My question is about adding scenery. Does one do the ballasting before the other ground cover or the other way around. First was the earth, then grass, next man made objects like track, and ballast. I am at the point that all the track is down and I want to move to the next step. I think because trees and other objects would be in the way that I should focus on ballast. Will the layering look correct if I do the ballasting first before the dirt and grassy areas?
The article about adding scenery to the Beer layout got me thinking...
Bob
Photobucket Albums:NPBL - 2008 The BeginningNPBL - 2009 Phase INPBL - 2010 Downtown
Some ballast track before and some after the scenery is installed. I think it is best to apply ballast after the ground is "installed" but before doing the vegetation. The same with roads. That's "just natural" to me.
Mark
rclangerDoes one do the ballasting before the other ground cover or the other way around.
Do the ballast very last and that way it will cover up the rough edges of your scenery where it comes up to the track.
Generally, I do ballast last, too. But, I do my scenery in small sections anyway, only a couple of square feet at a time. I start with trackwork, then add variations in rough terrain with foam scraps or cuts. I smooth this with plaster cloth, and then skim coat the "natural" areas with Gypsolite to give it a rough texture. Next is turf and flocking, and then ballast. I save trees for last, because they will get in the way of other scenic work, and frequently become "casualties" of the construction process.
Work from the back of your layout forward, so that you don't disturb foreground scenery while reaching over it to do the back.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Yea ... what Mr. B said!
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Base paint, Earth, grass, ballast in that order. Then go back and add earth and grass accents where needed.
After the track is in, I paint the "ground" and add a dirt colored fine ground foam. Then I will apply the ballast. Next is roads, then greenery, working from small to larger ground foam and other items. It just seems more natural this way.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Definately go with ballast first. The other stuff will just get into the way, and you might break it if you aren't careful. If you already went and put up trees, try to find a different angle to work at. If you can, do
Good luck
Peace
A couple of great sources for scenery how-to's.
Scenery Clinic
Scenery DVD's
On the seventh day, God created the Hemi!
Thanks for the links.
You may notice that some posts were removed. Please keep on topic and stay away from religious comments.
Thanks,Erik
Bergie You may notice that some posts were removed. Please keep on topic and stay away from religious comments. Thanks,Erik
My how times have changed ! ....
http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/77755/930465.aspx#930465
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Amazing - NOW you delete my linked thread that has been standing since October 2006 !!!
It got a page and a half of positive comments and thanks for the great laugh.
You are right, Mark. Times have changed. In 2006 there was only Bergie to moderate this forum. Now we have four user moderators who, between them, manage to look into more posts than Bergie could do by himself. If we see something that is against the rules, we usually delete it or ask the author to consider an easy modification. Secondly, this time a member pointed out the post. When the members start pointing to posts with one hand and the rules with another, we are hardly in a position to argue....much.
-Crandell
Ok ....
Hmmm - I wonder how the atheists feel about the thread title ???
If you are going to weather your track, and you should, I'd suggest that you do that nasty no fun job next.
Don't Ever Give Up
I believe it depends on what type or railroad you are modeling:
If you are modeling a high revenue mainline that sees a lot of action, then the mainline would be better maintained... where as the same roads branchline that sees maybe one train a day or week, might be let go more... So, if you're modelling the high traffic'ed mainline, I would do the ballast just before I put in the trees, shrubs and other delicate items, but after I did the painting the "dirt" and ground foam, that way the ballast covers the grass. Since the mainline would be better kempt, they would probably also employ a maintenance crew to spray weedkiller and other such chemicals to prevent any foliage/ground cover from infiltrating the fill and ballast...
But as many have said before: It's YOUR railroad, so do what makes YOU happy!!!!
Sam
May He bless you, guide you, and keep you safe on your journey through life!
I Model the New Hope & Ivyland RR (Bucks County, PA)
The referenced Biblical Creation took 6 days.
Don't expect to finish your layout on that kind of timescale. ("And on the 5th through 49th days, God stood by his mailbox waiting for his order from Internet Trains...")
Take the time to do it right. After your track is fastened down, run trains for a long time, months if possible. Get the glitches out of your trackwork. Build structures and rolling stock kits while you wait. Think about adding or moving sidings after you've had some time to operate your layout. Run big fussy steam engines that will find every flaw in your rails, not just 4-axle switchers to "test" the tracks.
Then, when you've looked upon it and seen that it was good, rest and run some trains.
On my first go-around, I ballasted first. I found that it tended to be victimized when doing other scenery.
I'm in the process of redoing my layout and I've decided to finish certain scenery items (like plastering mountains) so I don't ruin any ballasted track work. Tape can only protect track to a point...
I also suppose it depends on the age of the track you are modeling. If you want the track to appear newer and well maintained, then ballast last so the ballast covers over the ground cover. If you're after an aged look, then ballast before the ground cover so you achieve the look of having the ground cover growing out of the ballast.
I have always subscribed to the balst first method. I detail most of my track where it can be easily seen of course. I paint all the ties and then weather the rails. After thats completed I ballast the entire layout or at least the section I am trying to finish. I also paint my roadbed the same color as my balast prior to even gluing it to the subroadbed this way if there is a little bald spot it's not as noticeable. After ballasting I will in some area use coal dust to simulate cinders or sprinkle tempra paint power along the line to simulate cindrs grome etc. Then mist it with wet water and the paint dries into the ballast, great for simulating oils spills in servicing areas. Now lay your grond cover in the typical manner and then grass then weeds, trees, foliage structures etc. I guess start with the smallest thing first as the more you do the harder it is to go back and do the small things. If your worried about lines appearing where ground cover meets balast etc. that why you have a finger to spread in in and smuge it till it looks right.