I’m new at this and am building a layout in my basement. Right now it is 10x6 but I plan to add two 4x8 additions to form a large C shaped area so I can have a small town on one, and a turn table and round house on the other. Right now though I am trying to plan my scenery. I would like to build a mountain with a tunnel, a farm and a switchyard. I am looking for a good book on building scenery. I ordered a book from Kalmbach, but it was all HO. I couldn’t use any of the references to product manufactures except Woodland scenics. None of the manufactures made O-scale buildings. Is there a book on O-scale scenery out there that someone could recommend? Also are there some good manufactures of O-scale buildings and equipment. I have found some, but not a lot. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for your patience wit
I found these … first one scenery … other 2 buildings …
http://www.amazon.com/Build-Realistic-Railroad-Scenery-Railroader/dp/0890244707/ref=pd_sim_b_1
http://www.amazon.com/Building-Model-Railroad-Structures-Handbook/dp/0890241457/ref=pd_sim_dbs_b_2
http://www.amazon.com/Basic-Structure-Modeling-Railroaders-Railroader/dp/0890244464/ref=pd_sim_b_3
And this link for about all buildings and kits … scroll to links at bottom of page …
“Help with O gauge scenery” encompasses quite the spectrum. for buildings prebuilt MTH, lionel , Bar mills, etc all make buildings. www.valleymodeltrains.com carries a extensive line of buildings and detail parts from various manufcturers. For scenery materials its hard to beat scenery express as a starting point.
If you want a complete list email me. There are many more then you think. Join TCA and go to York one time and your eyes will be opened.
Bill D
Welcome Terry!
Ah scenery! It can be as detailed as your imagination (and wallet) can carry it. Some of the firms mentioned above and several others are good places to go. “Plasticville” makes some kits that are very basic, but can be added to to make them more realistic, but my taste is for a bit more than that. Bar Mills, as suggested has some very nice items. So does “Justrains” who owns the line of Korber models. These are nice as well, but a bit less expensive. Regarding scenery books, most do cater to the HO and smaller scales, but most of the information crosses scales. I personally have subscribed to Classic Toy Trains, O Gauge Railroading, Model Railroader magazines. The MR tends to have more in the way of scenery. The former ones have advertisements from several manufacturers making very nice buildings.
Dennis
Ole Timer,
Wher did you find those beautiful buildings?
They have great detailing and configurations.
Thank You,
Ralph
Welcome!
I agree with the above.
Open a recent CTT mag and look at their logging railroad. They explained building a mountain, and a portal.
www.Scenicexpress.com Is a great resourse for scenery materials, and has recently added more O-Scale buildings, and trees.
Lionel makes Plasticville buildings that are very inexpensive, and MTH have pre-built plastic buildings, both of which can be repainted, and weathered to look right at home in a Hi-Rail layout.
Determine a budget, ‘look’, and timing, as some of these kits can be expensive, and time consuming. Please post photos of your decision and progress.
Also, The Black Diamond railway DVD, illustrates a lot of basic scenery techniques, and uses MTH buildings.
Kurt
I just did a search for scenery construction book … I know … shows what you can do with plastcville and I use alot of luan plywood for years . Did you notice the site stated with low cost items on ebay you can paint and change . You’re welcome my friend …
Terry —> [#welcome].
Perhaps if you share with us a bit of your “vision” for your layout, we may just be able to help you right here. Pretty good pool of knowledge.
Ralph … if I were you I’d invest in a descent air brush … then get a few cans of the basic colors which you can mix for 100’s of different shades and colors to paint . Plus check out your local autobody repair shop and get a 1/2 or pint of dulling agent . It’s cheap in that amount . That way all your buildings and if you want repainted or weathered items don’t have that shiny plastic look . Experiment … it’s loads of fun .
Thanks, that is a good idea. I will attach a diagram of what I have and what I plan to add plus a bit of what I would like to be able to accomplish. The attached layout is what my vision is now. Only the top 10’ x 6’ is built. I would like to add the two 4’ x 8’ additions later. I have built no scenery yet. I plan to start with the tunnel at the top and work my way down to the control panel. Later I would like to att the town and then a turntable, roundhouse and oil rig. I like the idea of being able to do some switching and building a train to run on the main line. The outer track will just be a passinger line and will hav
Looking darn good ! Yep … take your time … that’s part of the fun . Another hint to make the wood look older … rough sandpaper … and to have the older weather look on the painting … thin it down to soak in more … not to have the thick and shiney appearance . Those rub off lettering packs work great for signs and building names . The craft stores have them … same with chain and 100’s of items to sit around like barrels … bales … crates … lumber and etc. You will save big bucks over buying them at train shops … and they’re not plastic … made of real materials most of the time . I can see you’re going to have alot of fun and pride … keep me informed . If you have a cd burner just go searching for pics and burn them on a cd for reference . If there’s a Farm and Family store near you … they have dowel rod … brass and steel stock dirt cheap compared to shops .
