The Little Rock Line
A proto-freelanced N scale layout depicting Subdivisons 38 & 39 of Rock Island's Southern Division.

Monday, July 21, 2025
Crossing the Ouachita River
Saturday, July 12, 2025
The Ouachita gets poured
Sunday, July 6, 2025
River color adjustment, take two
Saturday, July 5, 2025
Painting the river, part 2
Before I got started on the next phase of the river, I decided that the Tamiya Olive Green was just a little too dark, it was very close to the foliage on the banks. So I added some of the Tamiya Flat Earth brown to it. It had the effect of not only lightening it up enough, it also gave it a brownish hue.
Once the river was repainted it was time to start painting the Faux pattern on the surface. I followed Boomer's process, which was to use the "Golden" brand of gloss glazing liquid and add a bit of the Vallejo US Sand paint to it. Mix it up thoroughly and using a damp sponge you dip it on the mix, wipe off the majority of it on a rag, kind of the way one "Dry Brushes" and then start padding or stippling the sponge on the surface of the river.
Friday, July 4, 2025
Painting the river, part 1
Most of this might be somewhat covered when I start faux painting the main river, but I know it'll be there.
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Covering the banks
The next step was to work on the sand bar and river banks.
I spread a thin layer of glue and using a fine sieve I spread out a thick layer of my Mocha grout. I let it dry over night and then vacuumed up the excess and rubbing with my finger, I worked more excess loose.
I used a mix of 2mm & 4mm light and medium green static grass for the weeds on the sand bar, leaving enough room for the River Rat's camp site and some tents. I also sprayed hair spray over it and sprinkled on several colors of fine ground foam.
Once everything was dry, I took Woodland Scenics Poly Fiber and stretched it out very thin and applied it to the river banks, the fine ground foam glued down previously helped to hold it in place while the glue dried. This will become the base for the 3D undergrowth.
It's not very thick but thick enough that when the next layer of ground foam is applied it will take on a of look deep, shaggy weeds and tangles.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
More work on the river banks and Abutments
After getting the banks carved, I painted them with a multi green filter before adding vegetation. This will help hide the earth color.
One thing I didn't do when I made the abutments and piers, I forgot to add a lip around the three walls of the abutments. I was reminded of doing this by a friend who said they looked odd being solid concrete and the rails laying on top of the concrete. I had always planned to add sleeper ties under the rails but forgot about the lips.
So I found some strip styrene that looked about right and glued it on the three edges of each abutment. This will give the illusion that the three walls were poured independently and not a solid mass of concrete.
Once dry I took a hobby knife and carved the tops to match any crumbling edges that I had carved into the MDF abutments previously. Then painted and weathered them to match.
Next I glued the sleeper ties in place and added ballast.
The ballast looks awfully bright, but I'll take care of that with Pan Pastels later.
Monday, June 23, 2025
River banks carved and curved
So I've been steadily working on the river banks over the last couple of weeks.
I got the first set of foam blocks installed and got most of them carved out. Things were looking good. But then I had an idea, what if I could enhance the depth of the river, make it look as if it continues around the bend? So I grabbed a small mirror and started playing around with it.
After a few tries it looked as if this could work? I've never made use of a mirror, although I've always wanted to. Hmmmm?
After placing the mirror in what I thought was a good place, I stepped back and took a look at it. Not bad, but I was going to have to change the angle of it as well as redo the foam blocks along the backdrop.
So the trouble was, at this angle it made the river bend to the right and not to the left. So I ripped out the rear two blocks of foam and started playing around again with a pencil line, trying to line up the mirror so the bank turned to the left. I had to angle the mirror quite a bit to make the curved pencil line line up properly. But this would work.
I ordered a new larger mirror and sat it in place, then I got the two new foam blocks installed and carved them to fit. Using the line I drew as a guide I shaped the last foam block and got them glued in placed.
The next thing to do was to get the blocks shaped and painted.