My first 4X8 layout Mountains and tunnel, and town


Nick - Again nice work. It's amazing what a little scenery can do for a layout. Yes you can do it on a budget and learn as you do. You might want to look for closeouts on Christmas village trees right now. I've been flocking dozens I picked up at $6 for 22. Add some course turf and you can get some good looking trees on the cheap!
 
Thanks Trinty I will be doing a ton of stuff to the tunnel since I don't work again until next year should be plenty of time!
 
So today I put in some clump brush and a small amount of rocks, I have to wait for the paint to dry 100% before painting the rock faces, I also installed about 20 pine trees, then built a Town Bank (Rix for $13.95) I also painted more people then got bored and Frankensteined them (4 sets of bachman people all look the same) because having people who all look the same is boring, so I made a zombie! (wonder why no business decided to make these, especially with the "Walking Dead" being so popular). I cut off some heads and switched torsos, legs, and heads around, it turned out pretty cool. I also added some color with my guy wearing neon shoes and a custom sweatsuit. I just ordered a KFC for $8 (modeltrainsuff.com is having a great sale) On another note, anyone have any good color schemes for making rock look real?

Here are the results.

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I just got a new digital camera for Christmas so I need to figure out how to use it on small object like people so sorry for the blurry pictures
 
That is looking great!! I want to make some mountain/tunnel for my layout and have gotten some good ideas from this thread! I have the same set of Bachmann people. I like your Zombies idea!
 
So I decided to redo my mountain sceme slightly to make more realistic, I put on a black undercoat on alot of it, and then took the advice of foam brush and gray watered down paint, it turned out pretty good so far, alot more detail to go but coming along rather nice, any good ideas would be appreciated to further make it look good.

Base layer
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base layer
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paint still wet
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still wet
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Nice work! Coming along well.
If you have not obtained a static grass applicator, I have been making and selling those for past year in my shop. I also make them for several local hobby shops. Each come with instructions, grass sample pack and guaranteed for 6 mons. Drop me a message if interested.
 
So I added on to my Norfolk Southern Collection!

So this week I decided to invest in some better rolling stock and struck a nice deal on ebay for Athearn lot of 7 ($65 shipped) and got the flat car at Tommy Gilberts up in Gettysburg for $10 not bad for a Walthers flat car (by the way that is a nice shop)

I will tell you this from a novice Atheran with Kadee couplers is just plane out the best rolling stock I have seen thus far in my limited experience, the couplers go together like magic and the metal wheels glide perfectly, I wish I would have realized before I acquired all of this bachmans/tyco junk :eek:

But anyways enough with my ranting, I will be on the lookout for more great deals.

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Cool!!

Cool job! I especially like the left side. The cows are cool. You did a great job on the scenery, and I laughed out loud when I saw the helicopter on the roof! Cool idea! Looks like you're doin' great and having fun too. The tunnel hill could use a little more sculpting like other people have said but you have what I don't and that's vision. I like the way you put the SUV and people on the mountain. Keep the photos coming!
 
This project is coming along at a slow and steady pace, I started off with 1X4 12" on center and then framed out and put adjustable legs, put down 3/4" plywood and then glue down 2" blue backed styrofoam board, and carved mountains out of white 2" styrofoam board. Put down a nice dirt colored base plate and then used tree kits for the pine and hand made and dark green spray painted some twigs off the bush out front (I know ghetto right but it turned out awesome and the paint sealed it from roting away)

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How did you make those trees? They're excellent!
 
I see you went to Gettysburg shopping. Nice finds!
Looks like a couple Genesis cars on there too, Looks good.
Have you ever checked out Main Line Hobby in Blue Ridge Summit, Pa.?
Not sure what way you travel up this way but it's another fine shop just over the Maryland line.
 
So I have been adding onto my collection of train cars, and recently joined my local railroader club. Just my luck they were having a rather large auction to the member of a past members collection. I was able to pick up about 24 new cars, mostly all athearn with KD's and some even had steal wheels, two of the cars had End of train conversions done, the best part is I got it all for $28!!!! I couldn't believe it!



I picked up 4 tanks cars
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3 Rail Box cars, the one on top is a End of Train car too!
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6 Coal cars, three of them had nice loads, and one of them had an end of train light.
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And I finally Got my two Athean 89' Tri-level car carriers, $50 shipped for ebay train store.

I was very worried that they would fit through the tunnel we built, but looks like we were able to just squeeze by.

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literally had 1/2" to spare!
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Here is a video of my train with the new loads. I also finally put the hand rails on my SD80MAC and changed all the couplers to KD's now I just need to start working on the steel wheels on all the cars.

http://s155.beta.photobucket.com/us.../2013-01-25_02-56-11_301_zps7881dd16.mp4.html
 
Mountain in the works photoshoot

So I did a photo shoot with my good camera today, I did a little more messing around with the dirt road, and custom painted some deer. I also just ordered a static grass applicator.

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I suck at pictures
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Dirt Road to the top of the mountain, I painted and then dump in some turf and mixed it up to look more like gravel texture, turned out very well.
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Deer on the mountain
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The dug in path to the top
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Sneaking up on the Deer (I feel like I'm hunting)
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Coming around the mountain
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Sunset lighting
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:)
 
I have about 40 more tree too put on and 1 canopy kit on order for next month. I also might put a radio or cell tower w/LED light on the back side
 



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