scenery - trees and shrubs

It always surprises me how many really good model railways are completely spoiled by the trees and shrubs chosen by the modeller. One, otherwise excellent model railway shown at a top UK exhibition was planted with commercial trees that were all identical! There are such good materials and methods available, I cannot see why some folks still persist with such stuff! There are a number of top model tree makers where you can be assured that each example is unique. Great if you have the cash to go that way! Far better to learn how to make your own trees.

the superb trees on the 1:50 scale Pempoul layout; a model of the Reseau Breton - click on image to enlarge
photo Crawley Model Railway Soc

It is really worth the time to get things right.

Firstly, it is essential to decide which month of the year you are modelling. In spring, many trees have very visible flowers, the Horse Chestnut having some of the most spectacular.  Later in the year, fruits may be clearly visible, and leaf colour changes. Autumn scenes can be really spectacular, with autumnal shades varying between species. Winter scenes are very rarely modelled, it being quite difficult to model realistic bare branches. It is possible however, using sage brush or wire armatures and the judicious addition of sea moss. An example is shown below. Some trees hang on to their autumnal leaves for a long time, such as Oaks. When denuded of leaves, it is easy to see how many trees are being covered with ivy. Mistletoe is also very evident.

There is an excellent article on leaf canopies which is worth reading. see here

a winter elm with mistletoe

autumn Aspen by Rick Reimer

Substantial areas of County Gate (which is fixed in June) are solid trees. Visits to the modelled area will give a very good idea of what trees to expect...take along a guide to British trees. Photograph in the month you intend to model. It is worth noting  how trees colonise an area. Silver birch are early colonisers for instance, but are short lived and are subsequently replaced by other species. We had to bear in mind that the area was heavily felled to supply timber for the Great War. Where civil engineering has taken place, it is important to study how fast nature will take over disturbed land. Early photos of the Lynton and Barnstaple show how bare the tracksides really were at first. By 1935, the time of the railway modelled by us, three decades have passed so plants had become well established. The area modelled has relatively thin soil so it is rare to see really tall trees.

Most of the trees on County Gate are towards the back of the model where individual detail is less important. Copses and woods when seen from a distance usually show foliage down to the ground. Colour differences between species of trees are also less apparent.

poplars and silver birch made using wire armature method