# Angry Beaver Logging Railway Micro



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Angry Beaver Logging Railway Micro










New micro-layout underway, this is 24” x 24” using a 21” dia Aristo circle track, blue foam mountains shaped and carved with a hot wire and hot knife tools. This will eventually be covered in tall pine trees and I will fabricate the trestle bridge in place under the tracks once the rocks are painted up. Currently the foam has its base coat of paint applied; only the top has been painted in these pics.



















I held off any pics of these because I royally screwed up the base of the canyon by using spray foam to try and create a faux-rock canyon face and bottom, it was a disaster, so I cut a lot of it out and that only made it worse as the foam was very bubbly. The fix consisted of adding small blue foam pieces over the removed spray foam on the canyon face and frosting the base with spackling paste to fill in the spray bubbles and smooth out the base. Now that its painted it looks far better so with that fixing I will be moving on with the construction.



















The top painted piece in the pics is removable to accommodate transporting. The main reason for building this is the idea that at some venues I simply cannot get the Borracho pizza in and out without severely damaging the layout each time. So the idea is that at those shows, I can bring this and maybe my other 24x24 pizza layout to those shows because I can carry these in and out easily on my own and will more easily fit in my car for transport. We’ll see, no push on completion, I’m taking my time with no deadlines.


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## Tom Bowdler (Jan 3, 2008)

Go Vic, Go!
I love your work and logging is a fitting subject for this pizza. I have had a circle of track for a while and this could be the inspiration I need to get moving.
Watching with interest,
Tom


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

looks great Vic, this will be an interesting project, please keep us posted.
Dennis


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Vic;

It's looking good. It would be fun to have some giant prehistoric (& ANGRY) beavers gnawing on one of the trestle bents.

Just a thought,
David Meashey










Of course, I don't ever do stuff like that, but you might!


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Dave Meashey said:


> Vic;
> 
> It's looking good. It would be fun to have some giant prehistoric (& ANGRY) beavers gnawing on one of the trestle bents.
> 
> ...



Saber-toothed beaver.

http://www.fossil-treasures-of-florida.com/giant-beaver.html

Or maybe you can find "Scrat" in the proper scale.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

base work of the trestle is complete, I need next to finish the base rock painting, but getting this in place was a big step. I had to build it in place, I built the bents was basic measurements, wedged a couple pieces of wood under the track then wedged the bents into the foam w/ glue and raised them up hard against the wood spacers and the track, once the bent was dried I would add the stringer beams between the bents, one bent at a time, till it was done, I will add braces between the bents once painting and landscape scenery is installed.


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Vic,

I love your work! Truly outstanding, keep up the good work.

Best,
TJ


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Always fun and inspiring to see your creations Vic!


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Vic, looks like you've picked a name that has plenty of logo options...





































My fave,


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm quite prone to this but sadly its already taken


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

That's GREAT, haha!!


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

So l haven't worked on any large scale (no pun intended) with carving foam, just small bits thus far using the tools I have; saw blades, carpet knife, rasps. I am about to attempt some mountainsides about a third the size or less of your latest creation. What are the advantage(s) of a hot wire tool and is that something one would find at a craft store or a hardware/DIY place?


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Robert a Hot Wire allows quick cutting and shaping of foam, you still need to to the detailing with other tools but it helps alot to get to the basic shape you want your foam to be is. I use a Woodland Scenics Hot Wire and a Foam Factory Hot Knife which is basically a heated rod, both have their uses, the Hot Wire being the workhorse, the Hot Knife being the detailer. If I had to chose only one, the Hot Wire definetly. You can do all the detailing with other tools like a snap-knife, wire brush, sanding blocks, etc.

There are LOTS of tutorials on YouTube on how to use them. I suggest watching a few but its not rocket science, I mastered my foam-cutter in a very very short window of time.


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Vic. I will.

Robert


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Updates got the base paint down, two shades.























































Bought a Lot of scale trees on Ebay, these are 15-24" tall










Still a ton of scenery to do before I can put them on, lots to do, no hurry, no deadline.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Looks great Vic! I'm always amazed at how quickly you get these done, and the level of detail you go to.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Given how dense the undergrowth is in the rain forests, even though I have the big trees I'm a very long way from finishing. I'm a bit overwhelmed with it right now, I need to stock up on all the other scenery stuff needed to do it.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Picked up some ground cover at the Dollar Stores, ground oregano, ground rosemary thyme and Italian seasoning, if nothing else this is going to be the best smelling layout ever ;-)


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Vic... thats great & a good choice! 

I used to do the same on my foam based HO shelf modules for ground cover... back in the 80's!
Even made a sample board with about a dozen different spices to see color n texture... with their name along side.

SD


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I started putting down the Italian seasoning ground cover, it looks pretty good and smells wonderful!


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm sticking the trees on the upper part in it right now. I like the looks but I'm uncertain about the adhesive method to use, right now they are just stick in with friction so I can get the look right, I might use the same PowerGrip adhesive I used for the foam itself. I also have to test run locos on it when I place trees down on the lower half to make sure I have clearances, also I have to look at possibly cutting one or two of my tall trees in half and trimming them to make smaller trees. So far the results look promising.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

How bout simple titebond or white glue.. you have a indoor project here.. for trees..

