Niel;
On a couple of views in your previous post there was a center wooden rail on the track. Have you any idea of it’s purpose? It appears to be very carefully laid.
Thanks, David Meashey
Hi Dave,
Thats a centre rail for braking. Two 4 x 4’s spiked to sleepers and each other. Here’s a snip where one of the miners explains it’s use.
Cheers
N
Thanks Niel;
That reads like the folks could have fared better if they had chained several large boat anchors to their brake van, and tossed them out as needed.
Best, David Meashey
Meanwhile, production continues…
I’ve found a local supply of the polymer - not quite the same but seems to meet the basic specs. Tick.
Cheers
N
Happy new year everyone.
I needed to figure out how to join some panels together so they can be made into cliff faces, or bigger rocks. I started on the bench with 6 separate pieces, with the idea of making a single large panel that I could then make copies of (if it worked out ok).
They’re held loosely together with tie wire. Then I mudded the joints from the back with a fibre mix.
I tried to keep the front side as clean as possible, so I didn’t mess up the existing casting detail.
After that set up for a few days I had a 1m x 0.7m solid panel (say 39” x 28”). At this stage the seams were pretty obvious.
Then xmas arrived and things went on hold for a few days… More to come.
Cheers
N
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Looking fantastic. I am impressed
Thanks Devon.
It took a few goes to get the seams looking tidy(er). First attempts to simply cover up the fibres sticking out were – unsuccessful. 
After some liquid refreshments I came up with the answer. Flames. After all what harm could a blowtorch do… A quick hit with Mapp gas melted the exposed fibres after a few seconds, leaving just the concrete.
After that I added some mortar to the seams, then pressed some offcut latex into the wet mix. Not entirely successful but came out better than finger marks.
I could still see where the panels joined, mostly because of the different mixes having a slightly different texture and colour. So I added a final layer of slightly thinned ‘face coat’ that I used in the original molds over the whole panel.
I gave it 2 days wet cure, then moved it outside. I’m waiting for it to get to 14 days before I handle it. Pics above are at about 9 days after the face coat. I’ll try for a final builder’s photo once the rain stops.
Cheers
N
I would imagine that you’ll be giving the rocks a quick cote of weathering …this will help to blend the faces…
Gorgeous work Neil, I’ve been really enjoying your thread!
Thanks Cliff. 
Definitely Sean. I’m thinking latex paint washes and stains or somesuch. Probably best done all at once after it’s installed.
I moved some panels to the railroad site yesterday to get a feel for how it looks, but the afternoon sun shines straight at the camera. Best pics will be in the morning but now I’m back at work… Dammit.
Cheers
Neil
Neil,
I have to say you went from student to teacher in one thread. You started this thread talking about research and looking at how others did it. By this most recent post I’d say you more than perfected the technique but have expanded on it. Your method of joining the rocks to make panels is just great right down to adding fire which is always fun. Life is better when adult beverages and blow torches are involved.
I hope we can make this thread a sticky. This is one worth saving for its technique.
On the note of weathering the raw concrete. I would fear latex would peel over time. What about actual concrete stain or even oil based wood stain? I have no idea but a less viscous substance and an oil based one to boot should seep into the concrete instead on laying on top of it.
Neil, with regards to making these molds, I echo the awe and admiration! In terms of stain, should you choose concrete stane, we used that wherever we used concrete rather than lava stone. As Devon suggested, it seeps in very nicely and, in time, weathered to blend with the surrounding rocks.
I cannot find a recent picture of our “mountains,” but last summer’s photo of our retaining wall, which is simply scored concrete on hollow tile, may give you an idea of how this weathered over 7 years.
Note, we mixed the dye into the concrete and applied small batches, layering different shades into each other as we went.
Aloha,
Eric
Thanks Devon and Eric, that means a lot to me.
I’m definitly heading down the ‘stain’ path - not a coating. Our sun would peel that off in no time. At this stage I’m researching (again) but 30:1 diluted acrylic paint seems to be preferred, multiple washes, different colours etc. The wash supposedly soaks into the concrete as it’s porous.
I’ll probably fold that stage into the build log as it’s a while away (partly because my air compressor packed a sad over the break…) 
Thanks for those pics Eric. Good idea to do different mixes!. I stayed away from dye (oxide in the mix) as I had no ‘undo’ button if it turned out bad. Yours looks great.
I did get some trial shots on the new benchwork. Looks promising.
It also looks ok on the front too - but I’d need 12 full panels to cover. Food for thought…
Cheers
Neil
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This is the “money shot”, Neil:
Just WOW. You’ve got real vision of the thing, and you know how to get there.
Thanks Cliff.
Ahh, the visions… Doc said the only cure was build another railway. 
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Too bad you aren’t going for the granite cliff look! You’ be pau (done)!
I actually had the very same thought with the picture Cliff re-posted. It looks very much like a fractured granite cliff.
Neil,
Just a thought as I was looking at that picture again. And with Eric’s observation that it looks like granite. That picture to me looks EXACTLY like something one would see where a bunch of Chinese immigrants and poor Irish lads who were looking to come to America and embrace the American dream instead were rounded up and put to work blasting their way through the Rockies building the transcontinental railroads. At any rate, if this is at all what you are thinking you might want to consider a way to score in Rock drilling lines.
Just a thought. That piece of rock next to the engine just yells at me that it was blasted.
Hey Neil,
On Rick Marty’s Challenge thread we are discussing a product he is going to use as stucco. But I think this may be worthy of your consideration for coloring and sealing your rocks. Its called Moorelastic by Benjamin Moore. It is an acrylic product that is tintable and 100% waterproof when cured. Since it is acrylic I am thinking it should be able to be thinned down with water to make it easier to apply and not cover the detail. When cured it is elastic and will even bridge small gaps and cracks that occur over time (so they say). It is a product that is meant to be built up so care would have to be taken to apply it thin or you would loose a lot of detail. At any rate the three things that made me think of your project was tintable, acrylic, and waterproof.
I know. That mottled look the top coat gave had me a bit worried as it was supposed to be uniform. It looks really close to the piece of rock broken off on the right of this pic.
Beginners luck, but I’ll take the win!
That’s a fantastic idea Devon. And now you’ve said it just seems so obvious…
I spent a summer in my 20’s drilling and blasting trails on a ski area so I am really familiar with those. We always tried to add a bit more ampho to the holes when no one was looking and see if we could leave no marks. Ahh the good old days… 
I not sure I can just score these as the topcoat is less than a mm thick, prob closer to 0.5mm in most places and the fibre layer is right there. But I might try and cast some panels with them. 1.5" drill works out to about 1.7mm ‘hole’ at 1:20. Sounds like a thick piece of wire embedded in the mold??
Game on… Thanks Devon! 