Big Trees

Lee.  I realize that you already know this but remember 1/4" to the ft is O scale. A 30ft tree is therefore 7 1/2" tall. While forests can have taller trees I feel that 7 1/2" is the perfect size on an O gauge layout as it doesn't dominate the overall look. Put an O scale loco in front of a 10" tree and you'll see what I mean.

I use the Heki tall Alder tree sets from Scenic Express. They are hand made in Germany and cost about $25.00 for a box of six. I also use 4 1/2", 5" and 6" pine trees that you can buy cheap on the bay from China.

if you are looking for oak type trees u can make one pretty easy any size u want.  all ya need is stick, sisel rope, spackling, ca glue, filter material, hairspray.  i got the idea from an old article on the web.  here are some pics.  the first is the material, second the armature made by attaching rope to stick, unraveling it as you like to make branches, gluing it as u go, spackling whole thing together.  attach filter material and any green stuff u like spray with hairspray and ya got it.  third is the first tree i did using this method. just a thought...

 

 

This looks pretty  interesting.  (I don't mean to hijack Lee's thread but) how did you go from step 1 to step 2?  Those individual branches are made from unraveled sisal rope?  What provides the rigidity that makes them stand out stuff?  You cover them with spackle?

And how do you fasten rope segments to the branch segment in a way that holds them in position and provides that rigidity?  It all looks fascinating, I'd love to try this!

 

- Mike

Lee here are some of my trees from scenic express..

 

Photo#1……………..12" trees

        #2……………..11"&12"

        #3……………..101/2" and far right 12"

        #4…………….12"

        #5……………..left of track down low14" all others 12 to 15

        #6…………….another view of photo#2

        #7…………..small tree in center 6", the trees on each side are 14 1/2" and 13"

        

 

 

I'm with Mike.  I'd love to see a step by step process.  The one pictured looks great.  I need about 75 trees like that for a rural section and would like to make my own while I'm recovering from some upcoming surgery.

ok i searched around until i found the original article that i learned the process on.  this guy does some really nice live oaks.  he has a great tutorial it is split into 2 parts the first is at http://www.freerails.com/view_...orum_id=4&page=1  from there u can follow on to next part.  This guy does some amazing trees, the only thing i did different was i used a stick instead of wood block, i have lots of trees around so figured it is already closer to trunk shape than square piece of wood.  it was actually a fun project, hte toughest part was getting the tree bark to right color and texture. hope this helps.

 

Thanks very much for tracking this article down, Stubby.  I'm sure this will be interesting reading and maybe lead to a whole new, inexpensive source for trees!!  

Stubby this is great!!  Sure appreciate you doing the leg work to find the original info.  Time to start gathering my materials.  This is going to be great therapy.  Thanks again and thank you Mike for getting the ball rolling..

Scenic Express has a large selection in their new catalog. They mailed me this 340 Page Catalog, Issue #17  This is an excellent reverence book.

  340 Pages hardcopy. a lot of large trees.

Guys, real trees get big in the forest.  7 1/2 may be fine in places - I have a lot of those on my layout and maybe two dozen ten inchers.  But even a ten inches in only a scale forty feet.  Short by forest standards.  I have several trees in my backyard over 70 feet -  18 inches, and of course in the forst it get much taller.  I want to get some of those big 21 to 25 inchers, but they run $1K a dozen.  Wow.

Lee

yes this aspect can be expensive if you go the store bought way .

 

Tall Pines - Get yourself some Hardwood dowels  for a few buck at HD or Lowes. Shape the tips and rough them up a bit. Get some basic dark brown stain. Next go to any craft store and look in the dry flower section for German statice or anything that would resemble the branch structure you like and cut into varying lengths. Get a drill bit and some glue and affix these to the trunks. In some cases you might have your tree right here. If you need more then you can add pine needle flocking to the branches.

 

Other trees  -  in the Scenic Express catalog Buy some of the large tree armatures which are resonable. Add on some branches using Super Tree material to extend the height. Paint or dye the material. Then spray with Super-77 aerosol glue and add leaf flocking.

 

The good thing about Scenic Express is Jim give you both the store bought and do-it-yourself options.

 

I have lots of both for the club layout but they are stored away as we are still in construction phase of our build and will likely be adding the foilage sometime later in the year.

Steve

 

 

SuperSage from the Scenic Express website.  Click on the underlined phrase to link.  There is a (5) minute, "How to",  video. posted on this link.

 

It does add up fast.  I guess you could say you "can't afford the forest for the trees..."  

Indeed.  Almost every modeler compromises and compresses this dimension, particularly when it comes to trees.

 

I'd love to get a few dozen full height black locust, hickory and oak trees to really define scale in the scenery that's away from the full scale height structures.

Trees are even more expensive than figures, but it's all the little details that make the difference. So while we all have thousands invested in our trains, we will also have thousands invested in the little stuff. Even if you make your won trees, and paint your own figures, the nickel and dime materials add up to thousands over time. 

