Improving Landscapes at Chadwick Model Railway | 126. 

Charlie your a inspiration and right now your videos ideas and knowledge is what’s keeping me going. Ok m currently in Hosiptal on covid ward on oxygen as I’m struggling. But your videos right now is giving me the ideas and inspiration for when ever I do finally come home for my railway. Please be safe Charlie.

That's why it's called expanding Charlie. Don't worry about that cancer bit, I have used tons of it in my life and managed to get to 78 unscathed AAAAHHHHGGGGGGGGggggggg.......

Great tutorial Charlie. I watched intently as you ejected the foam filler and then you added more, and then you added more and as I thought about it expanding I wondered if you'd already applied too much and then you cut to it expanded and I laughed out loud with you. In fact I was still laughing out loud when you had already moved on. I used the pause button for a moment and then re-wound and watched it again! Brilliant and sometimes as you do Charlie you show show when things do not quite go to plan and it makes watching so interesting. This hobby or ours requires so many skills to achieve what we want and often I have felt like I am winging it while learning from mistakes. Never be scared to try is my motto. Thanks Charlie.

I am getting back into model railways after many many years. I LOVE your videos! They have helped me enormously as Im watching as much as I can BEFORE I even start. I have build an 8 x5 board on castors in my garage, chose a track layout and bought all the track (Peco), so now it all begins. Im very excited. I kept all my locos in their boxes so they have taken some work to get them going again after not being run for so many years. I am surpirsed how much things have changed. The new DCC with sound etc look good, but I think I will be sticking with the older style for now. Thanks again! Steve

Many thanks, Charlie, for going "back to basics" on landscaping - great for us who are just setting out on this hobby. You may have lost me with your technical DCC videos, but I found this very helpful.

I was literally saying to myself, he's forgotten it expands hasn't he, and what a result!🤣😂🤣

I'm impressed with your hanging basket liner scrubland effect.

Last time I built a model railroad the internet was still juvenile. RU-vid didn't exist, or I wasn't aware of if, and your channel wasn't even born,... I strew coloured saw dust for grass. A static grass device will be one of my next purchases. Your down to earth first timers usage was reassuring, I need one. Buying cheap, you re right on that one, is not the way to go with such a "once in a lifetime" purchase. Great vid again, keep up the good work.

I like that about not letting perfect get in the way of good. And if it's your own layout and more or less does not get seen by other people, then it does not matter as long as it works and give us something different to take our minds of some of the errrm 'stuff' that life can throw at us.

Great video to watch at 2:00 AM when I should be sleeping. I like your layout.

Thanks Charlie. The viaduct area really has come alive with the scenery updates, great job! Cheers Warren

Well worth getting a gun and cleaner for the expanding foam. So much easier and controllable to use than the plastic tube they come with. Saves wasting the foam too. Enjoyable video - always fun to watch and learn.

Hi Charlie, Wow what a transformation. Even the the British Rail person on the viaduct has stopped to admire your workmanship. Your video's are always full of great tips and very entertaining, I would never have considered using expanding foam in the way you did to build up the hillside, or a hanging basket liner for the embankment. It's amazing how many fantastic products are available now on the market these days for us modellers. Looking forward to the next video. Regards, David.

There I was saying that’s enough, that’s enough, Charlie, of the ol crazy foam, lol. Very impressed by your have a go attitude & you have confirmed what I’d mulled over doing myself & the static grass demonstration has nailed it. I also appreciate your attention to detail & yes time spent on track work is vital. If it looks right it is right, if your eye keeps being drawn to something which irks, sort it & win back your peace of mind. Thanks Charlie for your time & effort in making these presentations so watchable. Might be nice to have a drone flight over it all when it’s finished, if you have the headroom of course?🙂

What a difference! Very impressed! If you hadn't said that this was the first time you had used static grass I would have thought that this was a pro at work. Might have to get one when I can get round to making my layout. Keep up the great work. George.

Hallo Charlie , for sprinkle the trees I use an plastic box with a small hole in the lid , put the material in the box take the tree , spray it with glue and stick in the hole and hold it , put the lid on the box and shake a few times and voila, done . I hope it make sence what I mean . And yep , I have loads of static grass . And you can use a needle to stick in the clue when making grass .

