Finally to the point of either laying the track or doing the turf/foliage/trees. My question is, as this is my first layout, do I lay the track or do the turf first? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
my recommendation is lay the track and wire and ensure it all runs correctly before doing any scenery
I agree completely. You always want to get your track in place and make sure that there aren't any areas where derailments could occur. Runs trains throug your layout and when you are satisfied that the track is in good shape and not causing any problems, then go to work on the scenery. With the scenery down first, the chances are that you'll probably screw some of it up trying to lay track. If by chance you come up with an operational idea and want to move a turnout or track, there will be nothing in the way.
There are folks do build at least some scenery first, then track. Most people lay track and then create scenery. I do it as Paul has noted above.
Track first, for the above reasons, but in addition, if you do scenery first, it may make it difficult to get the track to lay flat later since you'll be putting on top of scenery........also, you'll waste a fair amount of scenery material that you'll bury under the track.
Instead of putting down "formal" scenery, like grass, dirt, trees, roads, hills, and rivers, before laying track, some folks will paint the surface of the layout (plywood, foam, homasote) in neutral browns, greens, grays, or blues in the approximate areas where the formal scenery will go at some point in the future. When I had large unfinished or semi-finished areas of my layout that I knew would be waiting a long time before I'd complete any expansion into that area, I'd often cover the area with cardboard mock-ups of buildings, or I'd temporarily stick some toothpick/lichen trees on a hill made of green expanded floral foam. Later, after putting the tracks where I wanted them, I'd finally build the permanent structure or glue down the foam.
Another vote for scenery first. Get the roadbed, tracks, and ballast done first. Prove them to your full satisfaction via testing. Once they prove, then have fun with the scenery. Just use green masking tape to cover the tracks and the ballast when spreading and spraying anything near them. I would only advise laying a rudimentary ground foam base across a flat layout first, and then using something like EZ-Track that will lie flat on top of it. If you are going to have any grade changes and relief in terrain, build the important foundation first; the roadbed and tracks.
???? An exception to doing track first may be if the track is going over a creek or river and it would be difficult to do scenery once the bridge is in place. Steve S
It can be done any way, really. My method, now into my third layout, is to build the roadbed and supporting risers, build the scenery, cut out the roadbed where the bridge gap is to be, place abutments, build the bridge in place or insert it onto the abutments, and then lay the tracks over the bridge. Once I lay the gap track first, and then snugged a wooden trestle up under it to support the tracks at grade. I added bits of ground goop around the base of the bents to support the bridge, and the abutments did the rest via the stringers.
Yet another aspect : What if you're going to have tunnels ? With scenery first, how will you lay track in the scenic-ed tunnels ? So you have your bottom line answers; track and wiring first. Make it operate well, first. And, yes, masking-tape over track when making scenery; especially if and when you use plaster. Once plaster powder or wet plaster falls onto track it is very very tough to remove, now caught in the ties and rail web...I know first-handedly, this blunder.
