My first layout construction Update 8/14/15

Outstanding!  The back drops are going to be great for a western themed layout.  

Nice work, i like your back drop keep us posted

Looks great so far. What are your overall dimensions?

Cheers,

Sean

8'x10' around the wall except for where you enter the room. width on three sides is 3 feet. width on the side where you enter the room is 2 feet.

 

For an around the wall layout, I learned 3 feet is definitely pushing it for ease of working on the layout. The 2 foot width is way easier to reach everything. I used a combo of Ross switches and roadbed and gargraves track. One thing I definitely learned is that Rossbed on 2" foam insulation (glued to the foam) is not quiet in the slightest.

 

Where the cork roadbed is in the yard, it's nice and quiet.

 

You're off to a great start.

Looking real nice!

Adam,

    Real great back drops for a Western Railroad, going to be seriously nice layout.

PCRR/Dave 

Great back drop and I like the early equipment!

News Flash!  You're good at it!  One mistake you didn't make is you started from the outside and worked inward.  Excellent progress.

.....

Dennis

Thanks for all of the photos. You have a beautiful space to work with and it appears you are well on your way to a class layout. Enjoy the project.

Looking good.  I like the back drop.

 

Thanks Adam for sharing what you have done so far.  Keep us updated.

I finally managed to start laying down some scenery, using material from Arizona Rock and Mineral. One thing I noticed is that the color of the landscape changed afterI glued it down. It got darker. Is there any way to avoid this? I'm using a 1 part glue to 6 part water mix and 70% isopropyl alcohol for the wetting agent.

 

Also, does it look good so far?

 

Thanks,

Adam

Nice progress. Good work all around!

Very nice,please keep posted as you progress.

 

Brad

The scenery is looking fine.  Thanks for the update.

Layout looks nice, I have that Ten Wheeler, but It is in the shops, possible Mother Board fried.

Adam,

Your first layout is looking great!  I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

Hi adferraro,

It's looking nice!

 

You have an interesting problem with the desert sand color. Most will be applying ground cover\vegetation. Your application must retain the color.

 

I have found that not all "white glue" is equal and stick with Elmer's. I believe Lowe's has gallons.

 

Perhaps, just the typical first step would work better for your situation. Brush 100% glue thinly onto the surface with a chip brush or china brush. Apply the sand and pat it down. Let it dry overnight. Then, with a small handheld vacuum or one that will let you recover the material, vacuum up the loose material and see what remains.

 

Then, the same treatment to fill in where needed. This method would keep dry surface on the top and perhaps retain the light color.

 

Easy enough to test on some scrap wood.

 

This would provide the color and texture, but perhaps not the thickness. Shoot an email to Jim Policastro for his thoughts.

 

 

Great start, where did you get the back drops and if purchased do they have other themes?

Great job on the layout. When I saw the backdrops it reminded me of Southwest Arizona near Yuma. Here's a short video I took from last summer, check the background.

franktrain

 

 

Great start since starting in January. It is going to be one nice layout when you are done. Look forward to more pics as you go along...........Paul

You are doing a great job, can't help you with the shade of color, but I"ll ask around.

Keep the pictures coming.

 

Jack 

Nice job on your first lay-out. Not a theme used too often, but maybe you can find someone else with the same theme and ask them about how they did their scenery, though I would think a common problem with ground covers.

 

Keep the pics comicng.

 

Backdrop Junction 

 

They were great. Easy to deal with, friendly and accommodating. They have a lot of backgrounds to choose from.