Great work Charlie. Along with many others I was saying to myself. Stop now stop now as you were layering up the foam. Fortunately it does carve easily. The end result was definitely worth the effort it looks smashing.

That looks great. Here in the states it seems like everything says known to the state of California to cause cancer, from obvious carcinogens to mundane things. As you where putting down the foam I kept saying to myself he does not realize how munch that foam will expand. I laughed when you showed the dry foam. I was a little surprised you did not find some still wet in the middle. When I have used a similar product to fill large voids if I do to much it is not cured in the middle when I go to trim it back.

Oh what fun. 23:34 "...for reasons beyond me." Literally laughed out loud and had to pause and rewind. You do make me laugh - everyone of us has done exactly the same at shows and exhibitions I'm sure. Another great how to - this scene looked good before but now looks great.

Hello Charlie from across the "pond" When "planting" trees on your layout, keep in mind not all trees will grow vertically straight, some will lean slightly from being blown by wind. Another great video. Many thanks

Hi Charlie, that foam is fantastic stuff, and it expands 3 times the size of original application. . A word of warning, if you touch it when it’s wet, it sticks to everything. Looking good mate. Kind regards Jonathan

The static grass looks great! I'm inspired to get an applicator now and give it a go.

Now, if you were doing a contemporary layout, you'd need a landslide on the track, fill the cutting with water, stick a replacement bus service on the road and save yourself a heap of cash by not buying rolling stock...

For all that you have done, watching you build that viaduct scene was my favourite video and I'm glad you have re-visited it. As for the static grass, I hoover up my excess and it all goes into one tub to give me a varied appearance at the next use. I don't like the applicators personally. I use a tea strainer for small areas and a kitchen sieve for larger areas. Fabulous stuff as ever my friend. Watching the ever changing Chadwick, and ever changing t shirts, remains entertaining and highly informative. Stay safe mate.

another great video Charlie You made the static grass look easy and simple.Great job with the shrubbery And trees👍👍👍

Great video again Charlie! To stop the croc clip on the negative wire from ripping up the grass when you move it use a piece of coat hanger wire clipped into it. Also you don't need it that close to where the grass is going down to work. Static grass is great fun and very effective when layered too. Looking forward to seeing more progress.

Charlie, I use the regular window (or kitchen) sink caulking to glue stuff on the foam. Those do not attack the foam. Obviously, you have to try it in a corner as there are many types/makes of caulking. My track is on a foam sub bed. I did not want to use any type of glue to fix the track on the foam. What I did was glue a layer of veneer using caulking (you can order this in 2x8 sheets from the local Home Depot). Then the track goes on the foam track-bed strips with tiny screws. It is easy to remove and reposition if you need. The veneer is about 1 mm in thickness. One has to make sure that it is thoroughly dry with no moisture so that it has a smooth surface. In places where it is not smooth, I put an iron at high heat to get rid of the moisture.

Great use of the hanging basket liner, a really good looking embankment resulted.

Looks great Charlie! I like that 80/20 bit. I think I've crossed into the 20% on my layout and once again you inspired me to push on. Thank you!

I was surprised to learn that this was your first attempt at static grass - thank you Charlie, it has given me the confidence to have a go.

I thought I looking at scaled model film set of Quatermass, but what a nice finish. Well done again . Howard

I just watched this for the first time. Great stuff and I will be investigating the use of expanding foam to revise the hill at one end of my lay. Glad you’ve discovered static grass. It’s great stuff and I tend to mix various colours in the hopper so as to enable a multi shaded surface.

Did one landscape with a cheap can of PU foam... Never again. Hot glue and xps blocks are a lot less messy. If you do want to use PU foam, get one of those professional type pistols with replaceable cans. These can be used in a more controlled way.

Very good results ! Impressive. I must admit, having used expanding foam quite often, I chuckled when I saw how much foam you laid down! However, the end result is very realistic!

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned it but if you are using the expanding foam often, and particularly if in small amounts, it is worth getting the gun grade version and investing in the applicator gun. It is MUCH more controllable and when you are finished, just put the gun away with the cartridge still attached. It doesn't go off and you can just pick the gun up and carry on. Great channel.

