I'm designing my rendition of a 50s styled Lionel Dealer Display using Fast track. Is there any info out there on how to construct the mountains & tunnels as Lionel had. Thanks.
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Photos were taken fresh from an original display layout this morning. It's pretty simple. Wire screen frame with wood supports. The top material I have seen them use plaster cloth, plaster covered felt, and this is more of a paper towel type material soaked in plaster. The trick with these is more the paint colors and use of lichen. That's what usually gives them the Lionel feel. Will have access to this layout for a few more days. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks,
Derek
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My understanding is that, at least in the 1950s, these mountains tended to be made out of a material called "Celastic". This is made of sheets of felt impregnated with some kind of synthetic resin (cellulose nitrate, I think). It was once popular in the theatre world for making sets and props. It is used by soaking it in a solvent such as acetone, which softens it. You then drape it over a form such as crumpled-up newspapers and let it dry. I believe that is what we are seeing in Derek's pictures above.
You can read about this in the 1958 Lionel "Model Railroading" book.
Celastic is no longer very popular because of the need to use nasty solvents. However, it is still available:
Be careful with the acetone (although it is actually not as toxic as its reputation and odor would suggest--it actually occurs naturally in the human body!).
Thanks for the info and pics. The layout size will be 65"x 192". It will be able to be quickly broken down in 3 equal parts. The 3 tier tunnel / mountain complex will be approximately 36"x60" and well not be attached to the table. It will be able to be removed in one piece. I will be using a combination of O31,36,48 & 60 Fasttrack for the 3 main lines and O27 for a freightyard. I plan on using Woodlands Scenic matting on most of the table top that best resembles 50's dealer display ground cover. I'll be runnng 3 of my steamers with a NYC gang car, post war accessories and some of my newer Lionel rolling stock. So far, so good. I will provide in progress photos. Thanks again.
as a note: it may not matter with small layouts running command control but the wire base can act much like a Faraday cage and screw with the signal..
I ripped out a ton of it at the founder's mountain project at NJ hirailers.
as an alternative you can use plastic screening shaped with hot melt or dummy it up with newspaper, do the hard shell and then remove the paper form the inside. the plaster hardshell will support itself
there is a product out there called fozshape it is similar to older materials but non toxic you simply shape heat with a hot air gun and it forms to a hard surface, you can coat this with plaster or even bondo!
U also strongly reccomend using sculptamold for your suface even over Plaster of any sort including hydrocal and other fiber based (read slow to set and cure) scenic materials.
Sculpt-a-mold has fibers and an acrylic component that set fast and is very strong and resilient
Please find attached photo of proposed layout.
Thanks Frank G. Wow. What knoledge. That is alot of information. I appreciate it. Believe me I'll be using many of your tips. It will be a lot of trial and error but you definitely made it easier. I'll post photos of the layout in progress. Thanks again to you all.
