Okay guys,
I got a few questions.
Where do you get your people for your layouts?
Where do you get buildings?
Where do you get building supplies for the buildings? the grass? the gravel?
I can't find any local stores the carry modeling clay. Where can I find that?

Any input would be appreciated.
Also, if you have any ideas, feel free to post them, with pics if you like.

Thanks,
Rich

Where do you get your people for your layouts?


I use 1/72 aircraft staff from different companies.
Fujimi, Revell, Airfix, Italeri,... They look good as mechanics,
driver, etc.
We've got Preiser here in Germany. They make a lot
of 1/87 people that can be used as spectators (sitting,
standing)!!! http://www.figuren.de/

Also take a look here (comes from Lousiana!!!):
http://www.modelleisenbahn-figuren.com/.

Forgot this one:
http://www.pinecanyonscalemodels.com/index.htm

Btw ... very impressing. I found out about Sparkys former life! :)


Kind regards

Ebi

Where do you get your people, buildings, building supplies for the buildings, grass, and the gravel for layouts?


I got my stuff at Hobbytown USA and a Model Railroad joint upstate. I used Woodland Scenics for most of it, but some Busch, Noch, and Faller will cross over into slots from choo-choo applications quite nicely. This place has some awesome stuff http://www.scenicexpress.com/ ... I got my flowers from them and they carry lots of brands of everything one could want. nd

btw... Whats the clay for?

For buildings I went on the bay trains HO scale and found most. Some I bought new as kits, and some were used and already assembled. Depending on what you are looking for will determine the price. Remember, these are true HO scale, so they are smaller than they should be for slots.

As far as grass, the Bachmann ground cover in the bigger bottles covers a lot of table. I wouldn't buy more than one bottle of any one color at a time. So far on my table, I have used 1 1/2 medium green and 1/2 moss green.

People are a different story. HO scale figures are small. Really small. Pre-painted ones are expensive too. The famous We Honest and the other China source figures are in odd ball sizes. The scale larger than 1/87 are about right for slots. The problem is they all have very bad fashion sense and predominantly wear pink and green. Good for a preppy crowd is all.

As far as the gravel is concerned, a medium gray RR ballast will suffice. And HS that deals with trains will have ballast and the ground cover.

As far a scenic base, I used pink insulation board for my scenery base. It can be hot melt glued to the table, to itself to add thickness, sculpted with a kitchen knife (the fillet knife was my choice) can be sanded smooth, painted on, and then the ground cover can be sprinkled right on the wet paint. After the paint dries, if there are thin spots another layer of ground cover can be applied, and thinned out elmers glue in a spray bottle can be sprayed right on it. Make sure you have a bottle that mists, as a stream will move too much of the ground cover.

You will find trees to be the most expensive thing to purchase. The people that sell the funky pink and green people also sell trees. The prices are decent, but the trees lack realism. Realistic trees are high dollar, but if you get a few, and fill with the cheaper ones that works too.. Scope out scenery lots on the bay, and maybe a couple decent batches can be found?!?!?

Good luck with your search Rich!!

Rich
For trees, I get the nice ones at Michaels. They have 40% or 50% coupons on the weekends and I just buy 1 a week. I get my evergreens after Christmas when all the stores close out their village trees. Also an old Christmas tree can be cut up for evergreen bushes. I use train HO buildings. I also use hot wheels and the like for cars in parking lots, houses, highways. I only run 50's to 70's cars so I try to keep everything period. My layout is a work in progress, I always add to the scenery.

I spent $6 on a close-out artificial wreath after xmas. Made probably 40 to 50 evergreen trees from it. Not perfect but good enough for government work.:)

Click on My Photos and you can see what they look like on a layout.

