Excellent! I'd stay with the greens, and definitely take a look at Woodland Scenics products. The varying shades of ground foam, and their texture ranging from coarse & clumpy to fine, really add variety. Just sprinkle the WS stuff over where you want to cover, spray a glue/water mixture with a couple of drops of dishwashing soap added over the foam, and let dry. Spray bottles are fairly inexpensive & founds at most hardware stores and the big-box stores (WalMart, Loews, Home Depot) The dishwashing soap is there to cut surface tension of glue water when it hits the foam. About a 10-20 precent mix of white glue to water should do the trick, no more than 1 part glue to 2 parts water. And of course, nature isn't neat, so clumps of foliage, overgrown pastures, hedgerows, etc. are fun to make. Just add more foam.
At this time you might want to do a computer search for Woodland Scenics. Haven't been there in any depth recently, believe that you could get a lot of questions answered there, and I think some current state-of-the-art scenery views. If you have a local hobby shop, you might be able to see some of their or similiar products in person. You might also want to try some of "Trainboards" own 'Yellow Forum' dealers.
Safetytech 26, Welcome to TrainBoard! The fellows have all given you good advice. You will also gain more ideas as you visit a Hobby Shop, get to know some of the customers, and never be afraid to ask questions. (Some of us will talk your arm off too.) If you think about it, scenery is a learning curve like anything else. Maybe you could walk out into your back yard, or a park, and just sit down and see how many different things you can see, like grass, weeds, trees, a dog, people, fences, roads, cars, birds, telephone poles, flowers, etc. then take a photo or so of various details that stand out to you. Now go home, sit down at one corner of your layout and mark off a one foot square area. Forget the rest of the layout, just work on this one single foot space for now for "scenery". (Make this like a coffee break from track laying or wiring, so you don't get tired of working on it. You can always come back to scenery.) What do you remember? Try to duplicate what you remember. Refer to the photos. After you have worked an afternoon on it, take a photo with a business card marked with a large (1) so it will show up in the photo. (Cut a slit across a small bottle cork, stick the card in the slit, and place the card down in the right corner of the photo you take of the foot square space each time.) Move it to prevent covering significant detail. Now go back and look at the same place again. Take your photo with you for comparison. Make notes of anything you see that could be made to look more like the real thing. Go home and try to improve the tree, or color of the fence etc. Then place another business card with a large (2) on it in the cork, and take another photo from the same angle. Repeat this until you have reconstructed the "seen space" in your "made space" enough to satisfy yourself that it looks pretty much good enough, then photograph that with the last card to identify it. Now, like the rest of us, you have some experience in working with scenery, you have a step by step record of the progress, and you can post each photo here as you proceed if you like. If you choose to post as you go, you will find the whole membership will chip in with advice, encouragement, sources of materials, and "How-To" suggestions that may make the whole job easier for you to understand and learn the techniques involved. No one is going to criticize you, or make fun of your efforts, because we have all started from where you are now. A few of us still barely living started by helping to make dirt, but when man came along he got smart and made all these great materials for you to work with that we didn't have back before there was an "Evening and Morning". Once you get the hang of it, it will be easy and you will gain confidence, and find short cuts we didn't think of too. Practice makes somewhere close to acceptable, (or something like that.) If you get stuck, help is as close as your key board!
Thank you watash that is very helpful and i will do that when i start this layout.I just have a fear of trying things new but as you say if i mess up well i will just have to start again until i get it right.When i do i will post some pics of what i have done so far,again thank you for all your help.
It looks like you've selected HO Scale and the modern era. With a small pike, you can be a 'detail hound' and get very detailed with your structures and, yes, your scenery (waterfall?) (flower garden?). I don't have scenery yet so can't help, but I do note that much more quality scenery material is available now than in past years, and techniques have changed, to get the latest (also these are the easiest, compared to practice of decades ago). Some additional comments: You need a minimum amount of time, space, and money, and two of those three in more abundance! With a 4x8 space (is any more available?) you're pretty much limited to some sort of continuous loop route unless you want a switching-only pike, or a specialized lumber or mining operation. Watch the minimum radius - a 4 x 8 probably can't take 85 foot plus auto carriers! Passenger service is going to be shorty cars (70' maximum length) or a pair of RDCs. Or, you might consider traction modeling (trolleys, interurbans, electric freight with steeple cab locos, etc.). The other posts' advice so far is very good - decide on just what interests you about the railroad hobby. If you've dedicated some space and want to build a model railroad (some just build the models at home, and operate them at model rail clubs) by all means get a copy of "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" by the late John Armstrong. This has gone through several editions and is the 'bible' for actually planning a model rail 'layout'. He goes through all the advice areas and shows how to fit specific plans into your space. For examples, curves can only be so sharp and still have the trains go around them; if you buy more cars than will fit on your track space, you should be aware of what you're doing. What is the theme or principal activity of the railroad? What is it suppose to depict? What era, in general, are you modeling - the 1860s, the 21st Century, or when in between? These things will control which engines and cars you buy. Locomotives of any quality, in particular, have become much more expensive in recent years; you wouldn't want to waste money on a misfit. Expensive new realistic controls ("DCC") are now offered, but if you only run one train at a time you don't need them right now. Ask at your hobby shop(s), read the model rail magazines, get introductions to local modelers and clubs; inquire about the National Model Railroad Association and National Railway Historical Society; both have good web sites www.nmra.org and www.nrhs.com respectively, plus local affiliated clubs or chapters. You'll get much invaluable advice. Good luck! Finally, be aware that many of us are primarily historians and prefer to read, photograph, write about, and where possible, ride railroads. Some of us model them in addition. Some are rail enthusiasts but don't want the expense and time of modeling; a really involved model railroad is a GREAT time consumer! James E. Bradley Hawk Mountain Chapter Natl. Ry. Historical Society
Thank you jebradley for that advice and i will check into a model club in our area.I really live in a small town in ohio and really don't have access to a club but i will look at those web sites to see what i can learn from them.
