Force of Nature

“Rivers flow not past, but through us”
-John Muir-

It took me some time before I was able to determine the name of the small creek just north of Hills, Iowa. But thanks to some first-hand information from local residents I discovered what could simultaneously be the best and worse possible name for a body of water in history.

Old Man’s Bypass

Turns out there’s an Old Man’s Creek, as well as an Old Women’s Creek, in Eastern Iowa. Both are tributaries of the Iowa River that pass south of Hills. But Old Man’s Bypass is a channel that cuts off the namesake creek and flows north of Hills… and across The Hills Line.

I started constructing the bypass by carving, hacking, slicing, scraping, and even gouging into the foam subroadbed. My traditional weapon of choice is a Stanley Surform Shaver, but I’ve also used knifes, hacksaws, and even razor blades in the past.

I had considerably more success this time with my DeWalt Oscillating Multi-Tool. It made quick work of slicing into and removing chunks of the foam, as well as notching out the fascia. However the dust made was considerably finer than with the shaver, so I kept my shop vac running while cutting. I also wore a respirator to keep from inhaling the foam particles.

Slowly… and I do mean slowly… I removed enough of the foam board to be able to drop the completed bridge and track into the gap. I created a notch for the middle pier so that the waterway was relatively flat and level. After all, this is an Upper Midwest creek, not an Eastern gorge or Western ravine.

After sanding and smoothing the creek bed and banks, I added a sheet of .005 styrene along the bottom. It’s not much thicker than paper, but gives me a smooth base for the water while preventing the foam from off-gassing into the gel and forming bubbles. Construction adhesive was used to secure the styrene as well as blend it into the foam.

Once dry, I painted the entire bypass with my earth paint of choice, Behr’s Wild Rice. I’ve used this tint on all of my landforms, waterways, and even the fascia, since it’s an excellent match to the soil colorings I see around Iowa. For the foam I normally dilute the paint with a little water so that it covers easier. However rivers and streams always get an undiluted application.

Years ago, my friend and fellow Iowa Interstate modeler Scott Thornton introduced me to Golden Artists Colors’ Soft Gel Gloss for modeling water. Much like using Mod Podge, you slather on the acrylic medium and let dry. Unlike Mod Podge, the Golden Gel is a thicker material, which prevents bubbles and cracks from forming. I can usually get by with just a single coat for smaller streams.

The prefab bridge and track was then installed, wired, and tested, adding yet another step towards prototype replication, as well as a key piece of history for The Hills Line.