# First Layout, Paint colors and tips?



## Bone1977 (Jan 17, 2014)

Hello all,

I've had a passing fancy with model trains throughout my life and this year I've decided to take the plunge and start doing some layouts. It all started a few years ago when I bought the Woodland Scenic Scenic Ridge kit and Atlas track pack, but like all good intentions it has sat in my closet for longer than I care to admit. My other hobbies, RC and Fly Fishing, plus life in general got in the way, but now I have some time and want to start again.

I figure the best way to go would be a few small N Scale layouts to learn the techniques and try things out, then the kit, then who knows 

My first layout will be fairly simple. I'm looking to do a 24x24 Oval from a starter kit with 2 5 inch straights added using EZ-Track. I am going to set up the track slanted and a bit off center so I can have some area for scenery work. I have foam board cut to 32x32 with a cheap wood panel backing for some stability. (Lowes panel cutting!)

The plan is to build up one corner with a hill/rock face and some trees and grass features. I will do some sort of water work like a pond or stream off to one side. I also want to add a few buildings, something like a Blue Coal Depot Kit, some sort of water tower in the background, and a few other structures, maybe a lumber yard or something. I also want to add a gravel road off to one side.

The purpose is learn to work with the foam, get into some scenery and painting, painting the buildings, basic ballast work, some weather on a the rolling stock, etc.

I'm looking for advice on paint colors for the rocks, buildings, and any other suggestions. I will be using Woodland Scenics ballast and grass in a few shades of green and earthy tones mixed, a water kit from them, and will most likely build a basic foam base for the mountain, then fill it in with plaster and some cast rocks. I will run the train under the mountain and have some tunnel portals I will paint in a wooden style. I am basing this on a micro layout I saw, but want to do it in a different style.

Thanks in advance for any tips and suggestions and once I get going I will gladly post pictures


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## I Am Fasha (Apr 2, 2013)

Congrats for getting started and welcome to the forum!! I love Woodland Scenics products. I used the video below to help me create my first diorama. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SfP4RpcDYw&list=PLvcb-znJz5BK-PsbVTfyY9oPRn3I2Qw7j&index=1

BUT! Im cheap. I used house paints that I had in the garage and watered them down to make a very thin "wash" to use on my project. You can see the results in this link to a custom set I did. Hey, its not the best, but it did cost me a thing. Here is the link:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/album.php?albumid=307

Now each to his own, but it help me and you can try if you link. I used red and green house paint and it turned out ok. As far as the colors you want to use, what area are you modeling? If it is the area you live in, take a drive around the hillsides and snap some pic and come home and study them.


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## Bone1977 (Jan 17, 2014)

I'm not modeling a specific area first time out, want to get more into techniques and just making something that looks good. If wanted to model after something realistic I would take some shots from my front door. I'm literally 50 feet from Canadian National's Freeport Subdivision, 61.4 through Genoa, IL. The first night I slept in my house they were putting together a train outside the city, I thought it was some sort of rolling explosion. Now I can sleep through them blasting the horn at 4am.

Within the next few years they are supposed to start upgrading the lines for Metra and extending the Elgin lines through here for people living south of Rockford and in the Dekalb/Sycamore areas. CN 2164 is one of the regular engines that goes through the area and we have a few local train guys who post to Youtube about them going through Genoa.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Bone

Some folks are content to have a G scale train in their yard...
but you have the FULL SCALE right there.

Anyhoo...for layout painting, buildings and landscaping,
check out the crafts section of Walmart. You'll find a total
palette of water based colors for only 97 cents each. While there, 
look for a packet of artists paint brushes, about 20 or
so for a couple bucks. Then, save up the inch or so
diameter screw caps from drink bottles. You'll use these
to mix the craft paints into endless hues that are especially
good for rocks, ledges and the like. I use a toothpick to stir
and mix. 

I had leftover greyish olive green paint that turned out to
be perfect as a base for lawns, fields and hillsides.

If you are going to scratch build buildings, WM also has
poster board, get the thicker type. Makes easy to
cut walls. You'll need basswood
or balsa strips in several of the smallest sizes to be used
for framing and trimming. Around 1.00 ea. at hobby
shops.

I have found that scratch building this and that little bit
of layout scenery is a very enjoyable pass time.

The pic shows what I just installed...and the unfinished
yard area in front of it. All of the paint you see is WM
craft paint.

Don


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## Bone1977 (Jan 17, 2014)

Thanks for the tips Don an Fasha. I went to WM last night looking for some matte finish to paint the bass board and saw those brush bags you mentioned, also nice foam packs for a few bucks as well. I never though of doing the water colors, but it makes sense.I also watched the Woodland videos on doing washes for the rocks so I think that is the direction I will go.

I'll snap some photos of the real deal in my yard. After the last round of snow they used some push plows to clear it and I have to say that is an impressive sight to see. It looks like a mini blizzard in motion, especially when they are going through the corn field areas at speed. Seeing a video online just doesn't do it justice.

We have an over/under and some tracks NW to SE as well. If I do a larger layout I could model it after the tracks and just do loops outside of town. Lots of archive pictures with the older trains when Genoa was just main street with the tracks behind them. If you want to see the track layout you can pull up 42.098674,-88.703922 on Google maps or something, that's the coordinate of the over/under. I'm along the East/West line and you can see the long siding line that runs off to the east.

We get anywhere from single engine to quads with 3 being the most common. There is a section where the ballast needs some work. You can see lots of vertical movement of the rails on the heavier trains. My only complaint is a few years ago they had to do a clear cut along the rails after they changed some of the rules. There are ungated pedestrian crosses all along the track and they tore them up for about a year until they did the cutting.

Damnit! I just spent the last 20 minutes staring at the overview!!


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

There's a difference between Acrylic and water colors.
I should have used Acrylic when I mentioned the
paints at WM crafts section. Also they are available
either flat or with some sheen, sort of a semi gloss.

We all enjoy pics of the real trains. There's a forum
for posting them here. It's under Right Away,
Below.

Don


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## Bone1977 (Jan 17, 2014)

Well here we go. The foam is 36'x32' and just to get started I bought a few basic kits, a couple of molds, some plaster for said models, etc. I have some cheap paneling I will put around the back and edge where the hill will be and once I get the scenery built I will reserve a spot for a few builds  I'll start posting in the layout section once I get started!


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