Mr. Bishop, your "Landscape Progress" video popped up on my suggested list this evening and being a fan of stone arch bridges I couldn't help but take a look. I went back to the beginning of your bridge project, and now 4 hours later I'm back to the video that piqued my interest in the first place. Being that it's almost 3 AM I'll have to save watching more till later. I'm glad you've found sculpt-a-mold, there are many uses for the product besides land forming, casting, carving, etc, calling it a game changer is aptly put. In closing I took your advice and subscribed and I'm looking forward to future videos. S. Wheland Tyrone Pa. U.S.A

Charlie, when covering foam terra form< I like to use - low loft poly fiber batting, the stuff you put into quilts. Simply cut into the shape of your section to be covered. Paint the foam base with straight PVA. Pin th poly down with T pins into place, and then paint liberally with earth brown cheap latex painit. While wet, springle your first coat of earth blend fine foam poweder. Let dry and you have a beautiful earthen layer with great texture from the fiber. Continue to scenic the area, workig from "low to high" with ground foam, shrubs, bushes, static grass, and etc - bring the scene "UP" as it wer until you have the final scene. Fantastic!! A side benefit is it is LIGHT!!! A great way to keep the weight down. Lay out the poly into the area to be covered, pin it down, use a Sharpie and connect the dots around the perimiter. Remove the poly and cut the dots out with scissors and pin back into place. Then proceed with the paint. You can even place wiring under this layer as a substitue to go under the benchwork - however this is a permanent approach so plan carefully. Glue rick castings to the poly with hot melt glue. Press into the poly and the poly blends right into the edgtes of the rocks. Finally, one sheet of poly butts right into the next sheeet seamlessly. Great for hillsides, and embankments come up onto an incline. Bob - Cleveland Bob - Cleveland

Thanks a bunch Mr Bishop. No interest in model trains until I fell down your particular rabbit hole. I now own several square metres of base board a Hornby class 43 plus carriages. Several lengths of peco track and the list goes on. In all seriousness I would like to thank you for your great videos and your relaxed enjoyable presentation.

Now that’s just incredible skill... brilliant!

Charlie! What an enjoyable half hour this has been. You're ready and willing to try new techniques and materials, and acknowledge when something doesn't work. How refreshing! I'm going to spend some time today watching and listening while I paint a depot wall brick by brick. Thanks for the inspiration!

Phew! amazing transformation. A labour of love indeed. I would have made that roadway look like a disused railway track minus the track. Then the railway bridge wouldn't have looked out of place. As a frustrated model railway enthusiast, I thoroughly enjoy watching your vids.

Hi Charlie, Great to see you leading the way, as always for others to follow in your tracks (no pun intended) always informative, educational, and of great interest to watch you turn a flat surface into an art form as you add attention to detail along the way as you progress, while explaining the Ways, the Whys, and the How-To, and what’s Best to use, along with the technique you chose to do it in. Great video to watch and always a great reference video to come back to, as all the on lookers take away the Tips you leave behind for all other, not so confident modellers to give it a try and have a bash at there own Hillsides, and Viaducts, Rivers & Streams etc., on there own layouts. You certainly inspire all that may lack the confidence or just the know-How to go about doing it, helps when you watch ones like yourself attempt to do it. The Up n Down, and the Do’s n Don’ts with all the mistakes what you also have learnt in your own attempts. As always huge 👍Thumbs Up 👍

I have to count my fingers every time I leave the 'mancave'. If there's a dangerous way to do anything I'll find it. It's amazing I haven't bled to death modelling knife in hand...Nice work as usual Charlie...........David

Decorators caulk is always overlooked & a very good adhesive for celotex & polystyrene, balsa , plywood etc , brilliant videos

Hello Charlie, here in the land down under we have a glue called Liquid Nails. I us it to glue my foam layers together. It bonds over night and is easy to work with. I have built my first hillside after watching your videos. I have three more to go. Next things is to learn how to make rocks. Keep up the great work.

You made a cracking job of painting rhe viaduct. Looks really good.

Charlie, When glueing foam shets together like in a hill side, I recommend "extruded' foam sheets, not this coffee cup stuff. Glue them together with Locktite "Foam for Projects" for a fast bond. Then insert bamboo skewers at wide angles so as to lock the sheets together while drying and you can keep working. Bob - cleveland

I think the best thing for your farm track bridge would be a type of frame bridge. That way you can see through it and it doesn't obscure the view of the viaduct. Love the video!

