Xīn Lóng: Trees, Hedges & Blast Fences

I've been steadily upgrading my Xīn Lóng layout and one of the areas that needed improvement was the intersection between the apron and the background. I think I've accomplished this now with the addition of new foliage and blast fences to soften the space and provide some layering.

---

---

I've always had some trees along the rear perimeter of the taxiways to the left of T1 and between T1 and T2 but not really enough or of the right quality. Fortunately, there is a decent range of tree possibilities available in the UK using model railway equipment.

The first step was to provide a base for the trees to attach to and that was simply done by using some plastic sheet cut to size and topped with some green scrubber pads I've had for years. 

I also wanted to extend the roadways through the grass areas as well so cut myself some MDF parts for that.

---

---

For new trees I acquired several 5 packs of different sizes from 4D Model Making Materials (https://modelshop.co.uk/). These trees are really high-quality and made of wire and string but only cost about £5 for a pack of five.

Additionally, I thought I'd get some hedging to add more layers and more cover for the join to the rear of the display. These came from Howard's Scenic Supplies (https://www.howardscenicsupplies.co.uk/) in two styles, which are excellent and easily scalable using scissors to cut to length and height.

---

---

The last addition are the excellent blast fences made by AvGeek Models, which are both really attractive and also not too pricey. They come in two styles - red and white stripes or grey. I've ended up getting plenty of both types with the grey for gate space perimeters and the red/white for taxiways.

---

---

The below photos show the end-result with the trees, hedge, extended roadways and blast fences in place along the T1 and T2 taxiway ends:

I've also replaced the old blast fences I was using in front of the terminals themselves.

These aren't the only areas the blast fences have cropped up as I have acquired quite a few more to run along the new boundary with the maintenance area extension, but I'll save those for another instalment. Below is the look of terminal 1 today. Note I also upgraded the grass from a painted surface to textured railway grass sheeting.