Christmas Tree Layout - Build Thread (4'x6')

I'll be following this post for sure...enjoyed your Halloween one....will the back of the layout be again a wall????.....will you have viability from both sides????...the back of our tree faces a wall....the sides are not so viable...blocked by the TV stand on one side and the sofa on the other....just trying to get a visual on where your tree will be positioned...GL and enjoy!!!

Ah good deal! Yup, the back will be against a wall, and it will be visible from the front, left and right, but mostly the front and right. 

Not much progress so far. Mostly buying things! Lol. 

As suggested by other folks I started with a cardboard template. But I found my first problem. It's really hard to get a perfect angle without a compas or protractor. Lol. I used the angle on the cutting mat, but wasn't happy with the result, so I'll be shopping again tomorrow for tools.

Anyway, here is what I have to start with:

Oops, slight miscalculation there, on the right.

Front and back shape.  After making these, I decided I want to have a slight overhang on the roof, instead of on the frame all the way to the ground  as a result I will need to make these rectangular on the bottom, and slightly taller.

And a rough look at it.  This is 12" long, 5" high, and 5 7/8" wide. I think I'll shorten it to 10" long, and gain around 3/8-1/2" of height with the planned mod, as well as a "foundation" piece set in along the bottom perimeter.  

Im going easy on this one for windows and doors. I thought about the style that follows the roof line, but I decided just to go with Tichy doors and windows.  Should be here tomorrow.

Since I'm using a fairly thick material for the roof, might I be able to paint the side of it white and skip a fascia? It's 1/8", so that's a scale 6"...not bad for fascia size...

Update time!

I decided to put the A Frame houses to the side and focus on the main structure today.  Also I changed my plan a little bit, mainly in an effort to ensure its low volume of track noise.  Instead of 3/4 MDF, I have decided to use 1/2" MDF for the base panel.  To then raise the road bed to where I want it, I will do custom cuts of 1/2" MDF, and 1/2" homasote for just under the bed.  Then on top of that, I will still put the 3/16" camper seal.  Quite the stack going, really.  I plan to glue all that together using PL adhesive, and then will fill in the other spaces for the ground with either Polyiso or extruded foam.  This will be so I can contour and shape the ground.

So it all started with cutting.  I cut the MDF down to 49"x72".  Then I cut some of the Atlas straights to make 4.5" and 5.5" pieces.  After that, I did a test fit.  Its amazing how much quieter this track and material is already.  

Initially I thought it might be necessary to add some extra short pieces to the right and left side to ensure there was enough clearance between the inner rails and the very back rails.  Turns out, it should be ok.  If I was running 2 trains it would be a problem.  If I wasn't already limited in consist length by the inner rails already, overall length might be a problem too.  So the only thing that might be an issue is if the Mr and Mrs Clause hand car that I want to run at the same time ends up hanging over too much.  

I struggled a little bit on how to best cut out the pieces to build up the road bed.  My first thought was to use track as the pattern, but I didn't like 2 things about that.  First I didn't want the track joint and the bed material joint in the same place.  Additionally, I didn't want to cut out as many pieces as there were track.  So instead, I put paper under the rails, taping 2 pieces together, and sketched the width I wanted on either side of the track.  

Then I cut those pieces out and arranged them on the homasote board.  Sadly I didn't have room for them all on one 2x4 piece.  I have more, but was hoping to be extra efficient.

I cut out the pieces of homasote and started test fitting them on the base panel.  I rolled the train cars over them, and there was an audible difference.  Pretty cool!  

The next thing that I have to figure out is how the bridge is going to work out.  The next pic you can sort of see an outline of what will be the frozen pond.  It will be 11/16" higher than it is now, and I was initially thinking of building some trestles.  If I stick with that, what goes under the track, and for the trestle to mount to?  I'd certainly be open to other small bridge type recommendations or advice, if anybody has it to share!

On the side, sorta, I have been researching and exploring alternatives to standard ballast.  This is a form of ice melt that my girlfriends dad suggested.  If I were to sift out the larger pieces and color it somehow, its not too bad.  I don't really think I will use it, though, as I'm too concerned about it kicking off, reaction wise, with glues or even humidity.  Pics of it, regardless.  

