Scenery and layout....where to start?

Please excuse me, I am completely new to the finer nuances of this hobby. In years past I have laid down HO track round the christmas tree and put some ceramic village houses in front of it. It never became what I wanted, and have since decided to switch to N.

Other than getting my first N loco (that is business for my other thread in this section), I am unsure how to get started, or if I even will. Like I said, this is pretty much a Christmas decoration.

I guess I am looking for something of a moving diarama. Winter scene, maybe a building or two, mountainous terrain, and a train running through it. I would like to keep the whole thing in the 2'x4' range.

I guess what I am saying is, where do I start? I am a bit overwhelmed....I don't even have a clear picture in my mind yet. Any advice for a newbie?

Thanks!

 

Send me your address via PM and I will send you a couple books I was going to sell on eBay. Free. Gift, just 'cause. I have learned a lot from the intro books. Maybe you will too.

Welcome.

Terry

 

While your checking out those Book titles here are a couple of links that should also hlep.
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/

http://www.carendt.com/

http://home.wanadoo.nl/reinoud.kaasschieter/railway/index.en.htm

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Plan-a-Small-Or-Any-Model-Train-Layout&id=2766087

Hope that helps you keep the fun in the hobby along with accomplish your goals.
Post back as questions arise.
Have Fun

 

I think right here at Trainboard is the perfect place to start!

First thing I like to do is sit down with a pen and paper. You'll be making two lists, one of everything you want and everything you need. More and more often these are referred to as givens (the needs) and druthers (the wants).

Those needs are what you absolutely require your layout to have. It could be a river, mountain, bridge, tunnel, passenger station, operating street crossing, running steam locomotives, anything. (dont forget to include the setting of the layout, or era, road names, ect.)
Likewise, the wants are anything you would love to have, however they can be expended if no possible solution exists. Many beginners want to have a turn table, but for a 2x4 sized layout, that's virtually impossible.

After you have a good list of givens and druthers, come back and share them here with us on Trainboard. The collective of experience here is overwhelming, and you'll get all the information you need. And if we happen to leave something out, just ask.

Good luck! :thumbs_up::thumbs_up:

 

Well, I watched some nice instructional videos and did some online reading. I am intrigued by the foam carving method.....I think between my fiance and I (she likes crafts), we could handle it.

I cannot find the right foam, though. From what I have seen, people suggest the large sheets of pink or blue foam insulation, but not the white beaded stuff. I checked my local hardware stores, but can only find the beaded stuff. I went to a craft store, but the bricks of foam they had seemed to porous and brittle. I guess the hobby shop is the obvious idea, but I am afraid it will be too expensive.

Any suggestions?

 

Have you checked Home Depot and/or Lowes?

 

both, no luck. I notice you are in southwest FL.....is that where you get yours?

I just got back from my local hobby shop. They had an insulation supply store on file that they recommended to me.....however the gentleman informed me that the price is about $40 for a 4'x8' sheet of 2 inch; said it was the blue variety. Does that price sound right? Other sources that claim to have found the stuff at Home Depot or Lowes reported lower prices.....

 

Been awhile since I purchased any of the blue colored Styrofoam insulation material. Until our local Home Depot began stocking the 4x8 sheets (not sure if they continue to stock the material), as I recall, it had to be special ordered.

Unless your local dealer keeps a reasonably decent supply of sheets on hand, it is likely that the freight cost, not the actual material cost has driven the retail price up. As the light-weight, 4x8 sheets must be shipped via common freight carrier (i.e., truck rather than FedEx or UPS), single sheet purchases that were not initially ordered in quantity can be prohibitively expensive.

 

Always start at the beginning.

It sounds like the advice you have been given here will get you started off quite nicely.

Now...go for it!

 

Think different home depot's will have different stock? Perhaps I will call around to a few locations and find some on the pink stuff. Half the price sounds good to me?

I got a loco tonight....I am running out of excuses.

 

Good news. I think I will spend some time calling around.....though trips might prove more fruitful....alot of HD employees really don't know too much, unfortunately.

 

Check out this link for some YouTube videos on styrofoam scenery:

Conrail 1285 | Articles | Model Scenery Using Extruded Styrofoam

Terry

 

So I called a home depot tonight....asked two different employees, who put me on hold, then forgot about me because "the guy I need to talk to isn't there."

....so I go the very same store, ask someone to page the "guy", and after waiting in the aisle for 10 minutes looking around like an idiot, I left.

I want to start tearing into some foam, but I can't even find any.

 

The foam Manufactures appear to have territories where suppliers can only sell a certain product within an assigned area. In Southern California it is impossible to buy Pink or Blue foam from Lowes or Home Depot. There are some small suppliers who order it outside the Manufactures area and sell it for up to 4 times the going rate.

I had to go to Northern California to buy my pink foam from Home Depot, but I only paid $22 for a 2” 4x8 sheet. The Home Depot here only has 2”4x8 yellow foam with foil on it for $30.
I heard that someone nearby is selling 2x8 sheets for $40. If I had enough orders in my area I’d love to make the trip up north again in my truck and sell it for cost plus gas money. I'd do it just to get away for a trip.

 

I would save your money, time, and effort and just go with the bead foam for that size of a layout. My layout is 40x90" and when I couldn't get a hold of any blue or pink foam, I used the bead stuff just fine. Sure, it's way messier and less dense than extruded foam. But at 2x4, the mess ratio of beads vs extruded carvings wont be so different, and an overcoat of spackle will make bead just as strong as extruded foam.

 

I know you said that you would like to stick to 2x4 range but if you have more room, I would try a door sized layout.

It would give you more room for scenery, buildings, track and it would offer more fun.

If you are sticking to the 2x4 sized layout, then don't buy 4x8 sheets of foam. Buy 2x8 sheets instead.

Craig

 

So beaded foam CAN be used? Aside from its drawbacks, it is carvable? I didn't even know. I know I can get plenty of it, and in varying thicknesses at the HD I went to last night. For my first layout, I might try that if it will work.

 

It depends on the quality but you have to use heat, not a knife. I was using a large knife that I heated up on the stove. Now I made a tool.

My first layout was aprox 3x5 and I only had about a 2x4 area where I was going to use foam. I started dumpster diving and found lots of small high density pieces of foam used as packaging. I found mine from an electronics company. Actually my first piece came in an appliance box from my own trash. I think it was a microwave oven or something.