Desert Scenery

[SpaceMouse]

Why Capt. I believe you developed a stutter.

[el-capitan]

I've thought about the play sand. I will give that a shot. For my ballast in the yards I used "traction sand" that I had in tubes for weight in the back of my truck in the winter. I am happy with that. The fine yellow turf looks OK but I don't want that all over the layout. Just in some areas and usually mixed in with other sand.

[GAPPLEG]

I am beginning to do scenery on my ATSF layout and have been pretty dissapointed with the selection of material from woodland scenics. I am modeling southern NM from Rincon to Deming and back up to Whitewater and Hurley. The stuff that Woodland Scenics offers for ground cover seems to be 1000 different shades of green but no browns. I also want sagebrushes and tumbleweeds. Does anybody out there have any experience with Desert Scenery that could offer me some advice?

     I too model that area, Lordsburg sub of the SP.   Woodland scenic fine yellow turf is nice for some areas, And alot of my layout is play sand from k-mart of all places. I dry it really well and glue it like any other ground cover.  Using fake fur from a craft store for weeds etc.  Look for Pele's articles on desert railroad scenery. He's a master and he lives in Denmark.

[SpaceMouse]

I haven't done desert, but I have come across a couple things.

Check Harold M's site for making sagebrush.

Musket Minatures makes several different cactii.

[el-capitan]

I am beginning to do scenery on my ATSF layout and have been pretty dissapointed with the selection of material from woodland scenics. I am modeling southern NM from Rincon to Deming and back up to Whitewater and Hurley. The stuff that Woodland Scenics offers for ground cover seems to be 1000 different shades of green but no browns. I also want sagebrushes and tumbleweeds. Does anybody out there have any experience with Desert Scenery that could offer me some advice?