Interesting discussion.
I said earlier that I liked the dark facias but having seen the other examples it clearly depends on the overall view especially with regard to lighting. I think Mark R's black facia works well because it he also has painted the valance and the ceiling black. His layout is also well lit so in his case the only thing you see is the layout which 'pops' if I can use that phrase.
I was also impressed with the gray facias on a couple of layouts where the scenery was primarily desert. They do not draw the eye away from the layout even though the whole room was well lit. I guess the Navy paints their ships gray for a reason!
Thanks for all the great photos everyone!
One more question to consider when I build my layout.
By the way, the kid has started to talk in earnest about moving out when he gets a job in his field. He is working very hard on his job search. The day of finally having layout space available is approaching!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterBy the way, the kid has started to talk in earnest about moving out when he gets a job in his field. He is working very hard on his job search. The day of finally having layout space available is approaching! Dave
The hell with the kid....I need my layout.
Dave, really!?!
Take Care!
Frank
dknelson Rule of thumb: if it is a color used on national flags, banners at auto dealers, or children's cereal boxes, avoid it for fascias. If it is used for doctor's office waiting room furniture, military vehicles, and business computer cases, it is probably OK.
Rule of thumb: if it is a color used on national flags, banners at auto dealers, or children's cereal boxes, avoid it for fascias. If it is used for doctor's office waiting room furniture, military vehicles, and business computer cases, it is probably OK.
45% of national flags use green and 31% use black, so that might not be the best rule of thumb. And business computers tended to be gray and silver these days. The Good Old Tan Case is a dinosaur.
I used hunter green for my fascia. Instead of using masonite, I used some paneling that a friend donated (he was remodeling a bedroom). If cut with the grain running vertically, it forms very nicely around curves. Because of the texture in the paneling, it required a second coat. I haven't taken any pictures of the final project.
Looking at the left side of the fascia, you'll notice that the white streaks are gone after the 2nd coat.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Steven S If you already have bare Masonite installed but are unsure what color to paint it, you can take a photo of your layout and alter the color of the fascia in photo editing software to see how different colors will look. Use the Magic wand tool to mask off the fascia. You'll probably have to click in a few different areas to get it all. Make sure the Add to Mask option is selected. Once it's all masked off, completely desaturate the Masonite so that it's all gray. You may need to brighten it a little if it's dark. Add a new layer and use the Fill tool to fill the fascia area with your color of choice. It's going to be one solid color with no shadows, so set the blend mode for this layer to Overlay so that shadows and highlights will show through. You can create a new layer for each color. (This isn't my layout, BTW.) Steve S
If you already have bare Masonite installed but are unsure what color to paint it, you can take a photo of your layout and alter the color of the fascia in photo editing software to see how different colors will look.
Use the Magic wand tool to mask off the fascia. You'll probably have to click in a few different areas to get it all. Make sure the Add to Mask option is selected.
Once it's all masked off, completely desaturate the Masonite so that it's all gray. You may need to brighten it a little if it's dark.
Add a new layer and use the Fill tool to fill the fascia area with your color of choice. It's going to be one solid color with no shadows, so set the blend mode for this layer to Overlay so that shadows and highlights will show through. You can create a new layer for each color.
(This isn't my layout, BTW.)
Steve S
Here ya go. I used the eyedropper tool to sample the sand color and darkened it for the second one. The third one is the sand color.
I don't recall whose layout it is. If anyone recognizes it, let me know.
Thanks, I have a real problem getting some programs to work the way they should. Right now I am working on trying to make blinds for the buildings I have built. Drew lines in word and discovered I could not control the print options as far as % size. Tried scaning the print so I could print via the regular print program but failed to get the scaner to work (HP printer programs have issues unless you have a more modern computer though mine is less than 10 years old and dose what I want). I was going for HO scale 2" blinds.
I guess I'm in the minority since I like the color the Model Railroader Club Layout used. It brightens things up but is not too loud. (I may also look at a salmon color.) Fascia is up in most of the main layout room but I'm not in a hurry to paint it as will not have scenery for a long time and have yet to finish the track and lighting too. I am also buidling some interlocking model boards for towers and will be using green for those, so don't want those to blend in or clash with the rest of the layout.
When I get all the lighting up and some of the scenery down, I guess I'll experiment with fascia colors. Right now the brown masonite looks drab but OK. But, like I said, the color the MR&T used looks cool to me.
I guess I'm in the minority. I prefer a tan color:
This was on my old layout in New Jersey. I'll be reusing this fascia (with some profile adjustments at the top) on my South Carolina layout. The cutouts are (and will be) for access to hidden track beneath the scenicked area.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
I used some black constructon paper to make a temporary facia on a section, It dose make it pop and most of my lighting is consintrated on the layout being track lighting. Queston is do I want to buy all that black material to finish it off, have to look into that.
