Where to start with Hornby scenery

[TRB]

My lad bought a Hornby oval with his pocket money. With birthdays, Christmas & more pocket money he now has the whole 'track-pack' layout and a couple of trains.

He now wants to start adding some scenery, but this will be a slow process so we were wondering where to start? The train set only comes out maybe once a month. All the videos online etc seem to be of very advanced set-ups and not the very first bit of scenery added to an otherwise unpopulated board.

I was thinking maybe the grit stuff that goes along the track, but the board gets stored upright so need to be sure it won't come off.

Any advice or pointers very welcome.

[Eric Mc]

Is the layout broken down each time it's finished with or is it on a base board?

What about buildings, station stuff (platforms etc)?

[TRB]

The layout is on a base board. The few buildings etc are removed as the board is stored on a edge. The board is 3 pieces and not super rigid (although this is more down to my DIY ability than intent). The board would need to remain 2d for the most part (even buffers are removed to enable snug fit when put away).

[Engineer1]

Work out what he wants a rural railway, a city, a mix, and if you are going to grow the layout. Modrock -(plaster of paris impregnated scrim type stuff) and chicken wire is a good way to build hills or tunnels. Chatting to a guy with a big layout at our local steam railway he recomended copying any of the cardboard scenery you buy then printing it on card yourself that way one model house makes more than one, or if you screw it up you have spare bits.

[dr_gn]

Have a look online for "electrostatic grass". It's very realistic and incredibly easy to apply. the theory is that the 'grass' (flocking available from most model shops) has a charge applied to it and that makes it stand up, just like real grass. You simply spread it onto dilute PVA via an applicator:



Proper applicators are very expensive, but I made my own for less than £6 out of a tea strainer and an electric fly swatter:



Stick the pin into the dilute PVA, and shake the flocking out of the strainer (which charges the flock as it gets dispensed). I've been making airfield dioramas for my aircraft models; works a treat.

For buildings, card models are great - look at the Superquick or downloadable Scalescenes buildings. My son and I are building up to a model railway and have built several of them they look really nice.

[TRB]

At the moment it's a case of knowing where to start. Is it worth giving the whole board a coat of greens and browns to give it some colour and build up from there. Or do we concentrate on one section (hills/buildings/whatevers). I think we will remain with the initial track-pack for a while until it's given some scenery, then if he is still interested we can move the layout to a permanent home

[marshal_alan]

1st things 1st, you need a solid baseboard otherwise you are wasting your time as track joints will become uneven and trains wont stay on the rails. my tried and trusted method is 2" by 1" framing glued and screwed with a 12mm MDF top. any board joins are bolted together with 10mm dia bolts with a hex nut, allow for a bit of expansion and contraction in the summer. for legs 2" by 2" and 2" by 1" bracing. get the boards level before laying an inch of track. lay track onto the foam ballast underlay glued in place with pva then pin the track through, your power connection should be soldered on as power clips are unreliable, drill a 3mm hole for the wires either side and solder usinf a 25 watt iron and plenty of flux. when laying the track you can wither use a tracksetta to maintain the curves and straights or I prefer a good eye, get all joints level. then give it a good test (aye play trains)

scenics as it is basically 2d I would just go for the trusty grass matting, it is cheap and easy to use and gives good results, any tunnells etc can be built onto a 3mm base and just lifted on and off. building wise the metcalfe models are superior to superquick and can just be lifted on and off. keep an eye at swapmeets and model shops as you often get used ones.

hope that helps as I have been involved with building show layouts for 25 years

[dr_gn]

I'd disagree about the Metcalfe models - they are much easier to build, but crude in comparison with Scalescenes IMO. The quality of the printing on the Metcalfe ones I've built recently are nowhere near as good, and there is no weathering included on the prints:

Metcalfe:



Scalescenes:



Superquick is somewhere inbetween IMO.

[NismoGT]

The gravel you refer to is known as Ballast.

Any good model shop should stock this in 00 Scale. Just apply it with diluted PVA glue and leave it to dry.

If you wish to add Road vehicles to your son's layout, there a plenty to chose from. Base Toys, Oxford diecast, Pocketbond, EFE etc......

Metcalfe and Scalescene already mentioned above are pretty good kits for scenic buildings.

If price is not an issue? You could use Hornby Skaledale or Bachmann scenecraft ready made resin buildings and accesories.

Ehattons online shop is a very good source if you wish to take it further.

[anonymous-user]

As well as the a-f track packs there are also scenery packs that go along with the hornby starter kit and track mats, I prefer the scalescenes stuff for realism and choice but the metcalf kits are much quicker and easier to build perfect for sharing the process with a young lad, they do a job but can spoil an overall feel of layout if you want to build a scene rather than a something to play trains on.

