WARNING ***** WARNING***** From the "World’s Greatest Modeler." Who is the WGM? Why that’s me of course. Now I realize that there are a lot of folks who have less model railroad building talent than I. So since I'm such a wonderful person and "The World’s Greatest Modeler." I've decided to let some of you have the benefit of my extensive knowledge and experience regarding ground covers. Now we all know that ground covers from, SecnicLocal, Woodlands Shakes, are very expensive, so I decided to make my own. I'll share my skills and advise with you. Here is an example of how to make your own ground cover. It’s called; “How To Bake Dirt.” Well, I decided to use dirt as a ground cover in some transition areas. I've disregarded some suggestions from other Modelers (what'd do they know, I'm the expert) and decided to sift it and then bake it at 500 degrees for about 30 minutes or so. I asked my wife if I could use her oven to bake some dirt. She looked sideways at me. Then started laughing so hard she fell off her chair. Don't be concerned she's alright. But her interest was peeked and she said OK. I got a plastic container with about 3 or 4 pounds of dirt from the flower garden. Sifted some of it. But it was a pain so I decide to bake it first and sift it later. My wife programmed the oven for 500 degrees. I covered an old cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spread the dirt out and put it in the oven. My wife went into her office and I sat down to watch the news and wait. About 10 minutes later I awoke, my eyes burning from the smoke pouring from the oven vents, the fire alarm buzzing. My wife was all upset. After I had turned off the alarm, calmed my wife, and she turned off the oven. I took the cookie sheet outside. The little pieces of burning wood, smoldering embers, and other small flammable debris finally burned themselves out. But it did continue to smoke for a while. Here is another example of defective equipment. Obviously the stove did not work correctly. My decision to not shift the dirt was not at fault. I went back inside to clear out the smoke and spray some air-freshener. I did mentioned to my wife that it was not I who programmed the oven. After my wife (accidentally?) punched me out, I thought it would be a good idea to pay attention to her suggestion, of what I should do to my (it would not be fun at all) self, if I ever again, asked to bake dirt in her oven. While my wife was in the shower (not that I was scared or anything, but discretion is the better part of valor) I went outside to bring the dirt upstairs. After all, it’s already well baked and waste not, want not. See ya WGM
All well and good...B U T... Why bake it? Sift it...apply it to the layout. That great "Elmers White Glue" mixture when drizzled all over it...hardens the whole shabang rock solid...including ANYTHING in it !! A million years from now...when them little N Scale people start digging around...they will discover the fossilized remains of any bugs and microbes...and the whole layout will be declare a national historic site !! The government will pass a law that no more trains can run on the tracks on your layout...ever again ! It's just the way it works...LOL
I think your wife had a lot of nerve only setting the oven at 500,should have been at least 750.You're a modeler,Little Miss Easy Bake should known that cooking was her field,not yours.How were you to know she was incompetant to carry out the task.Besides,she should be grateful having that nice smokey smell in the house.The neighbors probably think you installed a fireplace..GOOD SHOW!!!..Still,since she's obviously unreasonable and a little hot headed,I suggest that on top of all your obvious talents,you learn to duck,or better yet,run..
"The World’s Greatest Modeler." says you folks, who have less model railroad building talent than I, may occasionally come up with a thought that's not too bad. You know the old saying put a bunch of MRR people in a room and they will eventually come up with ..... Nooo... I can't say that. UH OH I've got to run I think I hear the (you know who) coming down the stairs and my black eye is just about gone and the stitches came out yesterday. see ya TWGM
Sifting homewoen dirt into your home layout Under normal circumstances this practice is not one that should be considered, but for me, I took a chance, made a mess, but the end result was worth it. My reasons were not to achieve reality but for emotional reasons. As you all know by now I am a Pennsy modeler in south Florida. But in 2002, I traveled up to my home town to attend a funeral. While up there I wandered arounc the old PRR right of way, and on an impuse collected some Pennsy dirt from alongside the tracks in a small Dixie cup to blend into the groundcover of my layout in Florida. The trackside sample was oily, mucky, more eilt like than soil, and a complete mess by the thime I collected it. It then becamse a mess in my suitbase, the floor of the rental car, but I managed to save enough to blend into my layout. After all, the idea to have real soil from Sharpisville in my layout depicting my homstown was irresitible. But I found out that the PRR soil was not blendable with standard groundcover, so I dried it out in a casserole dish for several weeks until dried out. I spread the dirt now drty loose and quite thin into my groundcover and it took some doin'. But I applied this unique mix only to a snall portion of my layout because it became this new exotic mixture has now become harder to work with. Nevertheless, the end result was more in my mind than to the eye, and to look at my Florida layout and know there is Pennsylvania trackside soil from the very area where I watched trains 50 years before was well worth it. Needless to say, my newer layout will not have this touch and after lessons learned wouldn't repeat it anyway. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
A possibly foolish question; why "bake" it in the first place? To kill anything living within the dirt?