Black is the only color the mind's eye does not see. That's why they paint un-finished ceilings in restaurants black - they don't want you to see it's not finished !
Walk into any room that has a bunch of pictures on the wall - your living room for example. What's the first thing your eye picks up ? - the color of the wall, then you focus in on the pictures, ignoring the color of the wall.
Looking at all the pictures in this thread, including the photo-shopped ones, the first thing that grabs my eye is the color of the facia, not the layout. That wall of solid color grabs my attention first because it is the most predominant color in my initial view. The mind's eye does not see black, so the first things you see is the layout itself.
My layout room is elevated about three feet and is accessed by five steps coming up into the room. With the aisle-way valence and ceiling also painted black, I've had more than a few tall people coming up the stairs extend their hand upward as they are unsure where the actual ceiling is in fear of hitting their head ! The ceiling is at seven feet, but being black, you can't tell where it is !
As for matching the facia color to the scenery, that (to me) then just looks like "unfinished" scenery.
Understand - these are MY observations, not critisizing what anyone else finds appealing. It would be a pretty bland world if we all liked the same thing.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Aside from computer colorizing, pick the two colors you think you'd like and try a patch or two. You'll know which one "turns you on" pretty much right away or at least in a few day's time. There's nothing like the real deal in the real train room to "speak to you" which one is THE one for you.
I've chosen black as I believe in the theater school of "if it's black it's invisible". The only exception for me is desert layouts where for me, a lighter color tan/grey, etc. would be preferred. Any greenery and dark green or black are my past and present choices. Green on the last one, black on this one because there are larger urban area(s).
One patch of green paint (my original choice) and one of black and I knew right away...
Jim
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
rrebellQueston is do I want to buy all that black material to finish it off, have to look into that.
I can help with that. It also reminds me I do use black, down below the green fascia, for my layout skirt. What's it made of and about the cheapest price on black material going? Landscape cloth. Yep, dirt cheap, widely available, fairly sturdy, and easy to fabricate with scissors and a little hot glue, etc. There was a tip on doing this in MR a few years back and I just went with it. Works well.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
mlehman rrebell Queston is do I want to buy all that black material to finish it off, have to look into that. I can help with that. It also reminds me I do use black, down below the green fascia, for my layout skirt. What's it made of and about the cheapest price on black material going? Landscape cloth. Yep, dirt cheap, widely available, fairly sturdy, and easy to fabricate with scissors and a little hot glue, etc. There was a tip on doing this in MR a few years back and I just went with it. Works well.
rrebell Queston is do I want to buy all that black material to finish it off, have to look into that.
I have to second that about using the Landscape Cloth!
You can't get anything cheaper and it works so well!
BOB H - Clarion, PA
Will look into that. Next ???????, is painting the ceiling black neccisary to the look do you think.
I have a standard Drop Ceiling in my Layout Room.
I have the Black Landscape cloth under the layout
I have NO Valance at the ceiling and my Fascia is painted a medium Green!
I am doing Western PA Late Summer early Fall so there is a lot of Green Trees!
I figure if I have to force the Visitors to look a specific parts of my layout
I had better be rethinking my Scenery work!
I just could never understand this NEED to force the viewer to look ONLY at certain things on the Layout!
Are YOU afraid of the NOT so proper places to LOOK?
The need to force the viewer away from Scenery NOT done perfect.
If one would do ALL of the Scenery to the same level of completion then there is NO Need to force the views!
In my Office I added another section to my layout and the Display Shelves above the Layout acts similar to a Shadow Box effect.
What is the first thing the Operators do - turn on the main room lights to be able to see to walk around as the rest of the room is so dark!
Kinda defeats the Shadow Box Effect! - Doesn't it?
In general, I would say leave the ceiling alone. It works well as either some white or blue variant in most cases, even if you do all-black as fascia and skirts. Why? Unless you're permanently child-size -- that does happen, along with being in a chair permanently, etc, which could be special cases requiring accomodation in some cases -- we look down on our layouts, including most double-decked ones depending on deck height, of course. So having things not on the layout which are not blacked out in our line of vision can be distracting.
Above the layout is mostly in our peripheral vision...and unless it's night, it's some shade of bright up there, virtually anything will do along that line.
My wall behind my layout is a flat, medium gray. The facia is the same color.
