Building model train scenery is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of model railroading. When you first take up the model train hobby, you will probably want to go with pre-built scenery and train kits. As your knowledge, excitement, and model railroad track plans grow though, you will eventually want to branch out and expand your skills and knowledge to build your own scenery.
Although there are many topics filling in the books, videos and the internet, you could do all by yourself because you can really show your creativity and artistic talent here even if you didn’t have any to begin with.
It’s not that hard to do either. First you should make a plan about the whole scenery you can imagine. Your model railroad scenery should reflect the general locale that you have decided to model, which in turn should fit realistically with your theme.
Try to keep perspective in mind as you build your model railroad scenery. You want your empire to appear larger than it is. Different levels of scenery help in this regard. Also using larger trees in the foreground and progressively smaller trees in the background or on the tops of mountains is also helpful.
The next step you may take is preparing the materials for complementing. There are many materials available commercially now that make the job easy. Even so, you don’t have to buy a lot of stuff if you don’t want to. Many model scenery projects can be completed with materials that you already have laying around the house or that you can find in your backyard.
Formed hills, built tunnels, shaped walls, tunnels portals and am currently constructing a grade to the second level of the Poormans Model Railroad. The rigid foam can be easily tooled (worked with) on you model train scenery. It can be sanded, cut, melted, glued and painted with little difficulty.
The most important piece of scenery that you will need is of course vegetation, you can buy trees from most good model stores however ready made grass and hills will be extremely hard to find so you may have to make your own. You can buy green sand from most model stores which creates a great sand effect and hills can be created from cardboard.
These things, like those described above can be approached incrementally, so that your learning curve is not so daunting. It can be very rewarding studying, learning, trying failing, trying again and succeeding to make your own scenery. As your knowledge grows, your ultimate goal may be to create your own authentic world. That is when you know you are truly hooked!