Scenery & Ballast

I think it looks great, plenty to look at yet not too cramped. The open areas will give you places to add details once the scenery is done. Plus, don't forget you're going to need roads.

I prefer to place the ballast down first then scenic around it. I would also leave your buildings in place and bring the scenery up to them. It will make them appear they are in the ground and not on top of it.

I wouldn't put any more structures on it. It looks fine as it is. 

I built my RR by painting the track and then ballasting before ground cover. When you put down ground cover some will intermingle with the ballast which happens in 1:1 railroading too. If tracks are being newly laid in real RRs, the ballast goes down before the grass and weeds take over. It the track is being re-ballasted, the ballast goes over top of the grass. So either way is prototypical. I chose to ballast first because I didn't want to be leaning over and putting my hands down on landscaped areas. Take particular care to keep ballast out of the operating parts of switches. 

I did some remodeling of the track recently and ballasted AFTER ground cover was there. That worked too, but it made the ballast look very new and fresh. Whatever you do, if you're airbrushing the rust color for the track, make sure you do it before ballasting. The air blast from the air brush will quickly blow away the ballast. No good.

I like the layout, too. Add some scenery and it will really come to life.

Even if you prefer to keep the track completely flat, I would recommend buying a sheet of 1/2" pink (or blue) foam insulation and using it to add a bit of vertical relief to the terrain. Mounting some of the buildings at even small differences of height will get rid of the "mounted on a board" look that many smaller layouts suffer from.  

All good advice, Thurm. 

I like to think of how the prototype developed from the bare real estate as human intervention proceeded.  Work from the middle to the outside so you don't break anything you've already made.  I like to make my structures removable, so that I can go back to include some change that I have just discovered.

If you can bear it, click on the link below my signature.  You will see how my layout has progressed.

Also read Myles' thread on his layout.  TRAINMAN2001 You will find it very helpful.

Cheers

Thanks for all the tips guys.  I can't wait to get started!

Well …everything thats right has been said but I will tell you I love your work so far.Keep us updated Nick

I think you got just the right mix of track to buildings. I have ballasted before scenery and after. Also when I have done scenery around the buildings I took a pencil and marked the spot of the buildings then applied my scenery material up to the lines.............Paul

You have some really neat bldgs on your layout, especially the warehouse bldgs. Interesting placement.  What locos do you plan to run?  Switching seems to fit in well.  

As of right now, I have my old steam engine that was my original train from my uncle.  I know it doesn't quite fit the layout, but am looking to obtain a few engines.  I live in PA, so I'd like to keep it PARR and Lehigh Valley themed.  I think a small switcher engine would fit this table well, but plan to add more layout space (and trains) as the years go on.

As for the buildings, many are from my uncle.  He had a nice train yard layout.  He decided to switch to HO and I was lucky enough to get his collection of O scale.

I'll add some pictures in the future for how I am progressing.  Thank you for all the help guys!

Just wanted to post an update guys.  I started to put grass and ballast the track on my layout.  I placed a few buildings so the pictures would look realistic.

What do you think?

Thurm3369, you did a nice job. Layout looks much better with the scenery...........Paul