okay track is tested; now its time for scenery. This is usually the time that my layout(s) sit and get dirty and unused; but not this time. Di I ballast first or cover the ground first or do 16 to 24 inches of both.? any opinions will be considered. Thanks in advance Brian
I prefer to do the ballast LAST. There are too many tasks involved in scenery that can mess up ballasted track for me to like doing it in any other order. If I somehow end up working out of order (like needing to get something done for photo purposes) I always end up having to protect the ballast and track so other scenery work doesn’t cause a problem. Then again, I always view ballast as part of the scenery and not part of the track.
Well, the LION will not want to disagree with you, but… : )
LIONS work from the bottom up and when they forget this (they always do) then they have problems.
You have to finish the track before you can build scenery ABOVE the track. If the track must thread through a back alley or maybe through a mountain gorge, perhaps the ballast should be there before the mountain is there.
The LION never sits down to plan how he will build a station, but he does spend a lot of time considering how he is going to make a project work.
OK, LION lays tracks Include any electrical blocks and devices required at this point. Next PAINT the tracks, 3) Clean the tracks, 4) Install Third Rails (if your railroad uses third rails) 4) Instal the platforms, 5) Ballast the tracks, 6) Decorate the platforms, 7) Install Pillars on your platform, 8) install platform Lighting, 9) install pre-painted platform roofs, 10) Install other details. 11) Collect Fares and admit passengers.
ROAR
I also work from the bottom up.
After the track and electrical work, I put down a basic layer of dirt ground cover. After that I ballast the track. After that, I start adding the green. Grass, then bushes, then trees, (small to large).
Well, as with most things in thismhobby, there really isn’t a right or wrong, only your preference. Personally, I find ballasting extremely tedious, so I knock itmout as quickly as possible and get it over witn. Then I can take my time and do the stuff I really enjoy. So, think of a prototype railroad. They lay track over “completed terrain”, so you should do it in the same order. However, mother nature tries pretty hard to take back those rights of way, so greenery overlapping the edge of your ballast simulates that nicely. There really isn’t a right order.
If you ballast first and then do scenery you will eventually have to clean plaster and ground cover out of your ballast.
My vote is ballast last. First, it is the way it happens in real life, the ballast drifts down over the surrounding scenery. Also, it gives more time for trackwork problems to show up.
There are exceptions. Hard to reach places should be done when you can reach them and not disturb the surrounding scenery. Tunnel enterances, between buildings or in narrow rock cuts are some of those places. If you have low use sidings or abandoned sidings you may want to add some grass or bushes close to or between the rails to show lack of use.
Sounds like this tip may be a little late for you, but I paint my cork that is under turnouts with a textured paint that matches my ballast. This means I do not need to use much ballast close to the moving parts of the turnout. You could paint all of it before laying track if you want.
Good luck,
Richard
Beware, Lions march to their own drummer.
Usually most everyone ballast last. Remember on the prototype, the scenery would be down before the ballast. Mother nature is funny that way.
But remember its your railroad, no rules are written in stone.
so what about those yards ,why not go ahead and lay the ballest as the protos did an then let nature start taken it back ? jerry
I think everyone agrees here that ballast is one of the last things. What I do as I get a little stir crazy and get tired of doing the same thing over and over is I break my layout up in sections. RIght now I am working on a new layout that is about 16x20 and I have it broken down into 11 scences, I have the mainline down for the whole layout with the turnouts all in and some of the sidings and short lines in but not all. I got tired of doing track so I started doing the first scene, built up the foam and carved the landscape and covered it with plaster cloth. then I paint the track and put in the turnout throws. Then its on to the Fusion Fiber and textures and trees, leaving places for structures if I dont have them built. And then when I am done with all that I will ballast the track up to about 8 inches of either side of the scene. As soneone metioned its not very easy to clean plaster and such off of the ballast and as long as it takes to get that ballast perfect you sure dont want to mess it up. I like doing this as I know it will take several years to get it all done, but this way I can at least have 4-5 foot sections that the trains can run through and I can shoot some pictures and I dont get bored doing alot of the same thing over and over. Plus if I get a wild idea as I go along I can change the track before I get to far along. Have fun with it.
Dugan
I know it has been a long time in re-posting and thank all of you for your answers. It is now fall and time to get into scenery. All my hill sides are sculpted from foam and ready to scenic. My question is do I cover my pink foam with plaster cloth or paint the pink foam dark brown and put my grass and dirt on the wet paint. I tried to search the forum for answers but cannot figure out their search system. Amy help or advice would be appreciated; a link to forum questions in the past might also help. Thanks in advance Brian
Hi Bwchaney
Order what order[:D]
I tend to be all over the place with scenery, doing it this way can have its problems.
A good idea is to work back to front after all you don’t want to snap the telegraph poles
doing the scene behind them.
So try to start at the back then work forwards the edge of the layout.
I did ballast my track first I wanted that painful job out the way.
So I could always run trains if scenery did not seem like the job for today
regards John
Bwchaney,
Take a look at the Scenery Question,Thread,that is on the same page as this one,going on now,you will get more ideas,for your questions…
Cheers,
Frank
Hi Guys:
I prefer to get all track down and then hold several operating sessions before doing much more then greeny into wet paint.
A cardboard box with a name tag is an industry.
This permits finding out any problem track work and any operational bottlenecks before investing a lot of time in scenery than may need to come out.
Only a suggestion,
Dave
There are many ways to do this, my opinion is to not paint over the foam as I have never been happy with it when its done. I either go over the foam with plaster cloth and thin plaster then paint or now the product I use is Fusion Fiber and either go over the plaster cloth or just go over the foam with the sticky fiber tape that you use when doing drywall joints and then do the Fusion Fiber mixed with a acrylic paint, the color Im using for the ground and then sprinkle your grass, textures or what ever right on it, mist it with water and let it dry. Its easy fast and looks great.
Dugan
First I weather the rail and then ballast. I know, some of the greenery will get into the edge of the ballast. Doesn’t Mother Nature do that also? I’d rather have some grass / weeds in the ballast than stray ballast in the green.
Just my 
worth.
Bob
I like the idea of working sections at a time. You have the track wired and ready so you can run and enjoy your trains. The idea of a 24-36 inch section at a time works as you can make adjustments as you progress and then go back. But of course…ballast last and then add a little scenery to blend it in. Good luck with your RR building
After the track is laid, I rattle can the track, get everything running again and plaster cloth the scenery. Then zip texture the basic dirt. Get the trains running perfect again and then ballast. Next comes the rest of the scenery.