1:35 Embankment wall (4pcs)

1:35 Embankment wall, an embankment wall for a diorama 1:35, 4 pieces

This is not a kit of equipment but a diorama building element from the brand RT-Diorama. The subject is an embankment retaining wall in 1:35 scale, and the name states that there are four pieces. This kind of structure lines road cuttings, embankment quays, railroad formations and the entrances to underpasses, that is places where the terrain needs supporting.

What it is suited to in a scene

A retaining wall is an inconspicuous element with a large effect. It makes it possible to create a difference in height in a scene without having to model an extensive slope: the terrain simply stops against the wall. That saves space and gives the scene a firm, urban or industrial character. Several pieces additionally mean that you can choose the length of the stretch and run the wall along the whole edge of the base, or split it between two opposite sides and create a cutting through which a road passes.

Tips for painting and placing in the scene

Paint the masonry so that the individual blocks are not the same: vary the base tone slightly from piece to piece, let a dark wash into the joints and draw the edges out with a light dry brush. Water always leaves its mark on retaining walls, so darker vertical traces below the coping and moss at the foot come across very convincingly. Disguise the transition between the wall and the terrain with a fine scatter, soil and low vegetation, so that the structure does not look merely laid onto the base. Finally tie the wall in with its surroundings with a unifying dust shade.

Who the walls are for

• Builders of urban, industrial and railroad dioramas in 1:35 scale
• Modelers who want a difference in height without an extensive terrain slope
• Those who put a scene together gradually and need to choose the length of a stretch
• Competition modelers, as a framing element of a composition