I have sterilized garden soil by baking it in an electric toaster oven at 350 degrees for an hour outside of my home. There was a lot of living things that were eliminated in this process. I have also baked soil on my covered charcoal grill in a throwaway aluminum cake pan from an Entemanns crumb cake. I didn't do this for my layout, but to use for potting some indoor plants.
Nothing wrong with using real dirt. But one thing to consider before using the real stuff is that most real dirt contains real metal. Run a magnet though that stuff before the iron in it ends up all inside your best locos sticking to the motor. I agree with baking the stuff to kill any critters that may be in it first. Dave
Ahhh the old get dirt and bake it thing. Being the WGM one would have thought that you would have considered all the possible toxins that could have been in that dirt from Methyle Ethyl Deathyl to Commonosis Heaviest Metallicus that would have been released from all that excessive heat. The side effects of such horrible compound have been known to cause Dilusinoicious Modelers Syndromess, often exhibited by one having ideas they are the worlds greatest modeler. And all of us at the Enlightened Mad Monk Zendo of N Scale Railroading know that you only need 140 deg F. to kill living organisms (National Health Standard) and that some organisms can survive even the high temps of 1200 deg. F. and will propagate later if the nutrient mixture is right, just add moisture, like fellow modeler admiring drool. And you are using dirt right? The reason some modelers use real dirt is another medical symptom known as cheapanosis. As I diagnose this series of symptoms I see the first failing as being not fully consulting the superior intellect of the signicficant other. As in Dearest I need to come up with a good way to get some realistic scenery on the layout. What do you think? There are a lot of good products at the LHS but it would involve some costs. I could use that old messy,icky, dirt with worms and heavens know what in it which would have to be baked in the oven. And I would have to borrow one of your good cake pans or cookie sheets to do it. Now that right there would be getting you Carte Blanche (big French word for permission) to go to the LHS and spend an enjoyable hour or two picking out materials and drooling over the latest GP101WRCs in the display case. And She with her infallible female wisdom, would be happy that She has you out of her hair for awhile, and with the assurances that when you return with your bag of goodies that you would be again out of her hair for possibly days in the train room only emerging for nutrients every 4 to 6 hours. And since She allowed you to splurge at the LHS that would be her excuse to go hang out at the local mall. Ahhhh domestic bliss. And on top of that there is the exchange, during one of the trips to the fidge for nutrients. Dearest you wouldn't believe what I saw at the LHS. A GP101WRC in ATSF Tuscan Red. Sure would like one for Christmas. Therefore saving you from the usual checked knee high socks and wild electric blue tie under the tree. No instead you forget all the other punishments you have received at the hand of this Enlightened Domestic Goddess and do the dirt route. Your punishment is well deserved and my sympathies are entirely with your Wife. One more messup like this and you shall be stripped of your title, which will be transferred to Mr. Fotheringill, and you will be banished to the cave at the back of the Zendo and fed thin rice gruel.
A used toaster oven out in the garage can be handy for a lot of things. Along with a hot plate, microwave and a refrigerator. Especially when the Queen of the house is in a mood. LOL
UH OH!!! competition. John I'll let you have your 10 minutes of fame. But remember I am still the Worlds Greatest Modeler. See ya TWGM
Y'all should probably be looking for subsoil of the right color, not topsoil with a lot of organic stuff in it. Subsoil is the stuff you plant all the plants you bought for the backyard in and they all die because there is no organic stuff in it. And you think, "Why, if that dirt was good enough for a few scraggly weeds, why not my peach tree?" Still waiting for some good dirt recipes for the leftovers . . .
If you don't kill the bacteria it will smell bad on the layout and you have to kill the critters too. I have an old microwave in the basement I use. The soil is best if moist. The soil gets hot and steams a lot. I put it in a plastic coffee can and do 7 minutes and rest then another 7 minutes. It's good after that
I'd be careful about using a microwave, again since soil can have metal in it. Definitely make sure to run a magnet through it first.
