Scenery in Autumn Colors

Hi Arnold, I model autumn, but with a bit of summer still lingering. I tend to keep some green, such as grass, fir trees, and some bushes. Other bushes and trees are further along. This works for me. What do you think?

@Artie-DL&W posted:

Hi Arnold, I model autumn, but with a bit of summer still lingering. I tend to keep some green, such as grass, fir trees, and some bushes. Other shut us and trees are further along. This works for me. What do you think?

Looks good, Artie.

I got an idea: I have some videos of model railroads made by highly skilled hobbyists, who have some autumn scenery on their layouts. I've decided to watch those videos and look at photos on the Forum showing autumn scenery, including yours, Trumptrain's  (Patrick) and a few others. Then, I will take a stab on it.

I like your approach, Artie, of including some green as well as the autumn colors. I have 2 baseball parks on my layout, so early autumn (October when the World Series is played) is ideal.

Also, I think I will use mostly nuted autumn colors (reddish brown, yellow) and only a little of the bright colors (orange and red).

In my experience, when I get started, the results are only fair at best, and usually get much better as I make modifications. I will post photos as I make progress on this project. Arnold

It is Autumn in a corner of my pike...

Here are a couple photos of my layout with fall colors. I added the “first snow fall of the season”  since taking these photos, but I enjoyed the look of the autumn colors.

I don't have many trees in yet but I am doing a fall theme.

@Dave Ripp. posted:

I don't have many trees in yet but I am doing a fall theme.

Gorgeous

Here is an update:

Before:

After:

In addition to changing some of the structures, which I do every few months, I added a little yellow and reddish brown lichen, to the green lichen. In the next day or two, I will add a little clump foliage in Fall colors to the trees, and then post some photos of it.

Another update:

I have started adding autumn colored scenery materials in small doses to the trees on my layout.

To my eye (I think this is highly subjective), as I originally thought, autumn colors look better when muted so they are not too bright. If too bright, they look artificial to me, which is not necessarily true in real life because autumn colors at its peak can be very vivid and not artificial at all.

I'm not sure I have the best materials to make autumn colored O Scale trees. Clump foliage does not look that good to me. Yellowish or brown turf sprinkled on  looks better, but not ideal.

If any of you have an opinion on this or can give advice regarding the use of autumn colored materials to make trees, please share same.

Arnold

This is a new one I just made on the in progress end of my layout.

While not there yet, l plan a lot of bright fall yellow aspen groves interspersed with dark green blue spruce.  In New England, birches offer the bright yellow backed by not only evergreens, but all the multicolors of hardwoods.  Seen that in the UP (upper Mich. ), too.  I think what looks artificial is all the same color on a tree and in a same ,non aspen, grove.  This demands individual touching up with shades of green as well as other shades of your prime color.  Overpraying/ touching up comnercial trees,  laborious and time consuming, but better effect.

Arnold, Woodland Scenics makes something called “Fine-Leaf Foliage” in an autumn mix. It uses thin weed stalks to represent trees, and has enough to fill out one of their standard trees. Here’s some on my layout. Some can be used for small bushes as well.

@Artie-DL&W posted:

Arnold, Woodland Scenics makes something called “Fine-Leaf Foliage” in an autumn mix. It uses thin weed stalks to represent trees, and has enough to fill out one of their standard trees. Here’s some on my layout. Some can be used for small bushes as well.

Thanks so much, Artie. That Fine Leaf Foliage product by Woodland Scenics looks great. Arnold

Another update:

I can see this autumn colors project being a never ending project. That is because whatever you do can always be improved.

I think you’re off to a great start, Arnold. With the autumn colors, a little goes a long way. I live in the Poconos, so, even now, there’s still some green around, and more brown tones from fallen leaves.

I should have mentioned that the backdrop beyond the signal bridge in the top photo is an actual photographic autumn scene, so it makes a great guide.

Here’s some shots of mine. I went for early fall when some green can still be found. I did about 350 scenic express super trees with various fall colored paper leaves. When it comes to ground cover I learned that a little bit of fall color goes a long way.

Beautiful layout and scenery!

@EricTrainMan posted:

Here’s some shots of mine. I went for early fall when some green can still be found. I did about 350 scenic express super trees with various fall colored paper leaves. When it comes to ground cover I learned that a little bit of fall color goes a long way.

PRR Steam, your scenery and photos are magnificent. Thanks so much for mentioning the Scenic Express product(s) you used and sharing these beautiful photos. Arnold

This thread is becoming a clinic on making scenery in autumn colors, which is very helpful IMO.

The Scenic Express product(s) mentioned by PRR Steam seem superior to what I'm currently using, which IMO is good, but not great. I will look into the availability and cost of those Scenic Express products, and consider completely upgrading my scenery down the road.

Nice scenery is just as important to me  maybe more important  than any locomotive. Scenery is almost medicinal for me, something I need to appreciate, enjoy, relax and be at peace.

Something else PRR Steam said resonated with me: a little fall color in ground cover goes a long way. No doubt, that is absolutely true, IMO, especially because of the baseball park and World Series theme of my layout,  which is in October, fall colors includes a lot of green.

So, in 3 minutes I went downstairs and removed two-thirds of the fall colors on my ground cover.

Here is my latest update:

My favorite is the 2nd photo from the top. I didn't realize when I took it that the giraffe car was in the background with the giraffe looking directly at the camera. LOL, Arnold

Spectacular, Dave

Imagine that you are sipping coffee in the cab of this NY Central RS3 or in the cupola of the caboose as this train rolls through the splendor of Autumn:

Arnold

Take a look at the sidebar in our article this month (Run 320) ......it is done by my modular group colleague Walt Strohecker and he describes how her does "autumn". The autumn scenery is all his......