Excellent video Charlie thank you. I use cheap hairspray for the trees.... but spray outside rather than close to the track! The effect is the same, just less mess around the railway! Having spoken to Chris Nevard at Warley a couple of years ago, I use the Woodland Scenics applicator and also their hoover to clear it all up. Looking forward to the next chapter. Thanks, Neal.

Yet again another cracking video Charlie, you’re a great inspiration. I used the grass mats you mentioned, simply because, I couldn’t warrant the cost of the static applicator for the small area I had to cover. Probably the size of the lower meadow in your video. Nonetheless, very interesting to see you use the applicator.

When I saw how liberally you were applying the foam, I thought to myself, "Someone's never used expanding foam before!"

ah the joy of expanding foam, you can get gunable foam which is more controllable with a screw adjuster. the gun allows you to reuse the foam at any time by turning the screw shut and if you allow it to skin over you can push the foam into a basic shape. i work in the building trade and the stories i could tell about people getting into a mess with the foam are endless. many years ago when i first used the foam filling a gap in the side of a window in worcester high street i put the foam in the hole a bit more more and more an hour later what looked like a large wasp nest seemed to have a developed . great series always look forward to watching thanks charlie regards sam

Hi Charlie, static grass is the dogs nads, I think it looks really good. I have found that placing some small tacks at strategic locations in the area that you are covering allows you to place the electrode on it while you apply the grass without the risk of damaging the surface. Pull the tacks out when dry and Bobs your uncle. As an ex-firefighter, that banking you put in place looks like an ideal candidate for a gorse fire on a railway banking, complete with fire appliance and firefighters of course. Careful application of a blowlamp gives the desired effect. Make sure you have a bucket of water handy or do the section outdoors! regards Gareth

Another crackingly informative video Charlie. When I said to my wife, I am just going to listen to Charlie, if that makes sense, I realised what an influence you are having. 🤣 Did you consider the Luke Towan method of sieving earth onto the field prior to laying grass? I did so on my embankments with the happy result that, where I had been slightly sloppy with the glue base and the grass has not stuck, when I vacuumed off the loose grass it looked fantastic. It left muddy looking spaces just as happens in real fields. Keep smiling, Tony

'It's enormous.' As the actress said to the bishop. :-) :-) :-)

Great job on your valley scene. I enjoy static grass now I’ve got used to it. Thanks for sharing. Roy.

Once again, great stuff. Back on the Club layout where I used to be a member, there was a "no glue" policy for trees. That was to facilitate putting in seasonal trees to mact the Operations timeline. We also went to the medical supply house for plaster cloth (the stuff used for plaster casts before inflatables became standard-of-care) for about 1/3 the cost of what was in the hobby shops. As arms & legs and the like were differnet sizes, there was quite a range of cloth sizes available--5, 10, 15, & 30 cm stick in my head (but cculd be faulty memory). That static grass came out so nice, you ought have a "mini Kathy" Some of the longer static grass is convenient for hay fields (for cut hay, don't use the electrical current, as it ought lay flat).

Yay new Chadwick vid always makes my week!

Hello Charlie, another great and informative tutorial.. I have used the foam insulation around the house and have a few half full/empty cans and could never figure out what to do with them or how to clean the nozzle tube. Any ideas? I have made a few trees made from dead flowers which look fairly good but there is always room for improvement. I have used hairspray as a fixer for the scatter and I would be happy to send you an example. As it happens, my wife worked for 3M and I have an endless supply of their glue and glue cleaner. Tge hanging basket is a great idea and I have often considered using the burlap wrap used for protecting trees and bushes here through the winter. Another item I use is the green material used by florists for holding flowers in bowls; crushing the foam makes for great volumes of scatter. Have you tried applying a mixture of materials/colours? You just answered that question as I write this. That area looks fantastic. Best regards Charlie

That scenic work is stunning, I really like it and reminds me of mid-Kent as viewed from of all things, a train! It looks very quaint and neat and contrasting with the stone is just right and the depth in realistic 3Dness. The contours are just like the real scenes, some steep and some gentle and the patchwork look of the fields. However, when you were applying the ExPaNdInG foam thought oh oh! I had just finished fixing a window at a friends house and being clever though I would impress by using expanding foam and sprayed rather a lot at the gap along the top. Returning from a beer break found an exterior curtain made out of Crunchie Bar middle, it was colossal.