That's pretty much all I have for today.  Tomorrow I will use the cut out the MDF portion to raise the bed, cut the acrylic glass, and probably glue the beds down.  

I might have an addiction to small layouts.  This is too much fun.  

I agree completely with your reservations about the ice melt.  That stuff would be vicious on your trains and track.

Thanks for the photos, good job so far.

not sure where the bridge is going to be located- wooden trestle bridges had the ties, the long supports parallel with the rail, usually a 1' x 1' or larger, then the top of the trestle was perpendicular to the rail and supports.

Then underneath they used whatever worked for the crossing. There were just pilings with a cross support that went over streams or marsh type areas.

So, basswood or balsa stock would provide the lumber needed in the proper size.

Trestle images

if you are on a straight the plate girder bridge was used a lot for short crossing. Sometimes it was inverted. Concrete, stone or wooden abutments.

Absolutely NO on the melt- humidity will start it working - what a mess! Just a get a ballast product and put a thin application on the sides. Elmer it up and push it around with chip brush. It could also just lay there loose. You could vacuum it up with a small handheld vacuum for reuse. Ryobi at the depot has a nice one for that. Even better if you already have another Ryobi 18v tool.

Also, did you consider a disconnect location to perhaps make it two pieces for easier storage? Cutting it diagonally from corner to corner looks like it would work. Just leave the track pins off of 4 curves and make power feeds to those curves.

Tossin' stuff at ya, I know you'll figure it out.

Oops! I forgot. If you just have a stream flowing under, railroads control that with just drain pipes and aprons with soil and roadbed on top. A culvert. That may work the best for your thoughts on the pond and such and having a curve. Some small tubing and some pieces foam of painted for the aprons. pencil scribing for stone or brick, just paint for concrete.

No work done yesterday, sadly.  Had to spend some time with the lady to keep everybody happy.   

So this is a little clearer picture where the water will be, and so will need a bridge over it.

Because of its curve and width, I didn't think I could get away with a culvert.  It seems too wide of an area....though, just rethinking it as I type, if I were to take 2 pieces of pvc and cut them in half, making them half "submerged", and then build the aprons like you mentioned, Carl, it might work out.  I'm not sure how that would look though.  I suppose I could just change the design and narrow the creek to fit a culvert.  Lol, sorry, thinking "out loud". 

I just like the look of trestles too.    And thanks! That timber parallel to the track was the missing piece in my mind!  That makes a lot of sense now.

I have not considered cutting it in half for storage purposes.  That's an interesting idea. I have a spot already set aside for storing this in the basement as a full size, since its not terribly large, So I think it should be ok.  I'm starting to feel the crunch on time vs whats left to do, so I probably won't dive into that this time. 

Speaking of power feeds....my plan for this one was to drill some holes every 5-6 pieces of track section, and then solder wires to the track joiners.  That will give me about 7 power feeds.  Does that seem sufficient?  Too many? This is a little over 40' of track, I think.  This would be the placement as I see it.

The main thing I am unsure about with this plan is the points around the crossover.  Because the crossover looks like its insulated in the middle, it seems I need power on both sides?  I thought about putting a terminal block inside one of the a frames, and then running a single wire out from it to the transformer, so its all hidden, but still contained. 

I really would like to vacuum and reuse the ballast, so your suggestions are super appreciated, Carl!  Good info!  I am on the fence at the moment, however.  Part of me wants this to be really snowy track like this.  So if I go that direction, to I even bother with traditional ballast?  I'm considering a small amount of play sand, and then just covering that in snow.  I am going to have a combination of woodland scenic snow and microspheres for different textures. 

Decisions, decisions!  Tonight should be a big work night.  The lady is going to a Mary Kay party, so I'll be able to hunker down and crank some work out! 

if you check the crossover with a meter for continuity/ohms, you'll find that the diamond has no power. Only a problem if you have a one roller engine or two rollers very close together. if it is plastic, not much that you can do.

Seems like too many feeds. 2 @12 (inner & outer loop), 3, 6 , 9  (outer) o'clock should do it.

Ah right on, dale. Fewer taps will be easier!  Thanks!

