Model Railroading – the Scenic Route

Model railroading on a simple layout composed of train and track on a tabletop can be entertaining, but the experience is enhanced by adding interesting and detailed scenery to the mix. Scenery can run the gamut from extremely realistic, accurate reproductions of real places and times to elaborate fantasy worlds. Scenery building is also called landscaping or scenicking. Types of scenery include slice-of-life scenes or vignettes, and dioramas, which attempt to replicated a full scene in perfect scale. Scenery can be constructed on as large or small a scale as desired, from small models meant to be supported by a shelf, to elaborate confections that fill rooms or buildings. They also range from non-permanent structures meant to be disassembled and put away once they are no longer in use, to the permanent types supported by braces set into walls or furniture, and meant to last.

The construction of scenery generally begins with the preparation of a sub-terrain, or support. This can be composed of screen wired, a lattice of cardboard strips, or carved stacks of polystyrene (also known as Styrofoam). The scenery base is then applied over this structure. The materials used to make this base may include plaster of Paris, casting plaster, papier-mache, or a lightweight foam, fiberglass, and bubble wrap composite. This scenery base is covered with a material to simulate the ground, using foam, sawdust, lichen, sand, or commercially obtained materials. Grass and shrubbery can be created similarly.

Buildings and structures are available premade, as commercially produced kits, or can be built from scratch. Scratch-built structures can be made from cardboard, wood such as balsa or basswood, polystyrene, or prefabricated plastic sheets. Metal and natural materials are also sometimes used. Trees, bushes, and rocks can be fabricated using natural materials augmented with commercially produced foliage and lichen, or with cast plaster or plastics. Water is made with poured polyester resin, polyurethane, or carefully cut rippled glass to produce a realistic effect. Some hobbyists also choose to weather their models and scenery to give the look of a building which has been out in the elements. Carefully weathered models can be nearly indistinguishable from their original prototypes when well-photographed. Models and scenery constructed with care and attention to detail greatly enhance the enjoyment of running model trains by creating a sense of atmosphere and realism. With the availability of commercial kits for creating scenery, even the most inexperienced hobbyist can improve their layout, and those who require greater control have the option of sculpting from scratch. Scenery provides an new level of dimension to this engaging hobby.

Copyright 2007 Jim Sterling - All Rights Reserved

Model Railroad Scenery using Extruded Foam

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