Im looking to meet people who are more about the landscape than the trains themselves. I plan on starting my layout here in a few weeks after building up a few pieces here and there over the past year. I plan on running 1 train on a very simple track and concentrate my efforts on the town/farms and landscaping. I have searched a lot of youtube videos but i still run into a lot of 4x8 layouts and they have 3 or more tracks going and not a lot of town detail.
If your into the scenery more than the trains id love to meet you.
I’d have to say that as I’ve built my layout, I’ve discovered that I enjoy modeling and building scenery more than actually running trains. On the other hand, I do have a lot of track on my layout to give the trains more to do than run around in a circle.
Very nice. Ill be doing an HO scale on a 4x8 table. I plan on extending it in the future with another table but for now its just going to have the one train looping around.
I enjoy doing scenary as well but then some days I like running trains and some days I like turnnig a blank section of the layout into something nice and I also find as my skills improve and I learn a new trick I will go back and redo or add to what I have already done- it all depends on the mood I am in. Now if you have a dedicated room to your layout, I would not do a 4x8 but do a shelf around the room layout. It will give you more room to work and will give a lot more of a world to build and put scenary on.
Yes, there is a great temptation to start within the “comfort zone” of a 4x8, but that has a lot of limitations. I started with a 5x12 foot table, which was kind of necessary given the use of the family room at the time, but now that my daughter is in college, I’ve gotten to expand and I’m doing more around-the walls.
I was surprised to discover that my real interest was in scenery-building, not running trains. So, don’t limit yourself. You may think you are scenery-oriented yourself, and you may well be, but you may discover new interests as your layout progresses. This hobby gives you great opportunities to explore and develop many skills and interests.
Any building in particular? Actually, I use the thin sheets that come with City Classics and DPM kits for my window glass. They are completely clear. On a few, I’ve used a decal with store names, Sale signs and stuch. City Classics makes a nice set of Venetian blinds and pull-down window shades which I’ve been putting in my more recent kits.
I suspect that what you see is a trick of the lighting, since I don’t recall intentionally fogging any windows. If I wanted to, though, I’d use a light spray of Dul-Coat.
I think I am more interested in cityscapes and places than trains. I like structures, but it is making them part of a scene that catches me. If there is a kit that is JUST RIGHT to make a scene, that’s fine. But I don’t usually build a kit to be building a kit.
I think a 4x8 can be scenically interesting.
(Also, I am more interested in freight cars than locomotives. But that is another shipment of worms…)
I am about 90% finished with my track and have been running trains for a little while now; but I realized that I didn’t leave nearly enough room for scenery (towns, buildings and industry). I am too old and too far along on the layout to start over or make major changes so I am having to improvise with this aspect. It turns out I love the scenery and building part of the hobby so I will have a lot to work on. Should have planned more for what the trains serve rather than how much track I can fit in.
layout became a single main with passing sidings so I would have more room for scenery. Made layout large enough so I have a lifetime of scenery and detailing available.