Finished the cutting tonight. So for your viewing pleasure, a pile-o-homasote and a pile-o-mdf:

Glad that part is done. I also experimented with some culverts. I think I like the direction this is going. The thickness of these pipes is reminiscent of the concrete culverts. Scale wise, these would be 7.5' OD, so 15' overall. I think that will work out. Opinions? Does anybody have placement and fill advice? These pics are just to show height rather than exactly where would be on the layout, though.

Also messed with chick grit as ballast. I like it! I might add some paint or dye to darken it up a bit. 

Tomorrow should be glue up night while waiting for election results. Cheers!

hey, that's it for ballast that you can dispose of..chik grit. Forgot about that.

You know, I saw a Thomas episode with the grandson yesterday which had a small wooden trestle bridge over a stream. You may be able to bend the 1/4" or 1/2" stock balsa for the linear supports.  perhaps soak it in water first. Glue and clamp right to the bottom of the track. You would only need 2 bents or sets of pilings for the short length. 1/2" round dowel and one diagonal 1/8" support.

That would open it up for more of the stream look that you wanted.

Good hustle getting the infrastructure done!

I believe an 1 1/4" piece at the arrows would create the track clearance needed at the top. maybe the next joint towards the top on the curve.

Thanks Carl!  I am actually locked into the design as it is since the cutting has begun.  It really shouldn't pose a problem, I don't think.  As for the trestles...lol, that's awesome that inspiration can come from Thomas.  I mean that genuinely, not sarcastically, too!    I would really like to do those, but I'm not sure its going to look right on this particular spot.  I will have to come up with a better spot for one on a later layout, I think.  Maybe next years Trick or Treat layout that's more build in to the porch. 

I ran into a new problem last night.  I got an old beat up box car to use as the Have Nots cabin by the lake. 

Unfortunately I didn't plan well enough, and its going to be too large to fit in the place I had set aside for it.  So instead I am probably going to be getting the Hobo Jungle from Bachmann, and using one of those pieces instead.  Maybe the outhouse too! 

I managed to get all the MDF and homasote glued down last night.  I actually ran out of PL at the very end of the very last piece!  Its a Christmas Miracle!  lol.  Held down most of the track with books, and a couple of home built speakers. 

I did goof with the culvert pieces again, just to see ( you can see it sort of in place there under the track).  I think 1 of them is going to be right for the space available, but will need to be longer than I have cut this time.  Ill need to build up the bed around it still.  Its funny...as I put this plan down on paper, and digitally in TraxEditor, I thought there was going to be more of a gap there for a bridge.  Height, too.  I guess my brain isn't used to working and estimating in 1:48 quite yet.  I'll get there, though.

Not a lot of progress being made.  I have really been struggling to get the plexi cut.  I have attempted scoring and breaking it, but it didn't like the curves I had shaped, and just snapped.  It REALLY didn't like the hand held jigsaw, either.  Maybe if it were thicker than .080.  Last night I started in with my scroll saw, and that seemed to work ok....until I broke the blade.  lol.  Hopefully I can get a replacement tonight, and finally get the rest of the plexi cut.  

I did put down the camper seal last night, though, so that's good.  I am learning some lessons as this goes along.  If I use this elevated approach again in the future,  I need to remember to make it a little bit wider.  Putting ballast down will be very close to the edge of it in some places.  Additionally, while it may be quiet, this camper seal isn't quite wide enough.  its 2 pieces at 1 1/2" for each piece.  Installing it in 2 sections was nice, since this layout is mostly turns, but its not any wider than the track is.  If it went out 1/4" on either side, I think I would be happier with it. 

After the plexi is done, I plan to solder the wiring for the track joiners, and then should be foam.  I think I will feel better about the progress once the foam goes in and I can start contouring.  

Cheers!

Good progress today!!  

I first picked up some new scroll saw blades so I could finish up the plexi. I finally got the first part of the lake cut, but not without issue. It ended up vibrating pretty badly still, and cracked some pieces. Ultimately not the right tool for the job. I cut the 2nd piece with my rotozip, and boy....I should have started with that. Lol. Anyway, here is just the plexi after being cut. You can kind of see a chunk out that I will have to mask in the one spot.

I'll end up with a couple of seams to mask, probably with drifts. 

After that it was time to paint in the blue for under the ice. This was a ton of fun! Deeper blue for deeper water. Not too bad, really. Felt like I was embracing my inner Bob Ross. 

