Finishing the insulation board terrain

With renewed purpose I have started again on the Hot Springs Junction Ntrak module.  Where I had left off on this project was the insulation board terrain which I posted on in December of 2012 and that's where I'll pick it up again.

At one point I had considered using a tunnel on the AsiaNrail line to separate the scenes and had even picked up some tunnel portals on the last trip to Japan.  After testing things out with the tunnel portals, I thought it would seem unrealistic without a much more massive mountain which I did not want to build so both the AsiaNrail and Ntrak mountain division lines pass through cuts in the hill.

The major build up had been done with 1 inch thick pink insulation board.  That's all gone now so I'll be finishing up with some Styrofoam than came as packing in Ikea cabinets that I had put up in the new train room.  I normally don't like using Styrofoam because it's more messy and soft but this stuff was not bad and it's just a few small spots that needed to be finished up.

After the terrain is shaped the way I want it, I use drywall joint compound to seal it.  I start applying it with a 1 inch putty knife then smooth it out further with an old paint brush.  Joint compound will give an outer shell that is firm, but not has hard as plaster products and that's why I use it.