# HO Scenery Ideas



## sificts (May 16, 2013)

Just finished laying track and wiring, need some ideas on the scenery I should start to add. It is a 5x9 layout. Sorry for bad lighting in photos, much brighter in real life


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

What is the period you are prototyping? Will the prototype be based on a real world train, or a fictionalized set up? Interested in mountains, plains, rural, industrial, city, etc.?

Dan


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## sificts (May 16, 2013)

golfermd said:


> What is the period you are prototyping? Will the prototype be based on a real world train, or a fictionalized set up? Interested in mountains, plains, rural, industrial, city, etc.?
> 
> Dan


It is modern era, looking for something with mountains, rural setting. Sorry for lack of info in OP. Maybe a lumber yard on some of the siding.


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## Steve S (Jan 7, 2012)

You could put a scenic divider down the middle to break up the fact that it's a simple loop. It also allows you to break up the scenery--mountains on one side, some industries on the other.

Steve S


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## Flynn_lives (Jul 6, 2013)

Rockwork! Go buy some styrene insulation at your local hardware store and carve it with a simple stiff wire brush and a chisel. It's cheap, stack-able and when painted looks amazingly lifelike.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

I'm with Steve... Point of Rocks, Md comes to mind. http://www.woodhavenhistoric.com/me...25d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/0/8/081829pvx.jpg_6.jpg

Putting a station on the opposite side gives you a stopping point for a scenic train to justify any old steam/first generation diesels you might run...coal and/or goods can be transferred from your branch line to the CSX/NS/etc. thru the small yard. a small coal tipple would be suitable on one of the spurs. Hope that kicks you in the right direction...:thumbsup:


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

shaygetz said:


> ...Hope that kicks you in the right direction...


That is some fine kicking - good plan shay.

****
look at me, ruining a perfectly good thread with that monstrosity.


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## spoil9 (Dec 24, 2008)

Hope this helps.

First let me start by saying that you should model what you like because you're the one who is going to be looking at it every operating session.

Now for my ideas. I copied the above ideas with the stream, passenger station and a mountain in the middle to split up the layout a bit.

The red is road. The single line going into the mountain side could be a small hiking trail or Jeep trail into the mountain. You could model people off-roading, hiking, camping, etc. 

The H is for a row of homes or a single home and a small farm. 

The S is the passenger station. I didn't draw the road right so it may have to be moved depending on the size of the station. 

The lime green on the left side of the mountain could be a dense forrest that is used by the lumber yard which is labeled L. I personally would scatter trees all over the place but that's just me. 

The mountain does continue over the double mainline at the top of the picture so you can model a tunnel, maybe a sharp rock cliff with someone mountain climbing.

The M on the far left could be a little MOW shack since I don't think much else will fit in the spacing between those sidings. 

If you don't mind removing a siding, you could add another industry on the left.


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## spoil9 (Dec 24, 2008)

Oh, if it's modern, don't forget the cell phone antenna on top of the mountain lol.

Maybe a small wind farm in the upper left corner?


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## Thinktankbros (Jul 3, 2013)

wind farm could be very cool especially if you hook them up to power on with the train


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## spoil9 (Dec 24, 2008)

Thinktankbros said:


> wind farm could be very cool especially if you hook them up to power on with the train


Been thinking the same thing myself lately. Not sure how to do the pin-wheel type windmills but a vertical windmill could be attached to a shaft that runs under the layout to a simple geared motor, like a right angle drive kit from Tamiya. Gear it real slow and under power the motor a little and I'm sure that it would look and sound like the real thing. 
I'm going to have to do a Google search now and see if this has been done before. 

_ Will


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## spoil9 (Dec 24, 2008)

Looking on line, found a youtube video and got these measurements...
263ft tall pole.
126ft long blades.

So in HO scale that would be...
3.03ft tall pole
1.45ft long blades

Obviously the HO scale turbines you find are not this big, but I did see a youtube video (link in references) where the guy found operating Lionel wind turbines that were closer to HO scale.
The other option would be to custom make your own with a small motor in the hub. Small motors can be found from Tamiya real easily and run on 1.5VDC I believe. 

References:
Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU8c208o4d0

Lionel Wind Turbine: http://www.trainworldonline.com/cat...ting-accessories/Operating-Wind-Turbine-37985

Home made version: http://www.scienceguy.org/Articles/WindTurbine.aspx


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Spoil

Power for your windmill:

Last week my mechanic replaced one of the electric vane motors
in my truck's a/c ductwork. Actually a plastic idler gear had stripped.
This left me with a very nice little 12 vdc motor with it's screw drive
and a gear box. Idler gear could be replaced.

I bring this up because you can possibly find more of these pulled
from vehicles for replacement. Might check dealer svc dept and 
any a/c repair shop.

Or maybe could get intact ones from vehicle scrap yards.

Cost me $128.00 (for the new one) but they gave me another they had pulled also.

These could be used for a number of layout action systems since
these are DC motors their speed can be controlled.

Don


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

I'll be at my club Monday, Tuesday and Saturday this week for various activities (it's about an hour drive each way, but a great group of guys and gals) and will take some pictures to post for you. It's modeled on the WNCRR (Western North Carolina, a long story why it's a prototype RR in Northern Virginia) in the early 50's. Although not apropos for a modern prototype it gives some ideas about mountain and urban modeling.


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## Thinktankbros (Jul 3, 2013)

I can 3d print windmills if the available ones bug people


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## spoil9 (Dec 24, 2008)

How's the layout coming? Did you get any scenery done yet?


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