Great video. Just doing something similar. Got a hornby suppension bridge. Not everyone's favorite but I've clad the towers in offcuts from an old Metcalf kit and without sounding big headed it looks really good. Was just about to plonk it on baseboard and glue it down when I watched this video. It's given me great idea for landscaping around the bottom of the towers on the bridge. Keep up the excellent work on your helixes that I've been watching with interest.

Brilliant. Thanks so much. There is so much value in you being willing to show “do this...well that didn’t work out at all”. Excellent.

That's beginning to look the part. It's given me some good ideas for an area on mine. Though im doing Exeter & Laira I've left a 7 ft section that's open for me to create a rural area with a viaduct. The only section on the layout that's a free to do as I want rather than the real locations everywhere else. That's probably going to be the last section I'll get round to doing and is scheduled for around the year 2030 at my slow pace lol.

Really impressed with your skills. There's never a mistake you just follow that way. I mainly use stuff I have left over from plastering the house. Really enjoy your work. Reds Stewart

talking about shaping polystyrene, I found that an old 1950s hair dryer got hot enough to collapse it and give it a rigid surface if held close enough!! The big element inside glowed red hot without risk of fire!! 😄

Says per usual another comprehensive video from Charlie always worth watching, always educational, brilliant

great video, very educational. Thanks for going over all the things that worked and didn't work,

Absolutely brilliant. Even edited, you just see how much time and patience, stopping, and reconsideration was involved. Truly a wonderful sit and learn event. 👍👍👍

I think, with that viaduct, you need a substantial landscape to support it and you have certainly delivered on that count. Cheers

Very interesting to share Charlie - I would have been off for cups of tea every 5 mins :-) Yes - you need ceiling tile glue for the polystyrene. And those rock moulds are a great way to make multiple rock faces, especially when painted up with watercolours. I have similar to build for a Bavarian llayout so will be using quite a bit of grass mat as everything is neat and tidy out here :-)

Another excellent video on a superb layout. I tend to mix my plasters and plaster bandages with water coloured with burnt umber acrylic paint, just saves a bit of work later.

Hi, PVA takes forever to dry. There are many quick drying glues designed especially for foam. Extruded foam is less messy to deal with than Styrofoam. But beware the fumes, if using a hot wire cutter. Do it outside or use a mask. Nice tutorial. Looking real good. The viaduct bridge looks great. And I like the auto bridge too. A farm bridge sounds like it should be made of rough stone, river stone really. Adds interest to the overall scene. I look forward to your progress.

This has the makings of a beautiful diorama. Thankyou for sharing your techniques, and your mistakes and solutions along the way. Very useful and instructional video! I look forward to seeing how it all comes together in future episodes.

Polystyrene is perfectly clean cutable with a long blade, lots of sawing motion and a light hand. Just give the blade the time to cut the material 😸

I'm going thriugh your back catalogue of vodeos. I found this one particularly interesting as I too have wanted to build a viaduct like the one you have built. Condsidering scratch building one but the time it took you to build that I think I will be reconsidering! Lovely video and thanks for sharing it. regards Gareth

Another brilliant video, thanks Charlie. I’ve use the polystyrene on my layout and shaped it with a hot wire and then a surform!! Never again, stuff went everywhere!!!

Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Charlie.

Looks great Charlie. Sculp a mold is some amazing stuff I have used it in the past on my old layout. I plan on using it again on the new layout.

One of the pest presentations on landscape building I've seen, very thorough and well edited. I'm a novice modeller trying to build a British layout in Canada, your videos are immensely helpful !

Charlie, Really clear and concise exposition. A great reference for what I am considering myself. Thanks. Regards Stephen.

Charlie ... yet again throughly enjoyable .... and very clear instructions, as I have said on your previous videos I find your channel extremley helpful and a sound knowlwdge referall base as I continue the build up toward my own layout constuction, I look forward to part two with eagerness ! Thanks Steve

Charlie you have done it again another great video beautifully described and easy to understand instructions, I am going to get that same viaduct for my layout as it looks brilliant and the hills you have created with polystyrene i will use cellatex if i can afford it but as you said it is expensive so might just have to put up with the mess using that wood glue is a great idea which i shall use on mine too, I've looked at all the other methods i think your way is my way as the hills are just wonderful and shows off the viaduct a treat,can't wait to see you put in the scenery and the river its going to look brilliant. I especially love the road bridge you have added it helps to give depth and scale to your layout, Thanks again for a great video from john from rugby.

