Hillside development.

Having escaped to the man cave AKA The Room of Gloom, for a second night thanks to the delights of umpteen TV channels that keep Mrs. Woody's interest in Murder Mysteries satisfied (apparently the current favorite is one called Vera) there has been further progress made on the narrow gauge layout. This time on the landscape at the end of the canal wharf. This will be a small hill with two small sheds in front of the railway siding that goes along the end of the wharf. I have constructed the whole area of this hillside development on a sub base of 2mm mounting card. It makes it easier to work on as I can bring it to the workbench and work in seated comfort. The hill itself was constructed with mounting card profiles with an infill of the same foam that I used for the river banks. The usual choice would be polystyrene which would result in the recreation of Santa's Grotto in my man cave as I carved it to shape and all those spheres of that make up the material would fly everywhere. I guess though it might not be The Room of Gloom if that did happen! 

The profiles are being added.

The sub-base being taken off the layout....

...and onto the work bench where the rest of the profiles and foam have been added. Te foam has been cut to the shape of the profiles ready for....

...being overlaid with some kitchen roll - other brands are available! 

Having reached this stage it was then time to mix up a sloppy mix of DIY filler with some brown acrylic paint added and then get plastering! The initial covering of kitchen roll was coated in stages with the filler mix and smaller pieces of kitchen roll added which in turn were covered with more filler and more kitchen roll. There are about four layers of kitchen roll in all and they will form a solid shell as the sloppy filler mix is absorbed by the kitchen roll. Indeed, this particular brand is noted for its absorbency capabilities so it should make for an extra hard surface!

In progress.

Finished on the work bench.....

...and whilst Mrs. W is absorbed with TV detective Vera it is sneaked into the warmth of the kitchen to dry. Wonder if Mrs. W will detect that?

I also had time to add another coat of acrylic varnish to the river bed and banks and being extra generous with it as I need this to stick a coating of sand to make the river bed. I have a feeling I will need to do this several times but I won't know until it dries and I find out if it has worked and iof so how well!