TY'S MODEL RAILROAD

Layout Scenery Part VI - Final Details

By Ty’s Model Railroad - 2/22/2013 09:06:00 PM

A complete 4 x 8 HO scale model railroad layout with industrial, urban, forest, and mountain scenery

I haven’t had much opportunity to work on my layout this last month, but in the time I have had, I’ve dedicated it mostly to adding scenic details. These details include traffic signs, additional foliage, figures, and vehicles. It is amazing the amount of detail products readily available by dozens of different manufacturers, and really comes down to just deciding which products to use to achieve your desired look and level of detail.

Sidewalk scene in front of a Other Corner Café kit including figures, meters, benches, fire hydrants and vehicles

The first details I added were from a Walther’s Cornerstone City Accessory pack, which included garbage cans, pay phones, fire hydrants, bike racks, mail boxes, and parking meters. These parts require assembly and painting, which isn’t that bad as you then have free range to customize them as you please. I did this with the mail boxes by painting them red to resemble a Canadian Post mail box instead of a blue US Postal Service box. I used these parts almost exclusively in my downtown scene, but did use a few details elsewhere on my layout.

Sidewalk scene in front of a Merchant’s Row 1 kit including figures, meters, benches, fire hydrants and vehicles

Traffic and street were next on the list. I couldn’t seem to find commercially-made signs that offered the style I was looking for, so I turned to creating my own. I found high-resolution sign images online and used Adobe Photoshop to scale them down to a prototypical size. Most provinces/states have online traffic standard manuals posted online which I found useful for sizing. I printed the signs out on 5x7 photo paper at Walmart then cut each sign out and glued it to a thin sheet of styrene for extra rigidity. I trimmed the styrene right to the edge of each sign with sharp scissors, keeping them nice and tidy.

Detailed view of a stop sign and no left turn sign installed at an intersection in a downtown scene

Syrene posts were glued on next and painted an aluminum colour along with the back of each sign. I used a dull black sharpie to colour the edge of each sign black so it would seamlessly blend the white edge of the styrene into the black border of the sign. Using a new marker seemed to bleed into the photo paper so I used an almost-dead black marker. I then glued the signs to the scenery with superglue. For the Coca-Cola billboard and walkway, I used the same process with scrap styrene and printed graphics on photo paper.

Various road signs printed on photo paper and mounted to thin styrene holders and posts

People figures were probably the most enjoyable details to add as they really brought the layout and scenery to life. Most of the figures are from Woodland Scenics and a few from Model Power. I still have neglected to give my layout an exact era and as a result some figures seem a bit dated while others are much more modern. However, everything seems to blend together almost seamlessly. Woodland Scenics offers an amazingly large selection of detailed figures and scenes and there are still several figures that I will be adding in the future.

Two model figures lounge in lawn chairs in front of a Kate’s Colonial Home kit

Vehicles are proving to be much more difficult to find than anticipated. Cars and trucks for the steam and transition eras are readily available in a wide selection but more modern vehicles, especially North American prototypes, seem to be almost impossible to come by. Model Power seems to be the most promising as far as selection, though most of their models are European makes. Atlas had a run of North American vehicles but I currently cannot seem to find any other than the two Ford Explorers I purchased last month. Adding more cars and trucks will definitely be an ongoing process.

My latest detail was a small woodland Scenics tool shed die-cast kit which I installed into the turn-table yard. This small structure is highly detailed and comes with several separate tools and details which I used elsewhere on my layout. Other details I added were small benches that I purchased off eBay and wooden pallets from a local hobby shop. I added a small pile of scrap rail and lumber right behind the work shed and used unwanted spare plastic wheels on the turn-table spurs to represent a locomotive repair area.

Woodland Scenics tool shed kit installed in a gravel rail yard scene

I don’t think there can ever be enough or too much detail. It's these details that truly prevents a model from ever being entirely complete, as there is always something that can be improved upon. After 3 years of construction, the skills I have gained are significant, and there are several items and details from the beginning stages of my layout that I now want to re-model or enhance. I am sure that any future time spent on my model for as long as it exists, will be dedicated to adding and enhancing details.

Plaster roads complete with working traffic lights, street lamps, and detailed road signs printed on photo paper

Coca-Cola billboard mounted on a styrene frame and installed along a scratch built chain link fence

Three model pedestrian figures socializing in front of White Castle Restaurant kit

Dock workers from a Woodland Scenic Accents kit carry a crate at a POLA freight station kit

Model train mechanic figure standing in front of the stairs of an Atlas signal tower

Dock workers opening a wooden crate alongside a brown picket fence and railroad track

Dock workers from a Woodland Scenics Accents kit working in front of a Northern Light & Power kit

Two train mechanics from a Woodland Scenic Accents kit chat alongside railroad track and a signal tower

A BBQ scene and white picket fence in the back yard of a Kate’s Colonial Home kit