You might want to try walking out around your yard and finding some branches here and there. Had a friend that was into railroading, found alot of "stuff" to use there. He'd take pieces of branches and get them like he wanted, then would add some detail painting, if needed, then a coat of dullcoat to seal them up. Looked great and were cheap too. ;) rr

These are listed in the slots dept. at ebay... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110429736224&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT the scale is right, the height is right on the money!!!! The price is right too!!! AND, they aren't all wearing pink and green!!! :thumbsup:

Yeah, you can't beat the price on those little people. Those do look a little less garish than the pink and lime green ones. They still need to work on the colors and body styles a bit more to make them more authentic for current era race fans. Chubbing them up a bit would help. Including more sitters would be nice. But what the heck, they are cheap, and this is one part of the hobby where cheap people are a good thing.

Thanks for all the input guys, keep it coming, with pics and links if possible.
So, I got some time to stroll around Hobby Lobby, but still couldn't find any modeling clay.
What happened next made me feel like my TM showing me where the ketchup is in the kitchen.
It was on an isle I had walked up and down a couple times, right in front of me, in a vast array of colors.
So I grabbed some clay, and a bag of weed from the train isle,
and wondered through the maze of fake foliage back up to the check out.

The corkboard I've been using is great for the outer part of the track,
but the infield, well, it just doesn't bend good enough, and really doesn't look that good.
So, I got this idea to do modeling clay with grass over it, and hey, this has potential...

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/17/l_26e51425e3514773aa1bc73704c3b2a6.jpg

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/11/l_bdbd089d9b8440ad81e9926d27fdaaad.jpg

It's so much easier than trying to cut corkboard out, and it stays put.
I will need more than $3.50 to do the infield, but it should look nice with the grass over it.

Rich :rolleyes:

On my old layout I didn't use any product to bring the ground level up to the track surface level and I didn't use cork aprons. I did my landscaping quick and dirty. Guardrails were used on some turns and vinyl track fence on others. To soften the edges of the track sitting on top of the tabletop board I layed down a wide bead of medium brown latex caulk next to the track. While it was still very wet I sprinkled many different kinds of coatings onto it Gravel, grass, flock, lichen, etc). I let it dry, went back to gently sweep up as much excess as I could (to use in other areas), and then simply vacumed. The actual table surface I painted with latex paint right up to the edge of the caulked sections in a color that matched the caulk. There again I sprinkled that with the ground cover while it was still real wet. Others areas I puddled landscape glue and sprinkled it with HO gravel. Same deal there... sweep up the unstuck excess when its dried and then vacum. It's a very quick process. nd

http://i552.photobucket.com/albums/jj342/tjd241/Tracks%20and%20Track%20Construction/sample1.jpg

http://i552.photobucket.com/albums/jj342/tjd241/Tracks%20and%20Track%20Construction/sample2.jpg

http://i552.photobucket.com/albums/jj342/tjd241/Tracks%20and%20Track%20Construction/sample3.jpg

http://i552.photobucket.com/albums/jj342/tjd241/Tracks%20and%20Track%20Construction/sample4.jpg

I got my stuff at Hobbytown USA and a Model Railroad joint upstate. I used Woodland Scenics for most of it, but some Busch, Noch, and Faller will cross over into slots from choo-choo applications quite nicely. This place has some awesome stuff http://www.scenicexpress.com/ ... I got my flowers from them and they carry lots of brands of everything one could want. nd

btw... Whats the clay for?

Cool ! Thanks for the linkage !

Bear :wave:

When I added my timing system light bridge to my scenic'd layout I had to cut out some squares for the feet so they would sit on the underlying table instead of on top of the scenery. This created two holes and exposed screws that needed covering up. To fill the holes and cover the screws I created a green "sticky dough" by mixing green flocking with clear siliconized latex caulk. I filled in the holes flush with the surface of the existing turf using the dough and sprinkled a little dry flocking on top. When everything cured the lawn patches were indiscernible from the surrounding turf. If I had to remove the bridge it would be very easy to pop the caulk plugs out as opposed to chipping away at plaster or sculptamold.

Clear siliconized latex caulk can also be used to create "wet" areas such as weeping cracks above pools of water and small brooks around culverts.

