Golden Valley Route

The Trackplan

As most modelrailroaders out there, I guess, I started off by building a permanent layout.
On the net I found a Noch trackplan that was small yet interesting. Featuring a tunnel, a bridge and the possibility of running the trains at the same time! It meassures 100cm by 160 cm (approx 3'4" by 5'4"). After some small modifications, this is what I ended up with:

The Construction begins

Construction begins. Plywood, some scrap pieces of styrofoam, Woodland scenics risers(4%) and some Märklin C-track.

Some newspaper for contours

Polly Scale 'rust' on the tracks.

Plaster cloth

The next step was to cover the crumbled pieces of newspaper etc with some plaster cloth

Some rocks and paint

then some rock faces

Some paint:

and a test drive (only the tunnel track glued in place so far)
A NYC and UP Alco PA running a few cars

Tunnel portal stained and glued in place

Ground turf

The painted plaster cloth was then covered with a water diluted white glue mixture and sprinkled with Woodland scenics blended turf
A Märklin Santa Fe F7 rounding the bend, approaching...

...the (Märklin) bridge.

the engine house is also Märklin.

Clump foliage and tallus

Some clump foliage added

and some brown fine/medium talus
And an overview picture where one might detect various layers of fine turf (yellow grass,soil, burnt grass and earth)
No tracks at the moment. I will add them later when it's time for the ballast.

More turf and some field grass

More turf added

and some WS light green field grass

Glueing down the tracks

Using latex, I simply glue the track in place

Ballasting

The Märklin c-track comes with a roadbed, but when adding Noch's ballast (09376), it does get a bit better.
I 'painted' white glue on the sides of the tracks, then sprinkled ballast on the sides. Soaked the ballast with a mixture of water & a few drops of detergent. Then I added a mixture of white glue, water and rubbing alcohol

Rails have been painted with Polly Scale 'rust'