Ceiling Tile Cliffsides

STEP-BY-STEP

BUILDING CLIFFSIDE EFFECTS USING CEILING TILES

PHOTO 1 - The space limitations in my train room caused me to run very close to the walls in order to achieve the longest possible straights along the back wall. The wall to the left (east wall) would need scenic treatment beyond building flats and backdrops, as it would be seen from both the side and front. For this reason, I decided to build a somewhat sheer cliffside.

PHOTO 2 - I opted to use stacked strips of ceiling tiles. This technique is relatively simple to do, can be very narrow and can present a striking effect. It also takes less firm planning than plaster cloth mountains, and I wanted this flexibility.

PHOTO 3 - I also had the corner to consider, and I found I could take the cliffside around the corner and eventually flare it down to meet industrial flats which were to be positioned on the back (south) wall. Lastly, I wanted to use the Corber water tower shown here. It's size was too large without elevating it above the tracks. Positioning it on top of the cliffside was a viable solution.

PHOTO 4 - To compliment the cliffside, I installed a mountain backdrop with the intent of having the cliffside meet it at the tree line. This could create the visual impression that the trees are on top of the cliffside with mountains in the distance.

PHOTO 5 - I found the technique for building this feature in an issue of Classic Toy Trains. Having never undertaken a project of this type, I found the process quite simple. Considering the cliffside is nearly eight feet, I broke it up by using a tunnel to simulate vehicular traffic from beyond the wall. This tunnel is made for HO trains but works nicely with 1/43 scale autos. Because of depth limitations, I had to cut the car in half.

PHOTO 6 - Here you can see the ceiling tile strips, which are generally 2.5 inches deep, placed in overlapping fashion for stability. The gaps will be filled with scraps or rock molds as we move further through the process.

PHOTO 7 - The strips are glued together using regular Elmer's White Glue, which I am using pretty much by the gallon. I glued all of the strips together, but did not glue the bottom to the base of the layout, as I suspected I would have to make adjustments to the width. I learned the hard way to try and retain as much flexibility as possible. Using some weight on top of the entire mass will help get a secure bond.

PHOTO 8 - Only after getting the entire structure in place did I gauge the position of the traffic tunnel. I cut this out using a sheet rock saw. After placing it I decided it was too narrow.

PHOTO 9 - The "almost ready" cliffside. With all of the tiles securely in place, I used a stiff wire brush to rough up the surface and create nice horizontal scores along the surface. I used Sculpt-A-Mold to raise the ground level to the height of the cork roadbed. I also applied Sculpt-A-Mold to areas on the south wall to begin a transition to the back wall building flats.

PHOTO 10 - With considerable height achieved in the corner, I was able to place the post-war Corber water tower. I had built a special base for this to give it a more realistic appearance.

PHOTOS 11 & 12 - I used ordinary latex housepaint to begin the process. First, paint a small section 10 or 12 inches. Apply the paint liberally and don't worry about dripping. You want to work on this when the paint is wet. After painting the section, and while still wet, apply fine groundcover by placing it in the palm of your hand and gently "blowing" it onto the painted surface. I used Dennis Brennan's fine and coarse turf for this - coarse first, fine second. Whatever material does not catch on the wet paint, you can scoop up and use again. The inset rocks are made from Woodland Scenic's rock molds. These are painted light gray with a diluted slate gray wash applied.

PHOTO 13 - Follow the same procedure in small steps. You don't want to paint too far in advance as you want the paint to be wet when you apply the first level of ground covers. After the first coat dries, you can go back and start applying the overgrowth. I used Woodland Scenic's Coarse Turf in the full range of shades from grass greens to burnt grass and earth. I applied these by spraying small areas with diluted white glue and applying the turf a "pinch" at a time.

PHOTO 14 - I switched out the single lane tunnel, which I felt was too narrow in favor of this double lane model - also made for HO trains.

PHOTO 15 - Having the benefit of overhead track lighting helped me select the coloring for certain areas. Using the light as a representation of how sunlight is cast, I used darker material in the areas not reached by the "sun". I also intermixed vegetable colors to break up the tone. When areas became too light, I sprinkled on Woodland Scenic's fine turf in soil (black) color to darken the tone.

PHOTO 16 - The top of the corner cliff is done in the same fashion, applying small amounts a "pinch" at a time. I used Super Trees and clump foliage to create the look I was seeking.

PHOTO 17 - The Woodland Scenic's coarse turf really gives you the opportunity to create an overgrown look. I applied these in layers. After applying some material I would let the glue dry and then spray more diluted glue over the top and apply more layers, intermixing contrasting colors. This allowed for a really overgrown feel.

PHOTO 18 - For the top of the cliff, I used Woodland Scenic's pine trees in a variety of sizes. Placing these in front of the backdrop gives me the effect I was seeking. To break up the monotony, I used homemade billboards depicting the famous "Hot Dog Johhny's" and others.

PHOTO 19 - Beneath the billboards, I used clump foliage in a variety of colors to fill in the gaps. To break up the greenery, I blew bolder vegetable colors onto the trees using Woodland Scenic's fine turf.

PHOTO 20 - The finished mountain top blends in with the backdrop, and shows dimension from the side. As stated above, I had never used this technique and found it easy to do. The Woodland Scenic's and Brennan's materials lasted a long way and all things considered I doubt I spent $50.00 on making this entire effect - with lots of material leftover for use on other projects.