I see a few of you are keen to learn some scenery tips & tricks as well as some general advise on layouts.

Please ask specific questions & I will try to answer them!

OH a basic one. How do you make good looking hills.

Hi swivel
I see you got a new car on TM yesterday

First a question back at you. Is the hill in a corner, against the back of the layout or in no mans land?

I use a number of different methods, depending on what else I can help with the supporting of it

Well, bit of both really. Just wondering as it would be nice, if easy to do.

Out for a few hours tonight, Be back about 8pm

For the easiest method (I use this way most of the time) I use plaster bandages, the same as hospitals use for broken arms etc.

These can be sourced from hospital store rooms. I just went down to our local hospital stores & they were more than happy to sell a box of 24 rolls, about $40-$50 from memory.

First I make the general shape simply by screwing up newspaper & using the odd staple here & there to secure them, I also spray a bit of water (using the lost houseplant water spray bottle)on the newspaper to help it hold shape & help to bond a bit with the plaster cloth strips. Then I cut the plaster into foot long strips & use a chinese takeaway dish for the water & drag the strips through the water & place on the newspaper, overlaping the lenghs by a cm or so. Once a few pieces are placed in roughly the right place wet the fingers and rub until it is smooth, this works the plaster into the woven cloth & makes it stronger. If it looks a bit flat screw up smaller pieces of paper & put another piece of plaster cloth over & rub into the other plaster.

One overall layer should be enough, but if you want something you can stand on do 2 or more layers

This I find is a simple & not quite as messy as plaster of paris on chicken wire, which is another method that can also be used.

If anyone wants info on how to do tunnels please ask!

I have a dozzen (I think) rolls in a box somewhere here & am happy to do a trade or a deal if interested

Good stuff Andy!!! Yep tunnels and I have been thinking of using model railway bridges(modified wider) for my layout. I'm keen on a couple of those rolls!

For Tunnels I used a very similar method.

If it is against the backdrop or in a corner I use stiff cardboard cut into 20mm wide strips & eith hot glue or staple to the baseboard & backdrop. If not attached at rear I cut 20mm-30mm pieces of wood & hot glue or PVA them at the rear of the mt or tunnel & then use cardboard strips from piece to piece& then from the back to the base board.

Next step is to screw up the newspaper again & follow the same steps as in the previous post.

I'll have a hunt through my photos & see if there is a good shot of this.

On my last layout I started & 8ft x 8ft mountain that went from waist height to the ceiling.

Here is a shot of the wooden uprights & cardboard strips. The layout is Railroad HO 1:87 scale.
Just to give you an idea of the scale of the mountain.

Dave, I be keen to do a swap
Do you wish to swap some rolls of plaster for some tyco 440 pickup shoes?