Looking good Charlie. Some extremely useful tips there that I will remember when I get round to doing some of this sort of work on my layout. I agree, the Bosch glue gun is excellent, I've had mine for a couple of years now and I'm still delighted with it. The best part for me is that it doesn't drip a puddle of melted glue when you put it down whilst it's still switched on and hot. Can't wait for Part 2 of this build!

Great job fantastic to watch thank you

I am enjoying your videos and also a lot of canal narrowboater videos. So a suggestion: make your river a canal and put a narrowboat in the water. There are scenes like this along the canals. Very British :)

Hi Charlie. Just “found” your series! Great stuff and may I say, very entertaining! I particularly enjoyed your viaduct series as I’m building an N gauge version and learning from your experience has been invaluable. I found the ratio viaduct quite enjoyable to build but those flippin brick arches underneath! I gave up using the thin red ones and put brick effect card in. Anyway not so noticeable in N. I also found your videos on the scenics around the viaduct very useful too. Mine won’t take up so much room but I hope it looks half as good as yours does. Oh to have your space! Thanks Phil

I love watching these sorts of videos and watch the geography develop. Love the natural slope as it goes to the river. The styrene really does go everywhere and the snow effect is so hard to clean up fully. I can’t wait until I get my scenic foundations in and get something that’s interesting to the eye rather than the wood currently that my subscribers keep seeing. The road passing over the river and under the bridge is going to look really good once done and scenic. While I’ve used scuptamould I’ve also made my own using plaster of Paris and finely shredded toilet paper. Another great video to watch Charlie. All the best Clint

A sheet of celotex is about £70 - expensive if you're lining an outbuilding etc, but a single sheet will be more than enough for most of us! It's the sort of thing you could go halves on with a friend and still never use it all.

Wow! What a great video good sir... Your attention to detail is wonderful, thank you. A very informative and enjoyable film, what a lot of content all good even the, do as I say rather than... It's good to know what not to try as much as what does work and why. The end result is natural and I can't wait to see the green added... I hope you didn't catch to much of a finger wagging from She Who Must Be Obayed, for the knifing? Can I hear a , "I told you..." in the background there? Wonderful content Charlie and again thank you...

Great work Charlie. I like the fact you're sharing 'warts and all'... its good to see the evolution and learning as much as the final result.

Hi Charlie, I agree on trying to avoid the Expanded Polystyrene Board (EPS), instead use the Extruded Polystyrene Board (XPS). We have a product called Liquid Nails for Projects that works very well with Extruded Polystyrene Board. I've been a fan of Sculptamold for years and it is now my go to product over Hydrocal plaster. The viaduct scene is coming along quite nicely and I'm looking forward to future updates on your model railway. Cheers, Rich S.

I was able to get foam board glued to a wood baseboard with wood glue and it set within 24 hours. I did spread it out with a putty knife first though, so the layer of glue was very thin everywhere. I also put weights on the foam board, as you did.

Great work....looks to be stunning when finished...I also used kings span or eco therm panels left ove from my attic conversion to build my mountin tunnel etc its great to work with...I also use dot and dab dry liners filler as its very cheap to over lay a texture on the thermal panels that are carved etc. Jim.

Charlie, you are the man! I love your video's. Your delivery and style of presentation make them a joy to watch. I am about to start on my own 'valley' scene and Celotex (Quinn Therm) is definitely the way to go. I have a loft layout and use it as the baseboard for my fiddle yard. I have seen debate of forums about whether or not to leave the silver foil on or take it off when making the land form. Taking it off seems to have worked for you and i guess it helps the glue to be absorbed into the product. Keep up the splendid work!

Great video as always Charlie, thanks for sharing. I have a load of Cellotex offcuts left over from a recent kitchen extension so your video will be useful reference when I get to the scenic stage. Cheers Steve

That was bloody marvellous Charlie...warts and all...thank you very much

Charlie, As always nicely done. I've never understood how some brands of P.V.A. work better than others when your trying to glue something. Also I often wonder if we should have been born with 3 arms because 2 weights are just not quiet enough to hold things down. You might have to scratch build an " oldie" ( pre-war) farm bridge. Food for thought. Cheers, Chris Perry.