[W124Bob]

Woodland Scenic sell almost every thing you will need to add scenery to a model railway, also very readily found in model railway shops. To find traders just check any of the model railway mags in WH Smiths. If you decided to add ballast, use N gauge on OO it just looks better. To glue down, mix wood glue (Resin W is best)with water 50/50 and a small drop of washing up liquid(see Woodland scenic "how to" on youtube)and use an eye dropper to apply over the ballast. Once you've watched it done on youtube you'll get the idea. I'm in the middle of doing my layout now so will post pics at the weekend.

[TRB]

Thanks to everybody for the contributions. Today I was sitting searching for alternate layouts/designs for a starter-sized board. Perhaps we'll come up with a different design before we start adding scenery. He bought a Virgin Pendolino (sp?) as his starter set (as he'd just been to visit my brother on a virgin train). With the addition of a buffet car for Christmas, the train is catching it's own tail around the loops. He has a diesel shunter thing, but think it would be a 'modern' layout once we start on the surroundings.

A brief search online shows alternate layouts for particular sizes of board, but is there a way to search what can be built with the track pieces he has already? (ie the track packs).

[dr_gn]

FWIW (not much probably) here is what I came up with for a layout that has enough stuff to keep a 6 year old and me interested and also allows a decent sized train to run. Idea was to hang it on the dining room wall when not in use.

Yes, there are some inaccuracies in how a real railway would be designed in terms of turnout positions etc, but after a few revisions it now seems OK for starters - according to a couple of rail forums I posted it on for advice. Any further commetns of advice welcome (it's not meant to be a thread hijack).

[RichB]

Just briefly a double slip instead of the diamond crossing would increase the access routes to and from the various sidings. You could also add a facing crossover from the outside line. As it is there is no way of returning to the rest of the layout without reverse shunting the whole train. The crossover at the top of the layout provides the same capability as the one at the point complex at the bottom. Perhaps reverse the direction of the one at the top?

Edited by RichB on Friday 3rd January 23:05

[dr_gn]

RichB said:

Just briefly a double slip instead of the diamond crossing would increase the access routes to and from the various sidings. You could also add a facing crossover from the outside line. As it is there is no way of returning to the rest of the layout without reverse shunting the whole train. The crossover at the top of the layout provides the same capability as the one at the point complex at the bottom. Perhaps reverse the direction of the one at the top?

Edited by RichB on Friday 3rd January 23:05

I think you said the same thing last time I posted it, years ago. I then posted the comments on a model rail forum and it kicked off some massive debate on siding positions and proximity of turntables to main lines or something. The whole project then stalled and I've not been back there since.

[RichB]

dr_gn said:

RichB said:

Just briefly a double slip instead of the diamond crossing would increase the access routes to and from the various sidings. You could also add a facing crossover from the outside line. As it is there is no way of returning to the rest of the layout without reverse shunting the whole train. The crossover at the top of the layout provides the same capability as the one at the point complex at the bottom. Perhaps reverse the direction of the one at the top?

I think you said the same thing last time I posted it, years ago. I then posted the comments on a model rail forum and it kicked off some massive debate on siding positions and proximity of turntables to main lines or something. The whole project then stalled and I've not been back there since.

Blimey, I thought I had a feeling of déjà vu but then put it down to brain fade or old age.

[RichB]

p.s. I've now got a couple of grand children and as trains is really my thing in terms of modelling I'd love to build them a layout. Problem for me would be being able to resist making it super detailed and instead something children can play with

[dr_gn]

RichB said:

dr_gn said:

RichB said:

Just briefly a double slip instead of the diamond crossing would increase the access routes to and from the various sidings. You could also add a facing crossover from the outside line. As it is there is no way of returning to the rest of the layout without reverse shunting the whole train. The crossover at the top of the layout provides the same capability as the one at the point complex at the bottom. Perhaps reverse the direction of the one at the top?

I think you said the same thing last time I posted it, years ago. I then posted the comments on a model rail forum and it kicked off some massive debate on siding positions and proximity of turntables to main lines or something. The whole project then stalled and I've not been back there since.

Blimey, I thought I had a feeling of déjà vu but then put it down to brain fade or old age.

I'm sure I redrew it; I'll have to check. In terms of turnout positions etc., it is very similar to, and indeed based upon, one of the larger Peco track plans, but modded to include a turntable. My Dad passed away last February, so the main reason I had for building this layout has now gone. We'd hoped my son (6) would enjoy it too. He's at the age where I might consider restarting the project.

[Engineer1]

Track is cheap enough £30 gets 24 940mm flexible lengths so a good model shop should be selling individual runs for say a couple of quid.

[RichB]

Right back to the question: You say the board has to remain flat for storage (even buffers come off) so no point thinking of cuttings or landscaping. Don't know how old you lad is but sounds young. Sounds like a more solid baseboard would be good. As for the track, not at all scale but you can buy track underlay in rolls (Google Hornby foam track underlay), This gives the impression of ballast and will stay in position when you lift or flex the board. Then as you will need to box the buildings I'd get plastic ones not card because they will not stand being picked up and packed away. Buy a station some platforms and a signal box. That should do him for a while until you see if he likes it.