Westfir Scenery - Base Vegetation

With the terrain in Westfir completed, I began to explore options for adding spring scenery. Most of us model the heat and bright sunny days of summer, however, the Cascade Sub is firmly set in the rainy days of late April and early May. As such, there are a few more considerations when it comes to developing the scenery across the layout. For one, I have to be selective about color and texture, but also elevation. As scenery progresses up the hill I will reduce the level of lushness simulating the delayed response of vegetation at higher elevations. 

Reference material available online and through others has been an incredibly valuable resource in putting together the pieces of this scenic challenge. Below are two pictures of the prototype Westfir which I am using as primary reference. A few things stand out to me as "must have" elements. First, hillsides dominated by conifers. Important to note are the somewhat lighter green tones that can be seen, especially in the first photo. Given my small space and the narrow width of the scene, trees will have to interact well with the backdrop and foreground to give the impression of ubiquitous conifer growth.  

Secondly, bare and budding deciduous growth is the prevalent, despite the conifer dominance. Trees, bushes, brush, and shrubs are all in early stages of leaf development. In Westfir this development will be represented by greater lushness than at the summit.  

Finally, grass are lighter shades of green with deeper green areas where more growth has occurred. Blends of light greens and yellows will help achieve this early season look. The challenge will be to balance the bright colors such that the scene does not appear cartoonish. 

UP mixed freight through Westfir (Randy Johnson).

 Westfir (Randy Johnson).

Much of the textures and complexity found on the prototype and in the photos above would be nearly impossible to replicate well, so my focus will be executing the major springtime characteristics well. I started with the grasses. After testing a small section, I proceeded to add 4mm spring green static grass from Silflor along the fascia side of the right-of-way. The grass is held in place with full strength white glue applied with a brush. Silflor tufts were also added along the spur with white glue. As can be seen in the photos below, this growth is relatively lush and will need to be balanced with future scenery work, specifically conifers, still dormant foliage, additional grass layers and ground textures such as ground, dried leaves. 

Grasses and tufts added in Westfir. Adhered with white glue applied with a brush to the dirt. The grass is not a uniform blanket, rather a series of connected clumps.

Grass and tufts applied along the spur. Here it is evident the scene needs more color variation as it is currently dominated by the grass and dirt colors. Additional variation with other vegetation as well as differing shades of static grass will help. 

Even a narrow scene provides a multitude of opportunities for scenery.

Certainly there is a great deal of scenery to add to this scene, however these initial layers of scenery have gone a long way to bringing the railroad to life. Future posts will detail how this scene progresses as more scenic elements are addressed.