One of the coolest things about landscaping and scenery creation is that you are always looking for normal, everyday objects and materials that can be morphed into scenic elements on your layout. It becomes subconscious, but at some point you'll find yourself looking at something and letting out a "hmmmm" as your mind starts spinning about how you are going to incorporate that something into your layout in a unique way. Since no layout is ever really "finished," the creative process is ongoing.

I spent $6 on a close-out artificial wreath after xmas. Made probably 40 to 50 evergreen trees from it. Not perfect but good enough for government work.:)

Click on My Photos and you can see what they look like on a layout.

I see nothing wrong with those trees. They look good. Great idea and thanks for the tip.

Okay, next page.

Okay, this is a mirror image of the infield at the other end of the track.
This is basically what I started with.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/16/l_c6b61b27ea8d4d12818a515a2debd32c.jpg

I wanted to go with the clay, so I could change it if I wanted,
and because I wanted to go with a red, sandy look with a little foliage.
I wound up with this.....

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/20/l_499e853eeb814f1085c97244de2b8ce4.jpg

It's a little too tall, so I will adjust that, but it blends in with the background well.

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/3/l_28b914b87a5044c990624e65254b73df.jpg

Not sure how the grassy stuff will work out, but, it's in the infield, so it will never see a wreck.

Rich

I lowered the hill a bit. Took me about 10 minutes.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/34/l_63b3fa774131483299cf0e7b12f570c8.jpg
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/11/l_d1cab500292841ab80caf8d90f237793.jpg
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/45/l_16621ca36fcb4d848921318a17cc5311.jpg

Looks better now Rich!!! good job!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

and you've pioneered a new method too!! :thumbsup::thumbsup: nd

I bet if you carved in some cracks and gave it a "weathering" wash of extremely thinned out black or dark brown latex paint, a few drops in a half cup of water, it would give it a more natural and less shiny and pink look. Because it is clay you could also press it with clean damp real rocks or damp tree bark to impart some natural texture on it. Texturizing and weatherizing ... I think it would make a big difference.

Looks like the clay works Rich!!! Cut the bottoms off of some plastic guard rail, spray it silver, and stick it in place. Add a few wild bushes beside the guard rail, you'll be in business or at home I should say...RM

Okay, guys...
This has worked out really well and is now race tested.
Having this clay shoulder took a lot of wrecking out of the outside returning lane.

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/19/l_833d5389440345628fbad2edc0ff1549.jpg

This modeling clay is fast becoming my track's best friend.
It's cheap, not permanent, and way easy to work with. Tons of possibilities.

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/16/l_cbb767a6012341c895ea2b5d2f56638b.jpg

I've really hated my lack of cutting skills on this part of the track.
Tried it a few different times, it keeps coming up, and looks terrible.

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/21/l_9b43d0d4abe6454682802a5e462bf29b.jpg

No worries, a little modeling clay to save the day.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/37/l_9a1f898462434a86af5e7886b789c480.jpg
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/8/l_647ef3e2e45742c7b3d6b2057646968d.jpg

There was a thread a while back on 'filling track gaps'. Lots of good info in there, but I don't remember seeing anything about modeling clay. Guys, this stuff is awesome, and at only $3.75 per pound, is cheap enough to experiment on your track. I've got this same brand at Michael's and Hobby Lobby. It comes in a whole bunch of colors. There is also a type that cures at room temperature. I wonder if either one of these could have made the difference I was looking for on my banked track to make it smoother. I'm thinkin it would. Anyways, just passing on the info.

Rich
www.myspace.com/northtexasslotcars :thumbsup:

Great find Rich!!! Good thinking! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

This has worked out really well and is now race tested.


Very innovative and creative as usual! :wave:
I can remember that my old plastic toysoldiers melted over the years
as they were sticking to clay! Maybe the clay receipe changed so that
there is no danger anymore...

Where are the motorcycles from?? Looking real good!!!

Kind regards

Ebi

Thanks guys,

The motorcycles are Hot Wheels, saw them at a flea market and couldnt pass them up.