Progress from this past weekend

Got a bit done on the layout this weekend, but not as much as I hoped.  My layout room is still a disaster from all the work I've done.  I hoped to "straighten" it, but it never happen.  The new area I put in over the summer is a shell of it's former self now.  I've got the scenery just about done.  Should hope to complete this weekend.  The main thing that is incomplete is the assembly of the sand unloader.  The silos are done but the small elevator is not.

Here is the overpass section near the light switch.  Alot easier to scenic when the section is removable.

Little retaining wall I put in the scene.

Super tree painting and drying rack.  These are outside getting their gray paint.  

Here's my rack inside and the tree making has begun!

Here my overpass foam before scenery.  Notice the light switch,

Scenery has gotten a little more vegetation and some rocks (made from plaster) from my old bridge scene.  Just needs some trees.

Another view

The scene in the upper right is complete with a trees and weeds on the small ridge.

The area is starting to come together.

Another view.  Need a few smaller trees on the ridge.

Another view of the ridge.

Scenery update day #2

Well the scenery is 95% complete in this area and was not as hard as I had envisioned.  Here are a few things I have to finish up:
-weather the overpass
-ballast some areas where the scenery meets the ballast
- vacuum the area in a day of two, gives the glue time to fully dry

Things that I liked about doing this large scenery: (You must try these!)
- Heki Wildgrass Fiber-  this stuff is awesome!  Got the tip from Lance Mindheim and order some a couple of weeks ago.  You tear it and glue it where you want.  Sorta like static grass,  Good for clumps of weeds and grass.

-Super Trees:  A must for good background trees.  Mine have been sitting in the garage painted ready to go all
  summer.  I added the different leave colors to them.  It was so easy, my 7 year old was making nice trees.  

You can see the Heki wildgrass on this little hill.  The shack was a late minute add last night about midnight!

Gotta work on this siding a little.  Don't know if I'm happy with the blue hole for the overpass.

A different angle.  Got to get the masking tape up off the tracks.

VM #281 makes the first run through the scene.

A closer view of under the overpass.

Decide to use some static grass in a small field near the entrance to Battlefield Yard.  Thought this picture was the best I took!  No unfinished scenery in it!

My afternoon/evening task:  Cleaning up my scenery mess!

Tree making and West end scenery

I have worked on the scenery for my west end of the layout because simply that part of the layout has no scenery whatsoever.  I put in the ballast last week and that helped but it needed alot more.  This area is only about 12" inches wide and 4 feet long but I want it to be more rural than my industrial switching area.  This area also has the "hole in the wall" that leads to hidden staging.  So its not easily done.  I wanted to hide the hole in the wall so it will not be visible.  I also have an overpass in this same general area.  I had two overpasses but settled on one so that I could put some trees in to hide the rest of the area.  My sub-road bed is plywood so planting trees would be challenging.  I used some 1/2" blue foam board to give the area some height and to also plant trees in.  Here's my progress:

Background trees have been painted and foam shaped, painted and installed.

Another view of the area.

Initial coat of scenery.  Background trees have been touched up with more paint.

This area with have the bridge span and foundation.  Need to paint the stud in the wall a dark color!

Tree planting is off to a good start.  Since  The little ridge is only a few inches from the track, I had to choose tall skinny trees.  I push in the foam with a Philips screwdriver and insert the tree. 

From a distance.  I have plenty of holes to fill and bushes to add.  Use the smaller trees and plant them in the empty spaces at the top.  Gives you lots of variety and the look of trees behind the foreground trees.

Almost done shot.  The glue bottle is holding bushes against an area near the "hole in the wall".

A track view. The white paper towels protect my ballast from paint, glue and scenery.

VC #3 poses for a shot near the woods.  In my hasty work, I forgot that I was going to send a wood chip tube across the tracks.  Might have to send it the other way now.