Hi Charlie love watching your videos. A little tip for your Scenery Been also watching another railway and o gauge one in a basement 200’ x 50. He had a good tip he got some droid leaves got them really dry and crispy nanny scrunched them all up in his hand or in a blender whatever and then use some horsehair and then sprayed it with some hairspray and then sprinkled all these different colours of natural dried leaves on it. On the finished item was absolutely fantastic.

Yes, good scenery takes time and makes a mess but you've shown that it's worth the effort. Do you have a trick for cleaning/storing your Hot Glue Gun? I've had a couple of them, from 'quality' manufacturers, that despite following all instructions, have glued themselves into an unusable and irreparable state!

And did those feet in ancient times Walk upon England’s mountains green? And was the Holy Lamb of God On England’s pleasant pastures seen? Are you going to call this site the Jerusalem Viaduct ? Nice work, Charlie. As usual, some might say :-)

Hi Charlie as always, artistic work on the layout. At one point I was saying during the construction I hope there's enough room in the rear for the right of way trackage, then my second concern that the foam doesn't over expand but when you used the cutting tool I was relieved it didn't expand like yeast in 🍞 bread. 😄. Woodland Scenics looks grand, The NOCH green grass looks extremely professional. But lastly the grass spreader by NOCH now I'm going to purchase one for my future layout. I came out as always learning and being introduced to new ideas as I watch your tips & trade into the hobby. Hopefully our dealers will be open for business in full as well as our train shows worldwide, meanwhile happy modeling, and will keep watching. 🙂

Very down to earth and not afraid to show mistakes in the vids and that is good for us viewers because we all do it. Good to keep the humour. Your layout looking very good, well done.

Charlie your videos are great for model railway tips and tricks. Although I model in N gauge I still find your advice very informative and clear, (and without annoying music some have)

Thank you. Your tutorials are truly educational and inspiring.

Thanks for another great video Charlie. The area is looking good. Love the 80/20 rule...I do it all the time. Ron

What a great idea to use the hanging basket. It looks fanatic. :)

Now there is something you don't see on a Blue Peter crafting session, as they jump to the and this is the one we did earlier. Here we get all the warts and all crafting with a little bit of HOW! How does expanding foam look after it is dispensed, a lot of ice cream on ones layout, LOL. Tho after some scatter and paint one can Take Hart at the end and be pleased that 80% of the finish does look good. Well done Charlie but cutting up your Spring Time Oriental Straw Hat to make an embankment a bit extreme. So you'll be using the knotted hankie again then, to stop the top of you head getting burnt. Still a very entertaining and interesting peek into DIY scenic's and what one can achieve even as a novice beginner.

Goodness me. I think that's by far the longest list of comments you've received so far, and fully deserved. For me it's also the most useful video I've watched, since it reflects the stage I'm at myself !

Great job on the static grass ! Just a quick tip find a piece of bendable wire to attach to the alligator clip so you can have a better ground and keep the alligator clip clean from glue and static grass

Hi Charlie, At 8.02 minutes I could tell that was going to end up a big foam sculpture. When you bought the foam did you by the foam gun cleaner it does what it says, and you don’t waste the can of foam and the nozzle. Cheers Andrew

Great presentation Charlie, now we know you really do have green thumbs and fingers, Thanks Steve

What a big difference Charlie. When I did mine I used slightly different colors together and I did it in patches. I also wait about 30 minutes after I spread the static grass and I will vacuum (Hover). That also helps to stand up the grass and I am doing large fields. Looking great, Chris

I managed to order the recommended vacuum cleaner and it arrived on Saturday, great for the motorhome in the summer as well thanks for the info Terry