A die-cast tool and storage shed installed in a rail yard

A scrap pile made from spare rail and basswood pieces behind a plastic shed kit in a gravel rail yard scene

Wooden pallet, mail box, and bike rack up against the foundation of a POLA freight station kit

Two train mechanics chat outside of a small shed in a gravel railyard between two spur tracks

Industrial and railyard scene with grade crossings, turnout, signal tower and Northern Light & Power Co. kit

Train maintenance shed and Atlas Signal Tower kit with chain link fence in a railroad maintenance yard

Areal view of a plaster road crossing a track turnout and leading into an industrial and railyard area

An areal view of a downtown scene consisting of several buildings around a circular road with a center median garden

An areal view of roads, tracks, grade crossings, a turnouts, buildings and forest scenery

An areal view of Ty’s 4 x 8 HO scale model railroad layout showing all completed scenery and track

9 Comments

Lighting

Layout Scenery Part V - Lighting

By Ty’s Model Railroad - 12/01/2012 04:40:00 PM

HO scale model railroad layout industrial scene at night with accessory lighting effects

Adding proper lighting to a layout can turn it into a completely different scene. Installing accessory lighting allows details and scenes that were once less noticeable (such as detailed building interiors), to be a main focal point. My layout includes interior lighting on most of my buildings, street lamps, and nighttime lighting effect to illuminate the overall layout.

Layout with accessory lights and nighttime lighting effects

To assist with adding accessory lights as I constructed my layout, I planned all of the wiring into my master wiring plan at the start of construction. I pre-installed power bus wires under my bench work and installed switches on my control panel to turn power to the bus wires on and off. The bus wires are powered directly by a dedicated 12V 2A DC power supply. These and are split into two separate circuits, accessory 1 & accessory 2. These two circuits are each controlled through two automotive-type relays connected to a corresponding toggle switch on the main control panel (see master wiring diagram).

HO scale model railroad layout downtown scene at night with accessory lighting effects

The majority of my structures had lighting installed during their construction (see any of my posts regarding structure kits for details). I left a long wire lead protruding from either the bottom or side of each building which I then passed through a small drilled hole in my bench work and tied it into the pre-installed power bus below. Any visible wire leads on top of my layout were simply hidden with scenery material.

Cutting Scissors Co. kit and custom garage at night with a vehicle and lit streetlamp in front

The brass street lamps along my streets were installed with the same method. I did need to wrap the base of each lamp a couple times with electrical tape to provide a snug fit once I inserted them into the drilled holes. The street lamps are rated for 12 volts, but a full 12 volts produced way too much light, so I added a 110 ohm resistor to each street lamp to provide a softer, more realistic glow. Both the building lights and street lamps are wired onto the accessory 1 circuit.

HO scale model railroad layout at night with accessory lighting effects

Accessory lighting on your layout is most effective when, quite obviously, the room that houses your layout is dark. However, having a completely dark room void of any light is much too dark and the majority of your layout will not be visible. You can create low levels of ambient room lighting by simply dimming the room lighting, but this is only effective if you use halogen or incandescent-type bulbs. If you use fluorescent lighting (like I do), you will need to completely turn off the lights as most are not dimmable. More so, dimming your layout room’s lights still doesn’t create a realistic nighttime effect, so the most effective method is to have separately installed “night mode” lights.

HO scale model railroad layout and control panel at night with accessory lighting effects

For this “night mode” effect lighting, I wanted to recreate a moonlit scene with a soft, bluish-white glow. To create this type of light, I constructed three light diffusing boxes out of styrene measuring 2 1/2” x 4 1/2” with a curved diffusing lens protruding out from the base by about 1 ¾”. I then installed one super bright white and one super bright blue LED into the base of each diffuser box, about 1” apart off center. After adding the proper resistors to each LED, I wired all three diffuser boxes to my accessory 2 lighting circuit and installed them to the ceiling above my layout.

Custom built styrene light diffuser with blue and white LED lights creates a nighttime glow

The diffuser boxes combine the intense light from the blue and white LED’s and emits an even, soft blue-white light similar to moonlight. This glow provides just enough of a natural nighttime effect that the entire layout is still visible, while allowing your scenery lighting to stand out and be the main focal point.

Styrene nighttime light diffuser box installed to the ceiling beside mini-spiral florescent bulbs

In regards to the main daylight lighting, I originally had installed standard incandescent bulbs over my layout, which were fine during construction but recently changed to mini fluorescent spiral bulbs. I use 6 of these bulbs (3 bright white and 3 warm white) in combination to produce a bright, natural daytime light. I found that incandescent bulbs alone produced way too much yellow-red light and the typical bright white mini spiral florescent alone produced an unrealistic blue hue. I also uninstalled the large florescent ceiling light next to my layout as it cast a very blue, overpowering light onto the right half of my layout.

