Rob shows us how he added model train foliage to make his layout more realistic:
“Hi Al,
I have a new video if you might be interested.
In it, I revamped an area that was in dire need of some attention. I call this area the ‘long view.’
It is a fairly long straight section of track where I have built tree-lined screens along both sides.
I didn’t like it because you could see the blue wall through the trees when you were standing over it, which didn’t look right. I must have been in a hurry when I first created it.
I had just piled foliage and trees along the sides without taking much care.
One of the things I did was to arrange the foliage and trees plus I drilled and glued in the trees.
I also filled in below with undergrowth in order to make it look really dense like it had not been attended to in many years.
I hope your subscribers will enjoy this video.
Thank you for all you do to promote the modeling community.
Rob – Farland Howe”
A huge big thank you to Hall of Fame member, Rob. Stunning pics of his model train foliage.
Leave a comment below to let us know what you think.
That’s it for today’s missive.
Please do keep ’em coming – I enjoy them as much as you do.
And if today is the day you decide you to join in on the fun, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
PPS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.
Very nice layout. Like all the details. Great job.
Wow! Fantastic. I love the working gates.
Rob, Great layout !!! What are you doing to make the trucks and buses move along in traffic? I did not see any track they might be on, so I’m guessing they are being moved magnetically by something set up underneath the platform, OR I just couldn’t see that they are HO scale race car track, OR I don’t have a clue how they are moving !!! Maybe CGI….LOL !!! Clue me in, Rob.
Wow looks goods.
Nice pics. Absolutely fantastic details. So realistic. Your modeling skills are quite remarkable. Thanks for sharing.
Jim AZ
Rob,
Terrific layout. But you find a few of your trees uninteresting? Those oaks are the best I’ve ever seen. They commercial or did you make them? If the latter, where is the tutorial?
As to your cardboard trees, a great idea so why not just glue a smidgin of foam onto the cardboard?
And that background music is some kind of pickin’!
Great layout! The photo of the great tree reminded me of when my Grampa came home from work one evening carrying a package full of ‘stuff’. He set about putting this stuff together and it turned out to be a most beautiful artificial Ming Garden. The central figure was a tree almost like in Your picture. I’ll never forget that little garden in a dish. I’ll never forget my Grampa.
Greetings from Joseph in Milwaukee.
Thanks for sharing with us Rob, As a professional horticulturist, I love playing around with the scenery using a lot of common plants and shrubs from the garden. I love your trees. Yes they look like oak and the trunks really add a lot!
Splendid layout. A good balance between railroad and background (towns, villages, scenery). They complement one another and doesn’t overpower one another.
Really nice layout! I have been following all the entries on model railroading at this website and wonder if anyone was ever going to use moving Automobiles and/or Trucks and finally I see you have a moving truck in this setup! Does it ever come to a crossing and have to wait for the train to pass before it crosses the track? I may have missed that if there are some crossings.. I will go back and see if that be the case. Anyway, I think t hat adds more realistice scenery on your layout and wish more would do the same. Great job!
Wanted to say that I saw two vehicles moving in you setup here and I really liked to see them. I think they were moving a little too fast for the scenery, but that’s okay. At least you have them. Is it possible you could make them come to a railroad crossing making the gates come down before the train gets there and then the gates go beck up for the vehicles to continue on their road? I’m sure that would require more wiring, but that would be really intersting and more nealistic. Anyway, graet job and looking forward to any changes you make in the future. I personally do not have a setup of any kind as I’ve never really been in a situation where I have room enough for anything worth while as well as the $ to do so. Keep up the good work!
Fantastic!!! Keep up the great work.
Enjoyed the video, great layout.
Greetings from NZ
Quite obvious why you are a hall of fame modeler , that is an amazing layout . Can’t imagine how you created such a work of art .. it truly is a work of art . The scenes come to life and are incredibly realistic . Great detail everywhere , just a splendid display . I’m in awe . You must have years of hard work and dedication in that .
my o Guage take to much room for turns i don’t have the room but i like the pattern you its great
No complaints with this RR. Only 2 things noted… shiny people, even clothes and cable-less high tension transmission right o way. Those could be very noticeable without cable spans lol.
rich, regards
Rob
Much thanks for the time & effort putting this submission together. Love that Faller truck in the background. As in real life, it shifts your focus for a moment to check out something so very common and everyday. Your trees are beyond super as are all the details.
Most important is your eloquent way of showing what your eye sees and how & why you did something that us novices need to learn. Please dont stop making videos.
Big Al
Ahhhh-Rainy morning, hot cup of Jo, Rob’s missive. What’s better? Gracie.
Rob thanks for your wonderful ideas and that great layout. Keep adding to it because it’s never done.
Thanks also Al.
Rob,
Your video and scenery are so realistic, they actually look like real scenes and real trains. My only suggestion is to slow the bus and truck down a little. They are moving very fast through crowded streets.
Thanks,
Exultant photography. Quite refreshing, compared to the majority of washed out, light struck overhead cell phone snapshots that seem to be the norm at this site.
Your attention to detail comes across so much better with track side shots and realistic lighting.
Great job.
Your
Rob, the pictures are great but I love watching the video the most! So much detail, it’s a joy to watch. I too enjoy making trees, and the ones on your layout are superb. Thanks for posting and keep up the great work!