Your layout is lookin' good. One thing to keep in mind about scenery is that it's more art than science - it's fine to analyse what colours to use, but don't belabour it too long. Try a small section and see what looks good to you. If you don't like it, it's cheap and easy to re-do. Gandydancer 19's suggestions are a good place to start, and you can alter that procedure to suit your own needs and tastes. I find that a paper cup is a good dispenser for the foam - you can squeeze it to control the amount of foam distributed, and tapping the cup while moving over an area will spread it in a much more controlled manner than will using the shaker. Varying the speed at which you move the cup will vary the coverage. Use at least two or three colours of foam on your trees, starting with the darkest and ending with the lightest - this can give a sunlit effect if done properly. If you want to add some "fall colour", do so sparingly towards the tops of the trees, and, of course, not on all of them. Also, vary the proportions of colours used on the trees - you can use the same colours in different ratios to get the look of a mixed forest.
sparkyjay31 Courage8That looks great! It should be lots of fun for you and your son - getting the track down and trains running is always a very encouraging milestone! What are you going to scratchbuild the "Pond Ice" company with? Probably styrene with a balsa wood frame. I have yet to work out the details. I'm heading over the the Historical Society next week to get better pictures and some dimensionsal information. I know that the building is huge! Over 36" long to scale. It was the largest Ice Company in the world at one time. Burned to the ground in 1939. I'll probably either scratch build the loading area or buy the Walthers kit and bash that into what I want.
Courage8That looks great! It should be lots of fun for you and your son - getting the track down and trains running is always a very encouraging milestone! What are you going to scratchbuild the "Pond Ice" company with?
Probably styrene with a balsa wood frame. I have yet to work out the details. I'm heading over the the Historical Society next week to get better pictures and some dimensionsal information. I know that the building is huge! Over 36" long to scale. It was the largest Ice Company in the world at one time. Burned to the ground in 1939. I'll probably either scratch build the loading area or buy the Walthers kit and bash that into what I want.
I'd suggest that if you're building with styrene siding, it will make construction a lot easier (and faster, too) if you use .100"x.100" or .125"x125" strip styrene for the bracing. I built my free-lanced main icehouse this way and construction was quick and easy, with the resultant building strong and stable. The roof and unseen back are plain .060" sheet styrene, which I buy in 4'x8' sheets.
At six, your son will probably really enjoy helping out with the scenery - it's a good opportunity for both of you to be creative.
Wayne
Any father/son project is worthwhile. My first attempt at family model railroading failed due to lack of good space and shortage of time. Next house had less space and outside activities of the sons. Now gramp is trying to get some next generation interest, but again time is the big hold back. If I could get the time to make some good progress I might get a little more interest.
In answer to your color question. Find some pictures in magazines, travel brochures or that you have taken the time of year you are interested in. Take them to the LHS and pick out the colors that look right. Take a small bag of each and go home and experiment as the type of lighting you have will effect color, mix some different colors together. Nice thing about this old earth is there is a lot of variation in color and the nice thing about this hobby is that if you don't like what you have done you can change it.
Good luck,
Courage8 wrote:That looks great! It should be lots of fun for you and your son - getting the track down and trains running is always a very encouraging milestone! What are you going to scratchbuild the "Pond Ice" company with?
As you probably know, there are different grades of ground foam. Fine, medium, and coarse. I start with the fine, then go to medium, then coarse for last. Then lichen that has been sprinkled with fine ground foam, then trees.
For the first layer, I start with a fine earth-turf blend, sort of tan-ish in color. Paint the ground a light earth brown or tan (color of your choice) latex and sprinkle on the turf blend ground foam. My next color is a fine green-turf blend. If I miss some green, its no big deal because of the brown. For the low (wetter) areas, I next use some fine brighter green. For the high (dryer) areas, I use a fine lighter green. I use tea strainers to apply the fine ground foams because I find that I have more control than the shaker cans.
Then I start with the medium and coarse foams applied by shaker can or by hand sprinkling. Different colors of greens that represent the different species of low bushes. For starting toward fall, you could add some of the fall colors for the coarse layer, but don't over do it or it will look fake. Then move up to the lichen and trees.
Hope this helps.
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.
The following is a link to the latest pictures of my layout. It's basically a "Dad and Son j-shaped roundy round".
http://cs.trains.com/forums/1448100/ShowPost.aspx
I'm modelling southern NH so alot of trees will be on the layout with plenty of rock croppings. What I need is an idea of the ground foam. I mean what color combinations? I know, thru reading alot here, of how to apply the foam. But what color combinations will give me the "best look"?
Yes I live here in New Hampshire. But the last time I was at my LHS they had like 30 colors and combinations of Woodland Scenic foam. I'm looking at a summer into maybe early fall, so there may be some yellows, oranges, and reds appearing on the trees. But not a full blown New England fall scene.
Is there anyone that can steer me in the right direction?