Quite a few brush strokes still visible. I figured that would be ok as the sanded plexi would diffuse any detail....hopefully.  

After that, I had to prep a couple of birds for smokin'.  my lady got me a smoker for my b-day a few months ago, and I have been pretty addicted to it.  Spatchcock, dry brine, and 2 different rubs.

While those were smoking, I sanded the plexi down, first 180, then 220 grit, and glued it down too.  It looked very realistic while the dust was still on it from sanding,  but not as much when I cleaned it off. The brush strokes are kind of visible too. I bet I'll be able to solve that with some snow later, though. 

I also cut some 3/4" expanded foam as the base layer of terrain, and some 1 1/2" for the start of elevation, and glued that down.

This is my first and last time using expanded.  I knew it's downside before going in, but I wanted to give it the shot just the same. Yeah, I'll stick with pink or ISO in the future. The expanded bits are really a pain, and it really doesn't cut well with a blade.  Not bad with a scroll saw, but that's not always as convenient.  It also stick to kitty too much. Lol

So I have quite a few gaps to fill and the area on the sides of the tracks to slope. I am going to be attempting to use hydrocal for that pretty soon. That should be a learning experience too. hopefully fun though!

And finally.....the finished birds. Lol. 

Moving along. More elevation and shaping to do, but starting to take shape!

May I ask why you used Plexiglas instead of thin wood? Easier to find? Cheaper? Just curious.

If I'm understanding correctly, he painted the surface underneath, and wanted the plexiglass overtop to simulate an actual ice layer & give depth.  The top was scored to create a hazy, white surface of the ice while preserving translucency to show the color underneath.  At least, that's what I'd try to do - I could be misreading things.

Thanks, I did not notice that. I'll have to keep that in mind. I used a mirror a couple of times, but I can see where painting the bottom of plexi would add depth, etc.

Yup, you guys got it! 

Dave, as a point of clarification, I didn't paint the underside of the plexi, but rather the MDF beneath it, and then put the sanded plexi above it. I have seen some people paint the bottom of the glass/acrylic sheet, but I was too chicken to try it that way. Lol. This seemed like I could fix mistakes easier.

Thanks for the clarification. I reread the Fridge56Vet and see how I misinterpreted it. I've tried plexi for other things, but just have no luck cutting it well.

Yeah, I found it tricky, too, Dave. The roto tool ended up working great for me with the multi purpose bit.  That's a tool that I was resistant to at first, but ultimately gave in. Glad I did.

Got some more work done tonight. Added more elevation and did some shaping.  

So I decided to leave the back 1/4 of the hill around the tree base open. Instead of putting some wiring bits in a house, I am going to put it all behind the hill. I hope I don't regret that later, visibility wise.

I'm getting closer to actually having to pull the trigger on a culvert across the water. Lol, can't seem to commit to that quite yet. 

So I could use some advice on a couple of things.  The first is on a filler for gaps.  I need something that's fairly thick so I can shape it, but not too stiff once dry.  This board will need to move a bit to get it into place for the season, so I really don't want the filler to crack when I do move it.  My initial plan was to use hydrocal, but it's thinner than I thought it would be.  Probably not the right material for the job.

The other question I have....how would you all approach the base layer before snow? The snow is going to be a combination of WS flex paste, WS snow, and microspheres. Should I do a darker earth color paint, or even turf first? Or should I just start in with the adhesive and snow over it? 

More shaping to come tomorrow. After that I'll need to finally do the culvert deal, and the electric work!

There's a really neat video on the WS YouTube channel about making snow/ice effects w/their products.  Looked amazing, & I'll definitely be trying it on my layout once built. 

I have seen that one!    They did do a dark color as the base coat, but I always find myself wondering if that's just to sell product.  Haha, definitely a good marketing tool, though!  It certainly sold me on a product, Water Effects.  As soon as I saw them do icicles I knew I had to buy that product and do it, too!! 

I still think you should try some bents. 2 - 1/2" dowels with a diagonal, 3 in total, each end and the center, and straight square stock under the curve.

I make grain with a fine point sharpie, use pastel chalk to color, and spray with a clear flat to seal it.

The culvert would be modern looking. I still see short wooden trestles in Horry County, SC from old lines and a line that was used until hurricane Sandy. Feeder creeks to the PeeDee river that had to be crossed.

