How to Create Water Features for a Train Layout

Model railroading is a fun hobby. Realistic layouts make your model railroading experience richer and more rewarding. Here are some tips for making water features, ranging from simple to realistic.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Aluminum foil
• Jar lids of various sizes
• Clear silicone craft adhesive
• Acrylic paints
• Clear acrylic paint
• Spanish moss
• Small rocks and pebbles
• Coffee grounds
• Sand
• Pictures of water features
• Model railroad magazines
• Clear floor finishes
• Rocks, gravel, pebbles, sand
• Coffee grounds
• Spanish moss
• Hemp fibers
• Sisal fibers
• Acrylic paints

Simple!

1. The simplest water features can be made from crumpled foil or jar lids. Although not very realistic looking, they are cheap and easy to make.
2. Crumple foil into a shape you like. Try a bowl or an ash tray. Make sure to leave a hollow for the "water." Make it the right size for the scale of your train. Model train scales range from "N," which is very small, to OH, or even to garden scale trains which are meant to run outdoors.
3. Place "pond" somewhere on your layout.
4. Disguise the edges with coffee grounds, sand, pebbles, small rocks, and Spanish moss.
5. Paint the inside with acrylic paint. Use greens and browns for the deepest part, blues for the shallows.
6. Add rocks in the middle if you want a simulated island.
7. Fill "pond" with clear acrylic adhesive. Spread flat with a craft stick, or pull into heaps to simulate waves. This may require a few practice tries before you get the effect you want.

More Realistic...

8. Take photos of water features you like. Check model railroading magazines for ideas also.
9. Note the different colors and textures of the water feature you want to create.
10. Coffee grounds and sand make good simulated soil. Pebbles and gravel can simulate rocks on the bottom and along the banks and shores. Rocks can simulate boulders or islands.
11. Decide whether you want a pond, lake, seashore, creek, or riverbed. Winding courses look better than straight ones for creeks and rivers. Irregular edges are more natural for ponds, lakes, and shorelines.
12. Lay out your course, then paint it or layer it with sand and coffee grounds.
13. Add pebbles and rocks, as well as Spanish moss, shredded hemp, pulled cotton, sisal fibers or angel hair as you like, using your photo as a guide.
14. Using clear acrylic floor wax, pour acrylic over and along your water course until it is the depth you like. Let the acrylic set a little before pulling at it to make simulated waves.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice making various shapes until you find one you like.
• Take pictures of water features you like. Note different colors and textures.
• Try adding pulled cotton, angel hair, or clear glitter to your acrylic adhesive and see what effects you can achieve.
• Open doors and windows and keep a fan running when using paints and adhesives.
• Make sure your area is well ventilated when using craft adhesives.
• Take your time.
• Study your photos before you begin.
• Consult model railroading magazines for additional advice and techniques
• Make practice models before modeling on your layout
• Be sure to have good ventilation when using paints and adhesives.