Hesitation in trying things new is human nature- it's like the first time we ever went swimming. We slowly overcame our fear of the water, and over time we got to where we enjoyed swimming. Same with scenery, tracklaying, wiring, etc. in our hobby. Ya can't learn to swim until you get wet.
Yup you can interchange track, as long as its the same size rail, you can join code 70 with 85 but its not best for a first layout.
Don't be afraid... Safetytech 26, Don't be afraid of failure. If you try and it doesn't look like you thought it should, post it here. Here is what I learned to do back in 1937 when I was 7! He taught me to "try again" if I wasn't Happy with my first try, and if that didn't work, to ask for help. No one is going to call me and offer advice when the are not aware of what I am trying to accomplish. I don't get embarrassed, I ask and learn. This is supposed to be the Grand Tetons Mountains, as seen from the Royal Gorge Swinging Bridge, with a Lionel Hudson coming through the canyon under the bridge, (just like the real thing). There is even a plaster and asbestos paved road with switch backs leading up to the bridge, made so we could run our Tootsie Toy cars and trucks up and down it! Dad and I both had green fingers from dipping dead sponge "trees" into Carter's green ink. They were stuck on square tooth picks, then glued into holes drilled in the plaster mountain side. (They are the black dots on the mountain sides, the whites ones are real rocks we brought back from the Tetons.) We were supposed to have died of Mesotheliosis, but Dad died at 86 and I am now 75, so there is life after asbestos! Every kid in the neighborhood brought his Marx or Lionel train and our basement was full of yelling kids all during the summer and good days in the winter. Dad made us learn how to repair anything broken, and repair paint, and we made a few messes, but he answered our questions and never made any of us feel stupid at any time. Today I can find things "wrong" with that old layout, but you know what? I really don't give a little red rat's pill what other people think, My Dad and I built that together, and we thought it was great for us! I would accept suggestions willingly, but for some one to "criticize" and tell me "you shoulda" or "that ain't right", or "I don't like",....well, that is so just so much fecal matter dribbling out the hole in his face, and is worth about the same to me! So don't feel bashful, or waste a lot of stuff before you post something. And if some new guy happens to not know the rules around here, and does say something unkind about your starting post, you just let old Watash know, and I'll go "Dribble" on him for you! You would probably find I had a whole Posse riding right along with me going to the hangin'! "Yew don't Mess wit' ma' BOY!"
You "can" use various manufacturer's track, like brass with nickle silver, but it is best to use the same size, (code) like .100 brass with .100 nickel silver). It is not wise to use steel or zinc track today because of rust and corrosion. And like Sticky says, it is not wise to try to match up code .075 with code .080 or .100 because it makes a bump that can cause derails. The joiner slips over the rail's "foot" so it makes the rail "head" a different height, see? There are some off-set joiners made occasionally, but seem to be hard to find, and not really often needed. As sure as you try, you will run into a place where you need an insulated joiner, and none are made that I know of that are off-set. There are just too many rail codes made today. Another thing is the tie strips are also different height, which presents another problem. Best pick a code size an stick with it for this first layout. OK? Another thing, there is a vast difference between a track "spike" and a track "nail". A track Nail goes in the hole drilled in the center of sectional track pieces, where one is found in a tie at each end of the 9" section. DO NOT drive these in all the way tight, because they can bow the tie strip which will bring the rails together and narrow up the gauge enough to derail equipment. Track "Spikes" are actual miniature scale replicas of real rail spikes with an off-set head that clamps down on one side of the rail's foot, and requires another spike be installed on the other side of the rail in the same or very next tie. You will have to place a track gauge on the track when this is needed, to hold both rails to the correct gauge spacing, until both spikes are driven in place on both rails. (Total of 4 spikes, see?) Be sure to drive the spike down snug to prevent long flange wheels from bumping up over this spike's head. The shank of these spikes will not be over 3/8" for "O" scale, nor less than 3/16" long for HO scale. These are not much good in cork or foam, they are made for wood.