Maybe use that milky white cement bonder.. brush on.. sprinkle condiments and ground cover over solid areas.. add details in layers.. dirt shifted... ground covers.. loose items. Bushes.. dead limbs..

Have Fun with your trains!


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I am using Elmers with the ground covers. The problem with Elmers and the trees is that it really doesnt bond to the blue foam, it can be detached rather easily. I'm thinking the PowerGrip would make the trees less prone to being knocked off if jarred. If I wasnt planning on making this portable I could just leave them in by friction.


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

Could you drill the trees and fit a thin dowel or piece of wire, then poke that into the foam?


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

That's the way they are installed. But the problem with foam is it can get mashed and not rebound allowing the trees to fall out. That's why having adhesive stuffed down the hole to hold everything in place.

I'm going to need a few more trees on the lower part. It's looking really good so far, nice and crowded with trees.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

This is the sort of imagery I'm after, sort of, only much much smaller.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Pics finally:









































































Still have to add the ballast, I stained the kitty litter today and its now drying in the last of the summer heat. Coming together nicely.


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## riderdan (Jan 2, 2014)

Looks terrific. And it should be a lot easier to get through the doors at the Expo (or other show locations)


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Looks great Vic. Like the scenery.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

SPECT-tack-ular views!!


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Vic;

I'm glad that you included the angry beaver chewing on a trestle bent.

It's really looking good.

Best,
David Meashey

P.S. I will be making pizzas this morning (10/31/15), only they will be the real thing. Our men's group at church does a pizza sale every year as a fund raiser.


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

This is great!


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

On a whim I stopped by Michaels and found that the Lemax Christmas stuff had a set that includes two squirrels and a fox, and another with two squirrels on a stump, they are the right size but are the ugliest painted animals I have ever seen. The squirrels look like they were painted by someone who had never seen any sort of animal before let alone a squirrel and the fox looks like a Golden Retriever, oy vey finest Chinese prisoner workmanship...where's my piant ;-)


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Furry fuzzy woodland creatures










Foxy Woxie, after his repaint, some of his Golden Retrieverness still coming thru....



















FoxyWoxie had to recieve a new tail. I was cutting him off the base when it snapped off and broke the tail off in the process and into the dimensional portal that seams to exist under every workbench. So I had to improvise, the tree stump I bought had the bushy tail of a squirrel sticking out of the stump, I cut it off and added it to Foxy.










the Lemax sets also included these rabbits which also needed a little paint.

and it wouldnt be complete without an Angry Beaver










Next up...ballast


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Awesome!


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

The Angry Beaver on the road at the 2016 Great Train Show in Costa Mesa


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

That turned out wonderfully Vic, thanks for the video and congrats!


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## Zack72 (May 2, 2016)

Splendid round track on hills.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

As of today, the Angry Beaver has been SOLD! ...and delivered to an extremely nice couple in Etiwanda ☺

I met them at the BTS, they were very taken with the Beaver, and after the show they made me on offer and I said yes! I needed to finish the ballasting which I did last week so today I drove it over to them. I also delivered the HLW Angry Beaver Betsy steam loco, an LGB logging car and a bashed caboose. I am very glad that it's going to be with people who really enjoy it.



Now, I have room for the next G mini pizza. I have already started cutting foam, this next one will be an experiment using Gargraves flextrack which I have had for a while. I also recently picked up a Llagas Creek code 250 track bender, but that's for future use. But back to the new pizza, can you say: Schmatterhoern?


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Congrats Vic, and "Schmatterhoern" sounds wonderful!


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## Lorna (Jun 10, 2008)

That is really neat layout. WOW!


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## MJSavage (Dec 27, 2007)

I'm excited to see how the Schmatterhoern is progressing. Time for a new build thread yet? (Complete with pictures of course!)


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh my... I have been sick as a dog (sinus infection) for the last few weeks and haven't been working much on it, also the weather here cannot decide if it wants to be inferno hot or wt and rainy. To date I have foamed up to the track level but have hit a usual snag as I progress, namely placing the foam then cutting it back for car clearance, it time consuming. Try to post a couple pics soon.


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## delpetrina7 (Sep 12, 2016)

WOW!!! I really like this project.
The design looks awesome. Keep up the good work.


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Vic,

Looking forward to seeing your next project!

Best,
TJ


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I have some time off at Thanksgiving, see what I can done and photograph


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

To whom it may concern, due to circumstances beyond my control (Vertical Scope screwing the pooch and deleting 80MB of my photo history three months ago with no resolution) This and all other threads of my 10+ years of activity on this site are now closed, if you are curious please look to my identical threads on LargeScaleCentral which in the coming months I will attempt to re-edit photos into from my personal archives once I have a new storage site up and running. It was fun while it lasted but the collective of monkeys now running this site now have soured my experience. Have a good day.


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