a small section or everthing


gregc

gregc

Apprentice Modeler
i'm wondering what is the more satisfying approach to doing scenery. is is better to work on the entire layout doing one thing at a time, or (more or less) get a small section done then move to the next?

i'm thinking the if you work on small sections at a time and start in the rear, you will have learned from your mistakes by the time you get to the front, plus you'll get the satisfaction of seeing some completed scenery.
 
I work all over on mine. I get bored real easy working on one section at a time. I figure while the glue or paint is drying here I can work over-there on the next project. I tried to stick to 1 area many years ago & found that the layout just sat dormant most of the time. The only thing that I have ever worked on till it was finished was a piece of metal art.
 
Hi Greg: The method you described is exactly the method I used on my layout. My first two attempts at placing rock castings wound up buried by the third, much better, attempt. If I had to wait for something to dry, I'd work on making background trees. I think having a section of scenery finished helps keep one motivated. Just my opinion. DJ.
 
Everyone is diffrent... For me as long as I had a basic idea of what things should look like. I could start 2 projects, working on one while the other dryed. Just remember that things will change and new Ideas will come to the front as you progress thry the project. I think I made about 3 major improvements in my industry part of the layout alone. Just have fun and ask questions if you dont know...
 
I think it depends on the size of the layout, on a small layout you could easily do one thing at a time over the whole layout but on larger layouts that could become tedious very quickly. It also depends on what you think you could take on.

For me, I like the one thing at a time approach and know I can do quite a bit on a small to mid size layout. But if I were to build a huge basement size empire, I'd definitely split it up into smaller more manageable sections.
 
My layout is totally modular, each is a diorama of sorts, each contributing to its adjacent module. So, depending on the size of the module(s), one could argue I work in sections or I work on large areas. Just depends on one's point of view.

The yard, for example consists of 7 modules. The industrial switching area about the same. I worked them as a module but had them together when adding the detail.

Even now, I am "tweeking" modules that are 7 years old. Adding something here, taking away something there.... Now, see what you've done!!! I'm getting depressed over the fact that I'll NEVER be done. Where's my medication?

Bob
 
No matter what approach you take, starting at the furtherst rear section is an excellent idea. You will make some mistakes and they are much easier to fix or disguise in the far end of the alyout. I realize this is not as much fun as going scenery that you can see immediately at the front but you also don't want to have to rip it all out when you discover you've learned a lot by the time you get to the back. Take it from a guy who's done it both ways, start at the back first.
 
One thing I learned from doing furniture restoration:

"Concentrate on a small area. Make it perfect. Then move on to another small area and make it perfect."

Now, layouts aren't museum pieces necessarily, but after receiving this advice I found that the quality of my work - as well as the quality of my modeling - improved dramatically vs. doing everything piecemeal.

It may be more convenient to apply one process at a time to the whole layout, but it takes an awful long time to get anything accomplished. It also ends up making everything look identical from one end to the other, which may or may not be desirable. There are processes that benefit from doing them at once, such as carving foam scenery or ballasting track. But application of trees and shrubs, driveways and roadways, field grasses (i.e., the "finishing work") is something that is best done in small areas, one at a time. You'll see a natural progression in your work and things that vary in the real world will vary naturally on your layout.
 
I'm a bit different. I believe in "roughing in" all the scenery to get it presentable, then go back over the layout again until it's all done. My philosophy may have something to do with the fact my layout now resides in a corner of my living room (and everybody can see it).
 
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