year as well as October.
Hardhack is found in moist, sunny areas from sea level to subalpine habitats. It is found in damp meadows, swamps, bogs, streambanks, lake margins, and in ditches. It is shade-intolerant and can survive lengthy shallow inundation when the water table raises.

Hardhack may be found from southern Alaska south along the Pacific coast to northern California, and east in southern British Columbia to northern and central Idaho, northeastern Washington, and into northeast Oregon. It is commonly found in the Cascades. It may be found in the Columbia River Gorge between the elevations of 100'-4000' from the western approaches to the gorge to as far east as Horsethief Butte State Park.
Click to expand...
I started with a bag of cut heads that Shaywen had brought me and picked off the remaining leaves and then airbrushed with acrylic green.
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then painted the stems brown.
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I then taped some together and added more paint until they look right. Shaywen took some painted heads and made pine trees by gluing a bunch into a drilled wooden trunk.
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The skewers are about 2.9mm dia. Atlas telephone poles are 2.6mm and my Rix ones which look best are under 2.5mm. I guess they would make better transmission than telephone poles. They are a buck something for a big package at the local chinese store.

The Sun is actually a 150 watt flood lamp that Shaywen expertly included in the shot. She claims that it's serendipity but I think she's hiding her skill behind big words.
 
Wow wow wow!!!! Great idea using skewers - I bet they could be used for a lot of things, like log cabins as well.

I really like the steepness of the hill in the third shot - it's very dramatic, and that shot into the sun is just great!!!

Val
 
Hello rdavies,

Gee thanks, I hope you're inspired to seek some Hardhack and try making a couple.

I have never modelled God's Wonderful Railway but I need to have a recognisable locomotive around for emotional reasons. The collection of geared loggers and Am. Std. 4-4-0 steam that run on the Otters railway are tons of fun but I can't relate them to anything I've ever seen.

Sadly she has oversize flanges and very long legs which restricts her access to much of the layout.
 
Hello Don,

Although it's quite pretty in bloom I think it is considered a weed as it seems quite prolific. I think there are quite strict rules about sending vegetation across borders so I hesitate to send you a bunch. I hope there are some modellers in Washingtom state or Oregon that could mail you a bag.

You probably won't find it being sold anywhere, I doubt that it would have much consumer appeal other than when the purple blooms are out and we don't want it until they have turned brown. This gives you until October to find a friendly Wet Coaster.
 
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