When it comes to model railroad scenery there are a number of options that can give your railroad a realistic look. Adding scenery to your layout is important because it gives a sense of place and creates a visually compelling space. In this blog post, we specifically cover greenery - going over ground cover, plants, and model tree options.
Ground Cover
Ground cover is one of the most important parts of your scenery and is the starting point of your scenic layout. It covers up your foundation or base layer. Below we suggest a couple methods for creating natural looking scenery.
- Blended Turf - offers the most amount of coverage and creates a nice base layer of vegetation. It is offered in a multitude of earth colors depending on the look you are going for. We suggest going for a variety of shades to create the most realistic look. You can then follow-up with underbrush to give a bit more texture and accents to your layout.
- Static Grass - a relatively recent innovation that requires an applicator which generates static causing the synthetic fibers in the grass to stand straight up causing a nice 3D effect.
- Grass Mats - the easiest option and quickest way to create scenery. They are best used for layouts with simple scenery and can be cut to your desired size.
Woodland Scenics offers a great video tutorial covering exactly how to incorporate blended turf and underbrush to get a realistic railroad scenery look.
Trees
Trees give a bit of realism and texture to your layout - whether choosing to go with tall pine trees for a forest effect or even palm trees if you are going for more of a tropical feel. We recommend blending multiple types to create a more realistic look. There are a number of tree types available for each train scale, but make sure to consider the size of your layout when purchasing your tree heights. Generally sold in two options for model railroad trees:
- Ready-Made Trees - pre-made trees that are easy to apply with an adhesive.
- Tree Kits - sets that come with bare tree stems in which you attach clump foliage with adhesive. For the best realistic look simply bend the tree branches similar to that of deer antlers and apply adhesive to attach your choice of foliage.
Plants
Adding plants to your railroad layout gives a great aesthetic appeal and is your chance to add a bit of color. There are many options to choose from like blooming flowers, to cornfields and even a pumpkin patch to add if you are designing a Fall themed layout. Many people even switch up their scenery depending on the season. Most of our plant scenery is fairly easy to apply to your layout with some adhesive.
Stay tuned for our next blog post where we dive into more model railroad scenery tips on how to incorporate water, rocks, and roadways for a realistic train layout?
Check out our great selection of model railroad scenery supplies at Train Sets Only! Don't hesitate to reach out to our experts to find the best scenery options and application techniques for your railroad layout. You can reach us at 815-462-4720 or [email protected]