Brilliant job on the scenery Charlie, it certainly makes the viaduct stand out and a purpose for being there. Good idea to put in the road as well, as this makes the viaduct stand out even more. Once vegetation is added it will look even better. Great video on explaining how you achieved making this scene. Regards Geoff

Brilliant Charlie as always. i started this hobby a few months ago after watching one of your videos, as somebody who recently retired for me it keeps the grey cells ticking over thanks again Charlie

Great video. But late, now, but the yellow foam, known in the US roofing trade as "iso board", is, more properly "isocyanurate expanding foams board." It's a popular in roofing for having a very high R value per thickness. So, it's dense, it's rather hard, too, and resists hotwire due to its thermal characteristics. Modeling advice is generally to use the white (EPS) polystyrene foam where you are likely to hot wire cut it, and is the iso where you just need bulk. EPS sometimes is best glued with a building product often called "Kiquid Nail" (PL-1 in the US). The iso, as you found wants a different adhesive. It came out stunning, though, by any measure.

Another cracking video Charlie, I have been looking for some way to fit my 9 arch viaduct which actually existed up until 1969 when they demolished it to put the M61 through Chorley where I live...cheers Tony

I didn't know there was a model shop in Weymouth, and I have lived on Portland for twenty seven years! (I have just Googled and it appears to be in the Colwell Centre). However, there's not a Wickes for miles, hence I have bought my polystyrene online. Nice videos. Thank you.

Great video as usual - stunning result. I would suggest to make the Luke Towan wire cutter if you are going to try working with polystyrene again, as you can form the wire so you can cut in shapes in the layout without using a carving knife.

It was a lot of work but the result is GREAT. Thanks Charlie !

Again another excellent video. I would suggest that you look at slopes and streams and how water flows from the land into the river because it is going to be an eye catcher. As far as the track bridge is concerned, it is likely to be a concrete structure or basic iron structure depending on when you think the bridge was built. Unless the railway built the bridge as part of the railway construction, it would be the cheapest construction to do the job. It's interesting to watch the progression of what is clearly the "labour of love".

A really interesting “How To” video. I have used the high density foam, having given up on polystyrene. Can actually burn into this to create different ground formations & ponds etc. however this technique would never comply with your UK Health & Safety Regulations. Again thanks for the video.

Great Charlie! I have found a good quality carpet/ spray adhesive works well for Celotex based embankments and if used for a track bed above a baseboard, a 9mm cap of plasterboard also fixed with spray adhesive. Takes track pins and copydex a treat! As we know, there's never a 'right way' to do it....👍

You could make/get a small hump back bridge for the farm track Charlie. That might look good, nice and rural looking.

Hi, Charlie great video. I am a rep for a builders merchants and in over half the sites I visit, they have Celotex (yours was Quinn therm by the way) in the skips that they have to pay up to £400 to have taken away. A note to all modelers, ask the site foreman if you can have some offcuts. Do not help your self as the site is normally controlled by Health and safety rules. Also, some may be contaminated by some means. All in all, they would love to get rid of it because it is bulk without weight and they pay by bulk for removal. Barry.Devon.

You are still romping ahead of my valley build! (I could have told you not to use PVA on polystyrene! lol)

Another great video Charlie, you make it look easy, definitely have some great tips now as I am doing a smaller version of a Viaduct theme, Cheers

I used Celotex on the club layout and found it was easy to sculpt using a Stanley knife and sandpaper.

Great work Charlie ,that looks really smart, all you need is a steam train going over the viaduct ,cows and sheep in the fields and background birdsong and it would be a great prototypical scene. take care for now buddy.....Mac

Great video, Charlie!

Another excellent video Charlie, well done and thank you once more. The tips and lessons learned are so important, so thanks for sharing. Really looking forward to seeing the landscaping video and doing the river. I have all of this to face on my S&C element 🤔 but you've given me some confidence. Product evaluation is so useful 👍🏻.

Thoroughly enjoyed! Thank you so much, very applicable to what I will be doing soon on my first layout.

Looks cracking as usual Charlie ! also congratulations on becoming the photographer for McKinley Railway although unfortunate circumstances prompted their need for a new camera man I am quite pleased they chose you, your video quality is second to none !