See my models by clicking on the link below
Blue Tombstone Gallery
cmrproducts I have a standard Drop Ceiling in my Layout Room. I have the Black Landscape cloth under the layout I have NO Valance at the ceiling and my Fascia is painted a medium Green! I am doing Western PA Late Summer early Fall so there is a lot of Green Trees! I figure if I have to force the Visitors to look a specific parts of my layout I had better be rethinking my Scenery work! I just could never understand this NEED to force the viewer to look ONLY at certain things on the Layout! Are YOU afraid of the NOT so proper places to LOOK? The need to force the viewer away from Scenery NOT done perfect. If one would do ALL of the Scenery to the same level of completion then there is NO Need to force the views! In my Office I added another section to my layout and the Display Shelves above the Layout acts similar to a Shadow Box effect. What is the first thing the Operators do - turn on the main room lights to be able to see to walk around as the rest of the room is so dark! Kinda defeats the Shadow Box Effect! - Doesn't it? BOB H - Clarion, PA
I know I already commented at [tiresome] length on this thread, but just today, while sitting in the smallest room in my house, I happened to re-read the 2014 issue of Great Model Railroads and it illustrates yet another alternative: Gerry Albers's magnificent Virginian Railroad layout uses green indoor-outdoor carpet on his fascia. It compliments the lush tree cover scenery on his layout. His floor is covered with color coordinated carpet squares (the brown carpeting is curved and represents the Kanawha River!) and Gerry makes the interesting point that both the floor carpeting AND the fascia carpet help mute sounds in the room.
One other observation and that is if you use velcro to hold throttles, pencils, uncoupling sticks, drink holders, and clipboards for train orders or switchlists, you may want to consider what colors you can get velcro in so that the end appearance is finished looking and uniform. That may be yet another reason to consider black for example, since black velcro is readily available.
Dave Nelson
rrebell Some of us have a fairly large layout and can not (in a short time) detail it all to the same degree (I have 180+ feet of mainline and a large and small yard).
Some of us have a fairly large layout and can not (in a short time) detail it all to the same degree (I have 180+ feet of mainline and a large and small yard).
rrebell
I have over 4000 feet of track in an area of over 2500 sq ft!
I make NO effort in forcing my Visitors or Crew to look at specific areas!
In fact I have that my crew ask me when I have done such and such on the layout and I have to tell them it was a year ago!
So they did not notice the detail work until much later!
With the Layout being an OPERATIONS! orinetated one - my main focus is the way the trains run NOT Scenery and Details!
I do a lot of small scenic vignettes and the crews see them and comment once in a while
But I do NOT live for the comments on my Scanery as other do!
If the Layout runs and the Crew has had fun - then this is what I want!
I don't continually need praise by forcing viewers on scenes!
I looked at landscape cloth and all I found so far is very rough stuff, is that all that exists?
I have some of the rough Landscape cloth it is listed as the Heavy Duty type and is much thicker than the standard cloth.
You will have to visit variuos Garden Centers and the Big Box Stores as everyone I have seen has a different type of cloth!
As far as the courseness - It doesn't bother me as - again the BLACK will just dissappear and force the Viewer to look at the Layout.
Of course that is your choice - I used the Heavy Duty (course) as it was 48" wide and I needed cloth wider than the standard 36" which the standard cloth comes in only - or at least that is all I ever found stocked in our local stores!
I'm modeling in Nscale and have try several colors for my facia, like dark brown, deep green, earth color.
There is also a valence above my layout, so I put in the darkness the access around the layout and after all these color I come back to the old full black facia color because whith the kind of lighting I use, the scene and the railroad really pop out of the dark access and all the eyes are really catch by the scene out of the darkness.
rrebell I looked at landscape cloth and all I found so far is very rough stuff, is that all that exists?
The stuff I have is pretty smooth on one side and textured on the other. Really pretty nice and appealing, not rough. I'd say keep shopping, you should be able to find some that looks good.
I also recommend getting the heavy duty stuff. It's only a few bucks more and is generally more robust, hangs better, etc. I use hot glue if it needs folded over, etc, sometimes use a lath or other light piece of wood as a stiffener.
To hold it, I hot glue clothespins to the inside bottom lip of the fascia every 10" or so. These can be painful reminders on the noggin if you're not careful, so other ideas about doing that could be helpful.
Modelling HO Scale with a focus on the West and Midwest USA
I use Kilz 2 primer on our club's Masonite fascia, which is then painted with an Oil Based Hunter Green Enamel from Ace Hardware, using a 1 or 2 inch brush.
My facia is masonite as well, and I just gave it two coats of satin black latex with a small roller. After over fifteen years it still looks pretty good. It's constantly being leaned on and has withstood scratches surprisingly well.
I avoided flat black as it easily gets shiny spots from being rubbed on. I have a couple spots where it gets rubbed on quite regularly as people pass. The satin finish has held up much better. Didn't even consider gloss !
Flat would show marks too easy, satin or eggshell is the way to go.