Nicely done. Whatever you do with foam or glue that will be hidden. The important thing is the final surface finish. Glad to see you take time to experiment with the shades of green. A lot of modellers seem to be so keen to finish off a long job that they just use whatever comes to hand without too much thought. If you were painting rather than modelling you certainly wouldn’t do that! Natural green is a difficult colour to replicate. Avoid strong dark greens and anything too vibrant. You’ll be appreciating your layout from a scale viewpoint which is at some distance. Whilst there is no such thing as scale colour (thank goodness!) certainly the perception of a field at at distance will be different to the colour as a blade of grass close up. Many otherwise good layouts are spoilt by incorrect application of the colour green. A good tip is to take a photo of a middle distance landscape in summer and compare that under you layout lighting with the greens you intend to use. Most layouts have trees in full foliage so this will need to be a summer scene, whilst the nature of your backscene will influence daylighting which in reality would be determined by the weather. Oh and by the way, gloss surfaces are not readily appreciated at a distance. Always apply a coat of matt varnish over vehicles, as these invariably come with a high gloss finish.

what a superb update...i think less is definitley more on the expanding foam..made me chuckle..great work and results on this video many thanks

I was waiting for you Charlie to burst into song singing Green green grass of home 😇 Thanks for another great how to video I am learning so much. I had a layout many many years ago and now getting back into the hobby at 68.

no problem charlie, i like you am you am an exserviceman i was an aircraft engine fitter, so its a pleasure to be of some help. its good to see that the RN sence of humour is very similar to the RAF HUMOUR, it makes the channel.

Hello Charlie, another Californian here that has stumbled upon your excellent site. Your scenery and techniques are top notch, you've made me a subscriber. Something you mentioned from subscriber Hugh Conway really hit the ball out of the park, "Don't let perfection get in the way of good". Wow, that says it all. Best to you and all watching, keep the faith.

i do enjoy the scenery making. i sometimes get lost with the technical stuff. though i still enjoy it. i look forward to this bit of Friday.. First Chrlie at Chadwick, then Tony North Easter. thanks. best wishes from Toulouse.

It looks nice. I use a wire brush on foam to shape it instead of bandage. It gives it a nice texture although I have put a thin layer of plaster (without bandage) on polystyrene before painting. I now buy the 500ml or 1000ml plastic tubs of static grasses and it gives you a good container to keep it in (same for ballast). I also invested in a battery operated glue gun as the wire kept getting caught in my scenery.

Ingenious and very convincing method for the embankment, and like you I make extensive use of the same Woodland Scenic products. It seems as though they have pretty much cornered the market. I have found the big advantage of static grass (personally I went with the applicator and products from WWS,as they offer a wide range of grasses), is the layering spray which when used in conjunction with the foliage products and various tones of grass give a real three dimensional natural look to the ground, IMO far more so than using different lengths of grass.

Great job Charlie. The expanding foam actually worked in your favour as you had plenty of scope for sculpting. The viaduct section is really looking the business now.

Thanks Charlie wasn’t expecting a Scenic Fest so soon. 40 mins flew by. Layout is looking great.

I think what you have done so far has been very helpful I think it is brilliant 😊

Hey Charlie, great presentation! Really liked the segment on the static grasses. I too was a skeptic in using it. Thank you for that. It was nice to see your experimenting with color variations. I've seen so many display which a color variation or falloff for distance is not considered. You have seemed to make the scene very pleasing to the eye. The only addition I would comment on is putting painted trees on the backdrop behind the trees you've created to get a little more depth. Really enjoy your program, Thanks again from the other side of the pond!

Like they say, "you are never really done with a layout, there is always something more to add or change." Thanks for sharing 👍👍👍👍👍

Thank you, Jon. I'm 74, and a lifelong smoker. I think I'll wait until it's warmer outside!

Very good Charlie. I have done a fall field using statistic grasses. The way i do mine is I look at a real field and as a gardener fields are not one colour and the farmer don't mow them when live stock are there. So I start with the long work to the short. Dark green I use for shadding you have tree about so they will give you a shaddow. There's all different green in a field. What you done look great. Just food for thought take care😀👍

Charlie, Greeting from Australia. I have recently found your channel, and find it very informative, and entertaining. Your layout is looking great, and thank you for sharing, I am planning a new layout, that is going off the simple flat loop, and your tips and tricks, and suggestions are very useful. Cheers, and keep safe Michael

That Horsehair / Pot Liner looks great with the leaves added. It looks like brambles. Reminds me of going Blackberry picking when I was a kid.