HO scale model railroad layout railyard scene at night with accessory lighting effects

11 Comments

Scenery

Layout Scenery Part IV - Bringing It Together

By Ty’s Model Railroad - 11/06/2012 09:08:00 PM

A completed 4 x 8 HO scale model railroad layout set in mountain forest scenery

I find it quite amazing how fast things sometimes come together. I’ve been working on this project for just under 3 years, and though it’s a ways from being complete, it’s definitely now past the 90% mark. While building a project like this, you constantly wonder what the final result will be. You meticulously plan everything out, trying to achieve a certain look and feel. Even though you have a good idea of the direction you’re heading, you never quite know exactly how everything is going to come together in the end. This is especially true if it’s your first go at building a layout.

A completed 4 x 8 HO scale model railroad layout and scenery set in a mountain forest scene

Then it happens. That most exhilarating part of model railroading that so many modelers talk about; the part when everything all of a sudden comes together. And what a rewarding moment it is. After all of those long evenings planning, painting, plastering, sanding, nailing, wiring, cutting, and gluing, you finally get to see the results of your efforts. I reached this point with my layout just last week.

A completed Northern Light & Power Co. kit placed beside railroad tracks in an industrial scene

I had previously posted about completing my main-street town scene which took up almost one full half of my layout, so here I will cover the second half of the layout. This includes the turn table and industrial area. The first steps I took here were to prepare my layout for the building structures. I used plaster to build a parking lot behind the turn table which my Cutting Scissor’s Co. and scratch-built garage buildings would sit on. After sanding and leveling the plaster, I painted it with the same coloured paint I used on my roads.

A partially complete HO model railroad layout cluttered with various scenery construction materials

My Pioneer Press (Northern Light & Power Kit) will sit upon a gravel lot so I used sifted sand and applied it directly to the plywood base using diluted white glue. At the same time, I started the process of adding the same sifted sand to the turn table area and track. I ended up having to lay the sand down quite thick in this area to make it level with the tracks. I used a pipette to first wet the sand with isopropyl alcohol then used a second pipette to apply diluted white glue. After drying overnight, I noticed that some large cracks had developed in the sand. This required reapplying more sand to fill in the cracks and sealing with white glue.

A gravel parking lot next to a plaster road being constructed with sifted dirt

Before positioning the structures on the layout, I drilled holes through the bench work for the power leads to pass through for lighting. I also drilled holes and installed the remainder of the street lights along the roadways. I carefully positioned each building onto its intended position. The leads to both the buildings and street lights were then wired to the electrical system beneath the benchwork.

Cutting Scissors Co. kit and scratch built garage across from rail yard and scratch built chain link fence

Fencing was added next. I used a section of fence from an Atlas White Picket Fence kit that I painted brown in front of the Pioneer Press building. For the turntable yard, I surrounded it with custom built chain link fencing (explained in my Layout Scenery Part III - Downtown post). The rest of my structures were added at this point, including the signal tower, water tower, freight station, and 2 small shed structures made from spare pieces.

Completed industrial scene including rail yard, water tower, turn table, signal tower and various model building kits

The switch machine controlling the turnout into my turntable has been an eyesore since it was first installed. I wasn’t able to install an under-table machine here like I did on my other turnouts so I had to find a way to cover the mechanism. To do this, I built a small platform out of polystyrene which I then painted and weathered to look like concrete. I added small railings made of brass rod. The platform sits on top of the switch machine, conveniently hiding it from view. Now you might ask, “What exactly this platform is for?” Well, I’m not exactly sure. But one thing I can tell you is that it looks a whole lot more believable then the big black ugly switch machine. It blends in well with the rest of the scenery and goes mostly unnoticed. Mission accomplished!

A custom built styrene platform to cover an unsightly Atlas trackside switch machine

Vegetation and greenery where added next. This included adding ground cover, bushes, shrubs, and trees to the remainder if the layout and to blend separate scenes into the surrounding terrain. I still have a few small places to touch up and a few foliage elements to add, such as little grass tufts, but overall the main scenery elements are complete.

Three curved railroad tracks emerge from a single and double tunnel portal in a mountain forest scene

Ballasting the remainder of my track was the last major step in completing the track work. I didn’t have much left to do at this point as I ballasted most of my track section by section over the last year. I did however have to take some extra time and precaution when ballasting all of the turnouts at the front of my layout. I had to make sure that I didn’t get any glue onto the turnout’s moving parts, so I used a fine paintbrush to apply small amounts of glue around the ties. After carefully adding the ballast, I vacuumed up the excess and ensured the turnouts moved smoothly. I finished the track by weathering it with black powder pastels.

Currently I am working on completing some nighttime lighting effects that represent a moonlit sky, which I should have complete in the next few days. I am also currently on the hunt for vehicles, figures, and other scenic details needed to complete the finer details of my layout. Street signs are also on my current to-do list.