Yeah, you are right...I should try it!  And you convinced me...I will!      Though I already have the materials for square posts instead of round dowels.  I don't think that will be a big deal, though.

Man, with cutting this foam, I sure wish I had gotten that handheld vac you recommended already.  This crap makes a mess. 

Just found this thread! Lots to sift through and read here, and I will- but cannot at the moment just right now. Looking forward to seeing how this shapes up between now and the holidays. Will keep checking back.

Hi Carey!  I hope how it turns out will be worth your time! 

So it appears that when Carl says to do something, I do it.  And on that note, my girlfriend would like your contact information so she can get you to get me to finish doing stuff around the house!    I built a bridge last night!  Really, I am glad that I did....so thanks for the motivation, man!

It didn't go super smoothly, but overall wasn't too bad.  The first thing I did was mark off and cut out sections for the 2 bent pieces to sit down in:

I ended up needing to cut those further back so that more of the beams would be held in place, but I don't have a pic of that. 

After that, I cut and fit the slots for the beams in the other side:

After breaking a few pieces trying to get the bend right, I soaked them in some water.  That helped, but I didn't get exactly the perfect bend.  In retrospect, and for the next one I do in a permanent layout (that my GF just agreed to let me make in our basement!!), I think I would like to build a jig and laminate thinner pieces to get the correct curve.  Its similar to how they make a keel in building wooden boats. 

Next came the pilings.   At first I tried to get fancy, and do some angled ones.  But my brain didn't calculate the angle/lengths right (I blame the super moon....lol) and they came out way too short. 

So instead, in interest of time and sanity, I decided to do straight ones.

I really enjoyed making those.  They are 1/4" square basswood pieces.  And to make the cross beams up top, I actually split some of the broken ones with a utility knife and whittled them down to plank size.  It ended up giving them some really nice rough sawn texture that is, unfortunately, lost in the photos. 

Then everything got painted with brown and black, so they looked pitch soaked, and installed!!

I have some touch up to do on paint, but overall, I am quite pleased. 

I spent some more time shaping the center hill, too.  I really find the carving to be a relaxing and enjoyable task.  Its fun to see what can happen organically with the knife.  For instance, a waterfall might have developed (3rd pic below) on the side of that hill.  This hill will be mostly covered in trees, and some wild life, I think.

Speaking of trees, I also spent some time removing all of the tree bases.  I have something like 100 trees now, but I'm still not sure its going to be enough.  lol

I got a start on decorating the engine as well.  I took some miniature lights and wrapped them around some wire garland.  Then shaped the garland and hung it on there.  I also managed to find a good sized wreath for the front.  Then a bunch of miniature wrapped presents for some hoppers/gondolas.

The Bachmann Hobo Jungle set showed up, too, so I was able to put the shack and outhouse together.  its quite laughable that they call it snap together.  I ended up gluing it together, as I think most do, then tried to paint it.  I am REALLY not good at that aspect of detail....the painting something already textured.  I was getting really frustrated, and just as I was about to chuck it across the room, the girlfriend came to the rescue and did a fine job.  She ended up enjoying it, too, so I may have sucked her into the hobby!!  Muwahaha!

So all in all, not a bad nights work.  I have GOT to find some filler and get that going, and just before that the wiring.  So that will be my focus tonight, among other things. 

My email is in my profile

It's just that you have a talent for the scenic elements and the culvert would have messed up your efforts for the ice.

The trestle definitely looks good. Just the look that I read you were visualizing with your original idea.

It sounds like someone is hoping the Christmas train delivers a small box with a jewelry item...

Thanks Carl! and yeah, she is definitely hoping for that small box!! 

So this update is from work from Wednesday night. We were at her folks all last night, so I didn't get to work on it.

the electrical work is done! It took longer than I expected. Mostly because everything has to stay on top of the base board, so there was a fair amount of routing and fretting over wire placement. Also, wiring up this track posed a challenge. 

I knew I wanted to solder wire to the track joiners. But because of the nature of the track, I had to first join 2 sections, and then solder the wire on the back side. This made for pretty slow going, but it's all done. I was in the work zone, so I forgot to take any pictures of that part. 

I do do have one shot of the terminal block. I used thicker gauge wire this time, too.

