Fences & Trees
I realize that in classic model railroading one should add details like fences and trees much later during layout construction so they don't get in the way of more basic construction tasks and become damaged. However, I wanted to see if the scene I had in mind was going to appear, so I went ahead and added a few key items to the park loop to assess how it was coming along. I went ahead and added a couple of trees and some fencing. After the trees were planted, and I stood back to have a look, the scene popped, and I had a feeling things were headed in the right direction. No doubt the scene will change as time goes on, but I think things are headed where I want them to.
When I add in trees, this ground view is the best with which to view it. I drill or punch the tree holes, poke in the weed tree structure, then add Woodland Scenics foliage, spread out and pulled from above with something like a dental pick. I pull it through until it looks right, not forgetting to add loose ground bushes, too. Too many layouts have full leaf trees, leaves starting 50 feet off the ground! From a low viewpoint, you'll know where it looks correct. And J.D., I like the height of these trees. People are often afraid to put in the towering trees that should be there, then they wonder why it looks weird. Stand alone trees grow nice and symmetrical because they have room to reach out. Closer trees can be scrawny but clumped close, getting support from their neighboring tree. These look good!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I saved all the trees from the LOL layout, but when I was sorting through the box to find ones suitable for this location I realized a lot of them had dense, clumpy 'foliage' that was so dense it was opaque - real trees aren't like that. The only suitable ones were the two in this photo because the foliage was see through and, as you mentioned, they were tall enough to mimic those that I'd see in such a park. On the other hand, I have a small collection of much shorter trees that will line the sidewalk in front of the World's Biggest Bookstore, but that's because the actual trees were indeed much shorter.
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