Hi Charlie, thank you for your great video! It was interesting to see the use of the Noch Grasmaster, because I didn't used it so far. The viaduct, the fields and the scenes are looking great, a wonderful layout! Stay healthy and best wishes from Germany! Günter

The rubberised horse hair and hanging basket liners do make excellent unkempt embankment material. Looks just like the mixture of brambles and bracken you always see in these areas. Regarding your wonky (for want of a better word) seafoam a method I have seen is to strap the stem to some stiff wire prior to painting and once it's painted and leaves applied you can't see the wire - plus it serves as a spike to "plant" the tree in the scenery. Saves a bit of faffing about trying to straighten the errant stems. Good job on the static grass. The only time I have done static grass so far, it went ok, but I kept zapping myself too! And we're back to the Father Ted on cattle near and far away! ;-) Cheers.

I love the faded patch you put in the little field over which you eventually put the large tree. It looks really good.

I can't say enough how much I appreciate all the effort you put into your videos, and how very valuable the information you present is. Being able to listen to your thought process along the way is, at least to me, one of the best aspects of this channel, and it's very kind of you to allow us to do so. Keep up the good work, and God bless.

Great demonstration. (Had a laugh at the foam too, but no harm done). Keep up the good work.

Charlie you are an inspiration for me (11) and my Grandad (81) seen as we are starting to build our railway and your videos on scenery and track laying really helps us upgrade and improve what we have so far so please carry on we really appreciate your a great youtuber Charlie and your a big help. Be safe Charlie and keep on making youtube videos.

Expanding foam is how I’ve made a large part of the landscape on my layout and it’s great!!

80/20 I love that. I've been saying level 1 and level 2. I haven't gotten to level 2 except in the last two scenes. I went for level 1 and 2 at one time. Lo and behold I realize there is a level 3 ( people/ cars / trucks etc. ). Thanks again for video. You've been a great help .

That scene looks really good now ,Charlie. You learned how much expanding foam expands ! Less is more with that stuff ! We all learn from each other.Keep trying things and having fun.The hanging basket trick was good.Old horsehair or packing material works too.

Exhibition Standard, Charlie! You are without a doubt a Perfectionist, That was a joy to watch, Thank You, Tony.

Excellent video as ever, full of humour and good informative content, consistency I find is the key with scenery, you do one great section and the rest of the layout has to catch up, I suppose that’s why we never finish the layout.

Hi Charlie, it's looking great I'm just working on a hill with a castle on it on my grandsons layout, so I'm playing around with static grass for the first time and there's also some great ideas there for me to keep in mind. Keep up the good work James.

You can make fluffy clouds with that canned squirty cream and hang them above the layout.

Hi Charlie, You may have dealt with this already but with the lighting you currently have on your trees are casting shadows on the sky. It is something I have learned to watch out for in theatre sets. Absolute belter of a layout.

Morning Charlie, Spot on, like you I've got the Static Grass etc but not got round to using it, you've given me that final push, Your Viaduct scene has been a hit with me from when you first built it,

Another great video Charlie. Like you, I'm pretty new to static grass and had similar experience finding the 'right' colour for the grass effect I was looking for. I also used a blend of colour and length and achieved an acceptable result. The one thing I did add after the static grass was down was a very light dusting in places of powdered soil applied using a small container with a stocking stretched over the opening to act as a fine sieve. This broke up the uniformity of the static grass giving the impression of slightly thinner grass cover in some areas. This suits the particular surrounding countryside in my part of rural NSW in Australia, but may not be applicable to UK. No matter what our prototype or preference, informative fun and honest videos like yours are always a valuable resource. I appreciate your time on a regular basis to produce such good content. Stay safe in these challenging times, with best wishes from AU.

Hi . After reading tony's comments I agreey on what an influence you have on me . When you said I going to use exspanding foam , I thought what could possibly go wrong here .😄. It's looking amazing though .it goes to show the devil is in the detail . Five days well spent . Regards Glen

Very impressed how you turned around plus added character and interest to that scene. Your valuable static grass tips noted, thanks. Stephen

Great video. I am glad you did not use any ‘yellow’ grass as I dislike seeing this on layouts as it is really only applicable in times of drought.

Another great video Charlie! Working my way through your back catalogue has really made lockdown a lot easier! I've not had a layout in a long time (life, family, etc.) but watching your build is a highlight of the week. Stay safe!