My world is very flat.

[Anonymous]

I work in N-scale, and my approach is to start with a flat base much like your 4x6 table, then work upward. I use 1/2" foamcore as a roadbed material, since it is easily cut with a knife rather than with power tools (most modelers use plywood instead, but it requires much more carpentry, while the foamcore is lightweight and assembles with regular white glue). I elevate all of my track on this, so the lowest track height will be 1/2" above the table surface; everywhere else I place foamcore spacers cut to fit at regular intervals, to give me varibale track heights.

For scenery, I use expanding foam insulation ("Great Stuff" brand name), which comes in a spray can that has a long nozzle. You just point the nozzle where you want a hill to grow, squeeze some out, and sculpt with it. The stuff will cure, expanding as it does, into a rigid foam mass, which you can then shape with a simple kitchen knife. I get foam under all of the elevated track (you must weight down the foamcore with encyclopedias or whatever is convenient, to prevent it from bulging upward due to expansion) so that the end result is a solid foam base under the track. On top of the foam, I place a finish scenery coat of papier-mache & joint compound mixture; one could use just about any scenic plaster, but my mixture remains both flexible and lightweight. I developed this technique when I was building a small layout just under 4x6 which needed to be portable.

[Anonymous]

try rolling hills, 1/2" to 1" transistions. can be done with foam and acraved to look smooth.

Jay.

[preceng]

The best way to create the illusion that your layout is not flat is to use flat track and make everything around it not flat. If you want a muti level track, it wil require more work.

[Anonymous]

TJ:

The best thing you can do is spend some time and perhaps some dollars in reading some of the large number of "how to" books and websites. Also make a visit to your local model railroad club. "Old timers" love to talk shop with anyone who will listen. In N scale you should have sufficient real estate to do some interesting things.

Good luck,

Randy

[Anonymous]

I did forget to mention that I am working in N Scale. It looks to me like I have space enough to do something with this.

Thanks for the reply. I read the thread about making mountains with paper cloth and I think I have just the corner for a tunnel.

[Dough]

Their are many ways to achive this and many of them are mentioned on this forum. Their is another thread floating around about multidemensional layouts and next door in General Discusion is this one: http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9411

Also what scale do you have? You might be limited if you are using HO however you would have much more room with which to work if you use N scale.

[Anonymous]

I am a novice and attempting to make my first layout. I have a 4X6 sheet with most of the track laid out in the standard oval with a few odd bends here and there and plans for a yard to the side. Now I look at things and think that the world I am building is extremely flat. what is the easiest way to add some dimension to either the track path or the landscape.