I agree with Watash on most of his posting. You'll probably be better off picking one size (code) of rail and sticking with it. Atlas code 83 painted a rusty, brown color is my choice for main line rail. So far I haven't found any easier track to work with. And it (Atlas) also seems to have a very good selection of turn-outs and crossings. Peco and Walthers/Shinohara also make code 83 flextrack and turnouts, etc., but I've never used them so can't comment on how easy/hard they are to work with. However, I've never had a real problem with mixing rail sizes or makes. My current layout has codes 100, 83, 70, and will have some code 55 sidings. A pair of needle-nose pliers, a file, and some shim material will normally do just fine. I also have a soldering gun and iron handy, but so far haven' needed them. My second HO layout even had hand laid code 40 butt-soldered to code 100 rail - no problem. This is another one of what I call the "delicious" problems of model railroading, a decision. If you like the looks of a siding where you can just barely see the rails through the weeds and dirt, the smaller rail just helps add to the look. If not, still not a problem. Do what suits and looks good to you. By the way, I'm no craftsman so I figure if I can do it, so can anyone else who wants to.
Thank you very much for that info it is really good to have someone to ask question about things you don't know about.
Watash: I liked that suspension bridge ya built. How long ago was that pic taken? It still looks good compared to work today!
Hi Friscobob, Dad started cutting wood for the table work in 1936 when I was five years old. (I would only be six from September 30th until the end of December of 1936, see?) He made the agreement with me that if I would help him, and learn as we go, we would make a "Play Table" so I would have some place to play that was fun during the winter and rainy days there in Wichita, Kansas. It was a Sunday when we usually ate Sunday lunch at Mrs. Dickerson's Chicken restaurant out on the north side across from the fair grounds where Barnum and Bailey had their Circus tents going up. Dad had taken me down to the rail yards in the dark early Saturday morning to watch the circus wagons being off loaded from the long flat cars. It was the steam engines that got us talking about making our own railroad. Dad had just finished making his HO scale "real" knuckle coupler that really worked like the big ones. I remember that much about it. It must have taken about a year, because this and another photo were taken in 1937 when it was finished. I'll go look up the other photo, and continue later.
Found it! This is the other end of the 1937 layout. If you look about mid way up the mountain road on the left, you can see a car grinding up toward one of two hair-pin curves on the way to the Royal Gorge Bridge. Just to the right of the car is the track coming out of the Gorge, heading east out on to the western Kansas plains. To the right is a white road where West Douglas Street from Wichita has become the "Cannon-Ball" highway, so named because it was flat and straight for enough miles you could "open her up" and speed along like a Cannon Ball in flight! I still remember the thrill when Mr. Downing took my Dad and I out for a test drive on it in his 1934 Dusenberg at 117 miles an hour! (That, no one ever forgets!) You may notice the electric un-coupling section down in the lower right corner of the photo. It was the hook and flipper style Lionel made before their knuckle style coupler. Worked quite well too. Above that in the control pannel, is the bat handled throttle I wrote about some time ago. I felt like a real throttle does to us kids. About centered in the photo is a real loading dock, we made to be at correct height for a box car door, and it had a ramp we could drive our Tootsie Toy cars and trucks up onto , then run them onto a flat car to haul away. In the far back ground are some more of the sponge trees around a Mansion where we lived! On the far right is a filling station with pumps where we would fill our cars for the trip up the mountain to go across the bridge. The bridge was a plank of cedar we drove small brads into along the sides. The big suspension cables had loops on each end that were screwed into this plank. Small safety wire was wound over these cables, down under a brad, then back up over the cable and down again to make the flying cables that held up the roadbed. Dad sprayed it all white so it would show up well as an attention getter. We both painted the plaster in earth tones on the mountains. Dad dyed saw dust in the green ink, painted the "plains" a lighter green, then sprinkled the saw dust over it all to represent grass. We brought a box of rocks back from our vacation to the Grand Tetons, and dad "planted" them around over the mountains. This made our mountains the real Tetons! Talk about bragging rights! After vacuuming up the excess, he painted the roads with satin finish hard white enamel so our tires wouldn't wear ruts in the roads. It was a well remembered and much appreciated "Father & Son" recreation lasting many years. I miss him and feel he was the best father any son ever had. He taught me how to safely run every machine he had, and how to design and make practical working models of just about anything we could think of. Seems so long ago now. I got to quit. Be good to your kids, it is worth it.