Terry - handsome trackplan. What kind of trains are you running? Traditional LIONEL? Modern w/ all the new electronics? Would you be thinking of multiple levels? If so, perhaps your outer loop could have return loops on each end, instead of making the circuit around the control panel. Also, you could easily turn your ladder/yard track into a passenger terminal (perhaps using the one in Richmond for inspiration).
Yes, I forgot to mention I am running all original post war Lionel. So far I have three engines, a 2055, and two different 2026. So far all my accessories are original Lionel. I have the milk car and platform, The cattle car and stockyard set. I plan to use as many original Lionel accessories and fill in the scenery with some newer items. I am basing my town on my old home town of Lockport, Illinois. The reason I have the passenger line running around the control panel is because there will be a two foot wide space between the two 4x8 foot panels. I am more interested in switch yards with freight operation than passenger. I kind of like the long loops the passenger train will have to make. I plan to use an operating Lionel passenger terminal to pause the train in the town. I am slowly picking up original Lionel accessories. I love the oil rig. Don’t have one yet, but that section will be the last. The turn table and round house will be expensive so I am going to do that last when I have learned a bit more. I’ve always loved turntables and round houses. This is my first train. My brother got a set with a 2026 engine, an operating boxcar, a gondola with barrels and a caboose for Christmas in 1949. I was only 1 and a half. We both played with his train but eventually it got put away and his son eventually sold it. I’m kind of reliving my dream. On a larger scale though.
This forum and all you guys will be a great resourse. Thanks to all who have responded. I’ll post pictures as the work develops.
Two thoughts:
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A roundhouse and turntable eat up a HUGE amount of real estate. You might want to go with a simpler engine servicing facility with a two-stall engine house, ash pit, coal dock, and water column. It’s your choice of course, but typical roundhouse set-ups are huge and expensive.
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RE: your mountain. I built mine as a plateau, with the hint around theedges that it still has height above. This gave a spot for a nice residential area above the track work. Again: saving space and killing two birds with one stone.
Jon [8D]
Great Book everyone here should have:
“Realistic Scenery for Toy Train Layouts” by Dave Frary. This is a Kalmbach publication, and available through this site.
The other great tome:
“Realistic Track Plans for O Gauge Trains” by Martin Mcguirk. Also available through this site.
BOTH of these are favorites that never leave my nightstand!
Jon [8D]
Okay. Now that you’ve filled in some of the “blocks” this trackplan is jumping to life. Since you are going with Post-War themed trains, we know the limitations/advantages of the equipment, so we can help you plan accordingly. A turntable and roundhouse will munch up real estate, thus I am recommending you elevate that area (4-4 1/2 inches) above the outer line. Your passsenger train can dissapear along the left wall, and reemerge just left of your control panel. Since you will only be running steamers up to the roundhouse, they will be able to make the climb easily. Also,with the upper level unincumbered by the outer line, you can now throw a couple extra sidings for sand service and coaling, and dare I say…a diesel fueling rack.[:O]
Carefull with the clearance in front of your control panel…I see a possible side-swiping calamity there.
Also, you are more likely to see refinery related items near a RR yard, rather than a farm…
Great idea about elevating the turntable and round house above he outer loop. I can see how this would give me more space, increase interest as the passinger train dissapears then reappears. The big advantage too is that I won’t have to cut out the table for the round table. This section is a couple years off so I have time to really think this through. I also like the idea of the ash pit and other servicing features. I forgot to mention that I worked one summer for a railroad. it was right after I graduated from high school and before I went into the Navy. I was a painter on a Rip Track. It was dirty work, but very interesting. The railroad was the Elgin Joliet and Eastern, the EJ&E.
Terry
That’s cool that you got to work on the EJ&E. You’ll be our go-to guy on servicing aspects.
Didn’t K-Line put out an animated boxcar painting scene a few seasons back?
XXXX ooops wrong thread
Gotcha Long John. [swg]