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Hi im new here (obviously) im building layout in the small attic behind my closet in HO. I already attempted a 4 by 8 layout that didnt work. The train kept derailing on the flex track againa nd again even after adjustments. Any tips? Thanx ahead!!
For lots of fill in trees, puffballs work great! (use the search for puffballs)
Also, a trip through the the woods and a field in the fall will yield plenty of plants that make good trees with a little canned spray paint and imagination. Lichen is free for the gathering in most areas, as is ragweed, which makes decent scrub pines, and another nice little puffy plant I haven't identified yet.
(I still need to paint the trunk, but you get the idea.)
Welcome aboard, Groovy. Might I suggest that you first read one our member's beginner's guides to layout planning? His name is Chip, also known as SpaceMouse, and you'll find his guide at http://www.chipengelmann.com/trains/Beginner/BeginnersGuide01.html. Your porblems with your previous 4x8 probably stem from not having a good plan and not being very experienced at track laying. My second layout was much better than my first. You should first see how much space you have and then decide what era you're going to model, what prototype railroad you like, and what part of the country will you be modeling. Then you can start working on track plans. You have plenty of time to think about forests. As you've seen, without having a layout that runs your trains reliably, you can lose interest in the whole hobby pretty fast.
Alright i"ll try to get the attics measurements on here as soon as possible. its pretty big actually but im also redoing my bedroom right now. I think a lot of my problems with derailing was i made really sharp turns and my train board(it hung from the ceiling with chains) wasnt level. that tree from the puffball thingies looked pretty good ill have to try that.
Here's another nice site for beginners: http://www.modeltrainguide.com/. It not only has some good advice about each part of building a layout but has recommended books as well. I can't stress how much $30 or so spent on books will help you in the long run. Kalmbach Publishing has an excellent series of how-to guides for almost every aspect of layout construction and operation. The internet is good but you can't have your monitor laying on the benchwork when you need advice.