Peter

Thanks, Peter, I just read the side bar, Exploring Autumn with Walt Strohecker. He has certainly mastered Fall scenery, including peak Fall foliage, which I think is the most challenging to do. He also uses Fall fine leaf foliage by Woodland Scenics. I think fine leaf foliage products provide the best results. Arnold

I just had another thought: what could be breathtaking is a video taken from a camera on a  locomotive or caboose as the train rolls through spectacular Autumn scenery.

I don't have such a camera yet,  but I'm sure some of you Forum folks do.

I would love to see such a video. Arnold

Always enjoy your queries, Arnold!  Scenery is my least skilled task in model railroading, so I have spent lots of time learning and practicing before committing to the layout.  I have an around the room layout and display all 4 seasons. Fall was my first attempt at any serious scenery. I started out with some sculptamold, then painted the surface, then sprinkled various products from Scenic Express.  Decided the colors were not right (too monotonous), so removed the whole set up and started again!!

I added some photos of the final product, which was much better. I also added a photo of a typical rail bed in the fall. Note all the different colors and debris.  On the layout, I usually begin with an earth colored paint, then sprinkle an earth blend turf, then add lots of different colors of Flock and Turf from Scenic Express.  Trees of various sizes and colors are also great.  Add lichen with fall colors and brown moss.  Don't forget debris and dead leaves.

The backdrops were from a retailer, and customized to add a road and creek.  I tried to mimic the same colors on the layout. FYI, the scene is supposed to be a seaside cliff. It also is on a lift up section to enter into the center of the room. As you can see, it transitions into a winter scene.  One of the last scenes will be a waterfall under the bridge leading to winter!

Hope this helps. Enjoy creating fall!

Michael

Great thread Arnold!  Some very beautiful fall scenes from everyone too!

In this photo the bushes in the foreground are by Martin Wellburgh ( sp? ) Studios sold by Scenic Express.  

This photo shows a late fall scene ... with a tad of summertime activity at the lake.  Using fall color lichen between the rocks and bushes from Martin Wellburg Studios.

The photo below ... taller trees immediately in front of the bridge ... I purchased these trees at the last York show from a gentleman in the Silver Hall for a great price.  He had made several small wooded area dioramas of which these trees are one of.  

Fall lichen in the foreground with fall ground cover between the two sets of tracks.

Another outstanding thread, thank you Arnold. My plan is to go with an autumnal theme. To this end last Fall, 2020, was even more vibrant than usual; in my area of Pennsylvania. In the late afternoon I took photos of mountain sides, farms, and whatever colors caught my attention. My goal is to get them blown up and use them as backdrops. Something to keep in mind with Fall having arrived.

Great thread Arnold!

Trackside, we can still see some color.  Below the arch, the colors have started to fade.  But the hobos don't care.  As long as the fire stays lit, life is good.

George

@trumpettrain posted:

Great thread Arnold!  Some very beautiful fall scenes from everyone too!

In this photo the bushes in the foreground are by Martin Wellburgh ( sp? ) Studios sold by Scenic Express.  

This photo shows a late fall scene ... with a tad of summertime activity at the lake.  Using fall color lichen between the rocks and bushes from Martin Wellburg Studios.

The photo below ... taller trees immediately in front of the bridge ... I purchased at the last York show from a gentleman in the Silver Hall.  

Fall lichen in the foreground with fall ground cover between the two sets of tracks.

Patrick, you were the 1st person I thought of when I started this thread. Your beautiful layout captures essence of the glory of Autumn. Arnold

Here  are some shots of my efforts at a Halloween scene. The buildings and other accessories are Lemax. The figures are a mix, including Lionel.  After several experiments, I found the following technique works for me. The tree armatures are dried goldenrod. I spray paint them with a heavy coat of flat black from a rattle can. (Cheap is good!) Then I sprinkle yellow, orange , and red  on the wet paint in that order. Try yellow on one side, orange in the middle, and red on the last side. Stick the wet and foamed tree on a piece of styrofoam and allow to dry. Plant said tree on the layout. Don't worry about what falls off and lays underneath the tree. It will look very natural.

Chris

LVHR

I've made great progress with my new fine leaf fall foliage in my Plasticville village, as shown in these photos:

Just kidding, those were taken in my neighborhood and nearby State Park as the Autumn trees approach peak colors. Arnold

Really a great thread.  Scenery is definitely as important as a treasured locomotive for enjoyment, and what I noticed about halfway through the photos was the importance of Brown trees, some turn faster than others while the reds and yellows still linger.  Same for the ground cover.  But still, autumn is a tough season to replicate - you guys are GOOD!

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Patrick, you were the 1st person I thought of when I started this thread. Your beautiful layout captures essence of the glory of Autumn. Arnold

Thanks so much Arnold!  Like you and many others, Autumn is my favorite season to model.  Even as a kid I tried the best I could to model Autumn scenery.   As you and some others have said, the scenery is more important than any locomotive.  I also hold this to be true for me.  Just gazing at a really great scene brings me peace now and even did when I was a kid.  I also experience great inner peace whenever creating scenes on my layout.  I seem to get lost in the flow of the experience.  To me model railroading is an art form.  

Thanks again for starting this thread.  I'm learning lots here from everyone who has contributed!

With the first day of fall now past, I thought it appropriate to tag on to this thread.  This is my latest scenery addition- a familiar pumpkin patch.

Here’s a little bit of my Florida layout.  It has the New England autumn theme, as my last layout did.

Since I'm redoing one end of my layout, I only have some old live shots. My layout is fall themed, but I couldn't find any still shots.

@Dave Ripp. posted:

Since I'm redoing one end of my layout, I only have some old live shots. My layout is fall themed, but I couldn't find any still shots.

Nice train room Dave!! WTG Mark