Choosing Realistic Model Railroad Scenery

by Bill Murphy

Landscaping and picking out the scenery can be one of the more fun things that you can do with your model railroads. You are the person who gets to decide just how you want it to look.

From fanciful hobbit themes, alien worlds or realistic recreations there is nothing that you cannot create and display, all it takes is a plan, some materials, a little skill and some time.

The first thing you need is your idea or plan.

- Do you want to copy something you’ve seen somewhere else?

- Do you want to recreate some historical place?

- Are you more likely to create a one of a kind scene to delight your viewers?

Once you’ve decided on your theme and to be successful, you will need to make sure you don’t stray from it. There will be inconsistencies if you change or mix styles in your project and that will detract from the overall impact.

Ideally those you invite to view your work will see a delightful scene and the harder they look the more detail enforcing that scene they will find. Nothing is more enjoyable then hearing those delighted squeals as a viewer notices ever more subtle details as they come closer and closer and the key to that is consistency.

Once you have a plan for the theme you need to decide on track placement and terrain. Many modelers create the terrain and then try to force the track to follow through that, just as occurs in real life ” but one of the advantages of modeling vs. real life is that you can consider all aspects and requirements up front. If you know you will have a bend or a switch at certain points why design rough terrain that you will then try to overcome with ‘grading’ in your models at those points?

Your next step is to collect the items that you think you will want to use. Some you may already have around the house, others you may want to purchase from dealers or even a local hobby shop if you have one near. Just remember what your original design plan is so you don’t stray from it. Just because you like the look of something doesn’t mean that it will suit your project. Some common materials that you can gather are:

1. A Table or Stand 2. An outdoor grade plywood sheet for the base of a stand 3. Glue 4. Crushed stone, dirt or gravel as well as well as twigs and plants for ground cover 5. Touch up paint and paint for the background and the base 6. Poster board, papers etc for texturing 7. Blocks and sheets of Styrofoam for shaping things like mountains

Some other items you may include:

- Fiberglass or plaster - Powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper for adding texture and color - Cork paper or board - Roofing tar for roads - Caulk and adhesives for holding items secure

About the Author:

Do you have solid model train tables holding your trains? You’ll need them to hold all your accessories as your layout grows. Learn how to build tables as well as many other tips & advice at http://www.themodelrailroader.com