When done, all of the wiring that is visible from the front will be covered wither by filler, or ballast. 

Spraking of filler...I found a product from DAP called elastopatch. I think that will be the ticket. Reading about it, it actually sounds a bit like WS flex paste, so it will be neat to compare the two.  Maybe I will have stumbled on a cheaper alternative. I'll start on filler tonight, though!

Since I got the wiring done, I was able to run the train for a bit! That was fun, but I did find that the rollers on my engine are too close together for the crossing. So if Ian going too slow, it will drop into neutral. That's a bummer. I have a dash 9 that shows up today that might be better. 

scolba posted:

 

Since I got the wiring done, I was able to run the train for a bit! That was fun, but I did find that the rollers on my engine are too close together for the crossing. So if Ian going too slow, it will drop into neutral. That's a bummer. I have a dash 9 that shows up today that might be better. 

I am having a connectivity issue with my Christmas layout too.  Not exactly the same, but GunrunnerJohn posted a reply that may help.

You can add a pickup roller (maybe simply by changing out one of the trucks on the tender with one that has a pickup) and adding a single wire tether to the engine.  This will give you 3 rollers for power spread out over a much longer track surface.  If the Tender already has pickup rollers, a tether may be all that is needed.

Tony

Oh, man that's a fantastic idea!  My tender does indeed have a roller already, so that should be pretty straight forward.  Thanks for the tip!

Started the fill tonight. A tub of his stuff doesn't go very far, at least when making the big fillets.  Got 3 of the largest sections filled. More tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how this material works out in the long run. 

Also got a new engine tonight!  Very exciting.

Sculptamold

Hum.  I looked into that one a bit, and it looks like it will be about the same rigidity as plaster, so I'd be worried about it cracking when I move the board.  Just the same, do you know of national chains that would carry it? My google-fu is apparently weak this morning, I'm only finding online retailers, and don't really have the time to wait for shipping.  

Nice work,  I'm enjoying watching you put this together. Hopefully it's going to motivate me.

You certainly deserve a A for your efforts.

Larry

scolba posted:

Hum.  I looked into that one a bit, and it looks like it will be about the same rigidity as plaster, so I'd be worried about it cracking when I move the board.  Just the same, do you know of national chains that would carry it? My google-fu is apparently weak this morning, I'm only finding online retailers, and don't really have the time to wait for shipping.  

Ok, I see what you are up against now. I just used a technique yesterday patching some mountain terrain. Smooth paper towels are dipped in latex paint and placed like you would using plaster. The end result is that it will be flexible due to the latex paint. We won't have a work session for a couple of weeks, so I won't get to check it until then.

Does the product that you used feel flexible, now that some of it has had time to dry?  I cannot see the product name in the photo.

Hello My friend, Wow nice work on your Christmas layout I just love it is very cool and neat. It sure gives me a lot of good ideas and others too on their Christmas layouts. Thank you for showing your small layout for Christmas. Thanks longbow57ca.

Thanks guys, I appreciate it! 

Carl, I ended up using DAP Elastopatch.  It did stay flexible now that its dry.  And the paint definitely adheres to it very well too.  The only downside is its not technically sandable, but in this type of setting (drifts) the lines and stuff left by spreading it on don't hurt it.  That's an interesting technique with the paper towels and latex paint.  I could see that being really handy...and if you bump it up to those thicker shop towels, it could be extra strong, too.  I'll be curious to hear how it turns out, as that's definitely something to keep in mind for the future!

Well, I got a lot of work done this weekend!  Getting closer. 

So I had thought my cats were being really good and not getting up on the layout overnight.....I woke up Friday morning to find that wasn't exactly the case.  Lol:

Little jerks.  Lol.  But the Elastopatch comes up pretty easily when its not fully cured, so no big deal. 

I filled in the rest of the gaps, making fillets where necessary.  In doing so, I realized that the narrow section of ice beneath the bridge wasn't going to be wide enough for hills.  So that meant I needed to put together some retaining walls.  I had actually gotten some flexible rock wall material (Chooch) when I was thinking of going with a culvert, so had that available to use.  I think it turned out pretty well, really.  After those walls were in place, then it was time to put down the base coat.  I used a combination of grey on the rocks, and browns on the flatter areas.  Then I went ahead and put down earth tone turf just because I didn't have the confidence in the snow materials yet, so if there were areas that showed through, I wanted it to be at least a little realistic.