I agree with you. Trees, along with appropriate undergrowth, is one facet of model railroading that I have found myself uncompromising about for my own layout as well as for the work I sell to customers. If we are aiming for a shot at realism, sometimes one has to bite-the-bullet and pour on the cash for the foliage, particularly the trees. And, IMHO, a wide variety of heights(agreeing with you here, Lee) is entirely appropriate, as is variety in genus, colors, and textures, in any one particular scene or for an entire layout.

 

From my perspective, sticking one lone bristle-brush tree by its lonesome amidst a huge expanse of barren acreage is not worth the effort or mini-expense, unless one is going for the look of a parched, lonely landscape. However, taking that one tree (not that there aren't lone souls standing by themselves in reality, of course) and combining it with others, plus low-foliage, is a far more effective use of available funds, effort, and trees.

 

This is just my personal opinion. Trees are one area where I do not skimp, so I am prepared to spend the money. They make all the difference.

The foliage/trees in all of the scenes which I have shared, here, were purchased from Jim Elster's Scenic Express, and I have considered them to be a good value for a good price.

I agree with Lee.  7.5" is way too short.  Trees are more likely to be 70ft to 100ft tall.  30ft is an adolescent tree, maybe.

 

Interesting that people will invest $1000's  of dollars for engines and railcars that sit in boxes under their layout, never to see the light of day.  But wince at buyimg trees that will be on display, functioning, and noticeable 100% of the time!  (But a grand a dozen is pretty pricey, I admit)

I can see the point of trees growing to 100 feet or more and wanting to add them to the layout. For me the only way I can see that working is in a different gauge. I refer to N gauge. There the scenery can dwarf the trains like in real life and you have the real estate to do it. In 0 gauge I could see it if you had a huge layout but most of us don't...........Paul

I have to disagree with you, Paul2. I saw a man's layout that was presented in OGR, several years ago. I'm not sure it was even 4'x6', in total; yet, he gave such attention to the detail of his foliage - varied in heights and in the factors I mentioned above - as well as in his interesting and finely crafted buildings, that it was a charming view from one side to the another of his layout, giving folks something to see along with his single loop of track.

 

Also, I have seen breath-taking work by Mr. Joey Ricard (sp?) at York (Orange Hall) and on OGR, and I believe he has crafted his wonders on very limited real-estate, esp. in his use of trees, as well as all facets of the landscape.

 

I don't think one has to go big in order to be good lookin'. And trees help.

FrankM

Since my layout is more country then city, I will have full size trees on my mountains.

 

Clem  

Moonson, I stand corrected. I had forgot about that small layout.......Paul 

Moonson those are spectacular looking scenes.... tress and all!

They are indeed.  Nature is alive and growing, and it takes attention to detail and a lot of trees ans scrubs to make it realistic on a layout.  

 

Moonson, that is indeed fantastic!

Thank you, Laidoffsick, I appreciate such enthusiastic approval!

 

And my Thanks to you, too, Lee Willis, for the kindness of your public praise, here. You sure authored an interesting topic, one about which many of us appear to have viewpoints. This discussion is interesting. Sharing ideas is good, isn't it.

FrankM.

Some large Redwood trees 14" to 18" just added to layout.

 

 

I think we get to wrapped up in buying $1,500.00 locomotives then we think other things we need only cost $5.00 lol..Nick

I look at large detailed trees in foreground just like structures.  They take about the same amount of space and quality trees take time to make.

When I travel out west I always go sagebrush picking, add supertrees, some spray paint and flock and material costs are under 8/ tree for a scale tree over 3 stories high (~36ft). There is no waste with super tree material, nicer pieces make small trees, discards make bushes.  You can make one quality tree an hr, doing 5 -6 at a time.  Smaller trees can be done in much less time...Its a volume thing.

I would love to be able to do that. Would you be so kind as to tell me precisely where I could travel to do such a harvesting? (State? Road? Town? Outskirts to..?) Please.

FrankM.

They add a lot, don't they? Real nice vistas, Tim.

FrankM.

Yes, I agree Moonson. Trees and foliage help complete a scene as shown in your fantastic photos above. I also think they not only look good, they add realism and give depth to most scenes. My layout is not large. I used these large Redwood trees as a part of the scene as they really stand out. Thank you.

near most ski resorts, late August after dry season and before winter.  Found my latest batch driving on main road into Breckenridge from south.  picked 100 in about 2 hrs.  Only pick pieces that are dry and right shape.

I too look in the box stores after Christmas for tree packages.

I have at least 3 dozen now, I left the "snow" on them and use them on the Christmas layout.

Knocking the snow off a pile of them would make for a cheap forest edge.

 

Lee:

I see where your forest is and understand the desire for Big trees. I too want some Big Trees, however I'm prepared to cheat a bit.

I don't know how well it will work but a good solid outer edge on the forest should hide a platform with shorter trees on it in the middle.

The Outer edge can contain a mix of moderate, Medium tall and Tall trees, tapering up as it gets into the forest.

Recalling the thread where roads into the forest give you open spaces I would add those will have to be sided with Medium to large trees as well.

 

Since I'm modeling Western Colorado I too shall need a lot of BIG Trees for my forest, but I may just do an edge up to a backdrop for My uncle's Sawmill scene.

Lodgepole Pine in the 150' to 200' range was common...