Yes Charlie agree with your ever increasing fan base that the latest video instalments a winner! Keep up being ‘Just Charlie’ Charlie and looking forward to the next video. John

Hi Charlie, That is great, I had the same issues with the PVA took over a week to dry, so have switched to Maxibond which works really wel. Thanks for another great video mate Andrew

Thanks for this. I'm just about to start a model railway project and watching your progress helps and gives me ideas going forward

Very interesting approach. Nice progress! Great info and video.

i can relate totally with all your experiences , love your videos , bring on the water and landscaping

Thanks for the excellent video, despite advert interruptions!

Fantastic video as always Charlie!

8' imperial = 2400mm metric :) nice video.

well done Charlie!!!!!!!!!!!

Outstanding...!

Looking good charlie , haven't made the viaduct yet but getting boards down at right height & length for viaduct to be placed, looking forward to the next part! Richard

i have really enjoyed watching your video ,i like your relaxed approach to the project and the explanation of the operations as you go .well done await follow up

Charlie, Love your Video's as a newbie. Great advice delivered in a great way. Very helpful in saving money on wasted products as well.Greeting from Melbourne

Fine work sir.

Nice work Charlie. You had fun building it, so worthwhile. Thanks for the video.

Hi Charlie, I felt I should say hello, I found your channel only a few days ago as I'm about to embark on a sizable layout in OO gauge. I've watched hours of your stuff so far and plan on watching hours upon hours more of your work. I found this video nothing short of spellbinding, there isn't another word that fits better. I'm absolutely certain that I'll be emulating these techniques in the near future and I thank you so much for your efforts in sharing your passion and skills. My own plans are for a BR Blue era diesel layout, DCC with sound locos. I've sourced 3 x Bachmann rats thus far. I'm looking for inspiration everywhere for my design at present and yesterday I bought a licence for Anyrail. I live in North Yorkshire, adjacent to the ECML, the very section where the HST recorded the world record run in fact. Its a great place to watch but would make a very dull 4-track dead straight layout. I imagine I'll be in touch again soon. Cheers Al.

That's starting to look the part Charlie I have used the polystyrene method plenty of times my self nothing stops the mess I now only use it to prop up paper mache and plaster hills now unti hardened then pull the stuff out leaving an empty voids and pockets for things to get lost in...I'm pretty sure I left my plyers some where in my layout..all the best with it Charlie will keep an eye out for the next stage

Great video as always. Never fails to impress when you start from a bare baseboard to believable hills, cuttings and water features. Euan

Looks brilliant

PVA is a good cheap option, but can be slow to bond. Being impatient, on bigger jobs I like to use more than 1 glue. Depending on the surfaces, I'll use mostly PVA (tacky version is thicker & stronger) & dot CA (super) glue or hot glue (or even rapid set liquid nails) here & there as well. The instant glue kind of acts like a tack-weld, holding everything together until the PVA has time to cure. Hope this helps :)

Hi Charlie, what an amazing scene! Can’t wait to see it complete with trains running. Keep you the great content. Cheers Ross.

Great tutorial Charlie thanks for taking the time to do these videos.

Charlie what a great job I remember way back in the day of my early 20 somethings I tried the same thing but had to use chicken wire And paper and glue boy what a mess and I had no idea what I was doing. After watching you and your videos I am ready to try again. Great video keep up the great work I am inspired by what you are doing.

Charlie, what an inspiration you are. Watched you from me hospital bed. Attention to detail superb, coupled with your delivery before the camera. Your professional camera work is such a bonus, too. Amazing bit of scenery being birthed & what an addition to your layout. Thank you, for being brace enough to take risks, make mistakes & learn from them to help the likes of us. Regards, Dave.

I've watch too much children's telly this week, I just shouted "Hello Charlie!" at the telly when he introduced himself.

Great tutorial once again, just a thought would it have been easier to glue the balsa strips to the bottom of the piers, save a lot of handling and position adjustment.

Charlie, inspirational as ever and perfect timing for me as I am just about to start on scenery.

Hi Charlie, just wanted to say a huge thanks for your recommendation of Sculptamould. After seeing this vid I invested in a packet and used fir the first time today; wow 😮 excellent product, so easy to use and very workable. Thanks again 👍

Great video Charlie. I so like the way that we can follow your progress, thank you

Hi Charlie, If I was in the market to do a diorama like this your informative video would be the one to follow as you do explain it very well with clear pictures and just to show I was paying attention at the beginning you said the polystyrene was 25 centimeters thick if this was the case you could have carved the whole hillside out of this piece alone 25 mm or the 1in (you did say) was what you needed. Looking forward to the next installment. Cheers Robert.