I was really avoiding starting the snow, so I decided to start back in on the A frame.  Since it was a scratch build, and in interest of time, I decided to cut it from two houses to just one.  I started with foam board instead of wood for the sides:

I really have no idea what I'm doing here, so I just sorta winged it.  lol.  I did learn quite a few lessons....like painting and cutting out window and doorways before hand would be really helpful.  Also, make sure the glue used is foam safe!  I didn't make the connection between FOAM board, and FOAM!!  lol.  I use foam safe glue in other places, but for some reason didn't here, and that caused the construction times to lengthen.  lol.  But I managed to get it built with only 30 or 40 bad words. 

After construction, I needed a break from the house, so it was time to let it snow.  In retrospect the working time of a lot of the adhesive is pretty long, so I had a lot of time that I COULD have taken pictures, but I didn't want to chance it.  This process taught me 2 things.  First....with the longer working time of Woodland Scenics Flex Paste, I should have put down ALL the paste I was going to use before adding snow.  Same with the PVA.  But because I worked in sections, I had a lot of overlapping areas, and trying to put down flex paste where there was already snow wasn't ideal.  But hey....you live and learn! 

So in the hilly areas, the front left corner, and to make the drifts on the lake I used flex paste.  I needed the texture of it for drifts off the cliff faces, etc.  Then in the flat areas I used pva in a Wilton squirt bottle that resembles old ketchup bottles in restaurants.  For snow on the hills, I used woodland scenic soft flake snow mixed with iridescent glitter.  For the flat areas and for additional detail I used microspheres.  This is some incredibly fine stuff. The granule size is probably much better for scale (something like 60 microns, so around 3mm scale), but I won't be using that again.  It gets EVERYWHERE.  That's the 2nd lesson...just use the WS stuff.  lol. 

Overall I'm not really thrilled with how the snow turned out.  I like it in some places, but not overall.  I'm sure it will look better with trees and other detail items. 

After the snow, it was back to the house.  First was painting it.  Lesson here....prime everything.  Foam board, windows, door frames.  ugh.  It took probably 3 times as long to paint it because I didn't prime, and so had to do multiple thin coats.  I still don't' trust the finish on the door frame and windows, either.  After that came shingle work.  I sprayed the shingles with an automotive primer that ended up looking pretty good, imo.  I put each row on with plain ol pva, let it setup, and then trimmed it off.

I was particularly proud of myself for this next bit.  I didn't want to smudge the door while painting it, but couldn't figure out a way to get it out of my hands to prevent that.  then it struck me.  I took a piece of leftover foam board, and some of the ticky tack stuff that I used to hold down the caskets on the flatbed of my Halloween layout, and stuck the door to the foam board.  Then I could use it for paint and working on it.  The ticky tack held the door up off the board enough that I could easily paint the sides.  I was pleased.  *puffs out chest*

With the door installed, I installed the caps.  Holy crap that was a major pain.  There has got to be a better way of doing that.  Just like a normal roof, I cut the caps from the shingle material, but this roof pitch made gluing it down pretty rough.  After 2x as many bad words as the house construction, it was done.  Then I let the GF place it on the layout.  Possible tweaking to come when shes not looking. 

Things left to do, probably in this order:  Ballast, Trees, snow over ballast and trees (just a dusting), snow and icicles on the house and shack, place cars, animals, people, and other details.  Then fall over. 

Lesson: Deadlines are great to keep motivated....but this was too ambitious for someone of my experience.  It hasn't taken the fun out of it, but its been close.  I look forward to VERY SLOWLY building a detailed permanent layout in the future. 

First off, and most important, my compliments, what a great build. Now my surprise, wow, that is a lot of snow. When I saw your first snow picture I thought, "...oh, he has accidentally posted a picture from when he was working with the plaster, there is no way he covered all of the green area he just laid down with that much snow...". But I kept reading, and yes you must have had a huge Nor'easter come through. What did you use to bond the snow down to the grass?

P.S. I missed the part of build where you offered "...I may have sucked her into the hobby!!  Muwahaha!...". I laughed out loud when I read it which drew much attention from everyone else in my household.