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Dan: What part of the SW, as it can be defined as anywhere from Texas to Colorado to New Mexico and Arizona, even Oklahoma. I am modeling AZ, quite a variety of eco-zones. Suprisingly a lot of grass/shrubs/trees. The high areas have large ponderosa pine forests with grassy(not like your area) floors. Mid areas have scrubby cedar-like trees and scrubby grass. The desert is sandy/rocky with cactus, and scrubby bushes and trees, patchy grass. Along rivers the foilage can be thick as your region, except is is only within several feet of the water, then desret again. Arizona's terrain can rapidly change from sandy ground, to Roadrunner cartoon rock formations, to boulder fields. Lots of eroded gullies. The high country has a lot of grass for grazing, though it is a paler green than your area. The rainy season (Aug-Oct, Jan-Feb)changes all this, and the desert will erupt into a sea of bright flowers and flowering trees/cactus. The soil is varied tan, from "sand" to browns to pale orange, to pinki***an--in some areas, really pink! Some places I've been to the soil is an iron rust-brown. Watercourses are generally broad gullies with steep banks, though the Salt River through Phoenix is much like eastern rivers, just without the water! The Feb., 2001 issue of Railroad Modeler has an article about modeling NM. There is a 4 vol. series, "Railroads of Arizona". I'll try to find the author. Check your library--if they don't have it, ask if they do INTERLIBRARY LOAN. Hope this helps.
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