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Building Step by the number Dream and design
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Regular poster 131 posts toyzforme Regular poster 131 posts
toyzforme

Hi guys

Well I have or should I say had a 4x12 layout as my first and I made many mistakes LOL.  I bought Joe's run like a dream book and discovered lots of mistakes.  So I ripped everything off my layout to eventually do a 3 tier layout with a helix on one side and loops on the other end.  I cried a little as i was tearing everything apart and putting them it in boxes.  So my question is "what steps do you use to build your layout" ie 1. Planning, 2. Building, 3 Laying track?

From there I don't know whether to lay backdrop or ballast LOL.  What steps for the ones who have completed or almost complete did you use?  I don't want to make the same mistakes again and get ahead of myself when I should have been doing X instead I was doing Y if you know what I mean.  Thanks in advance

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Moderator note: Inserted photos. Click for full sized versions. 
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jeffshultz MRH Staff 7,975 posts
jeffshultz

Next Step

I recommend backdrop (in fact you might want to put it in before the track). 

Two primary reasons:

1. You don't have anything between you and it to break as you are installing it; and

2. You don't have to worry about dripping paint or whatever on anything else either. 

Either way, at least get a basic backdrop in there - it doesn't have to be the whole Bob Ross Happy Trees treatment. 

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Jeff Shultz - MRH Technical Assistant
DCC Features Matrix/My blog index
Modeling a fictional GWI shortline combining three separate areas into one freelance-ish railroad.
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jeffshultz MRH Staff 7,975 posts
jeffshultz

Ballast

Oh yeah - Ballast will be practically the last thing you do, scenery-wise, in a scene. It just works easier that way. 

orange70.jpg
Jeff Shultz - MRH Technical Assistant
DCC Features Matrix/My blog index
Modeling a fictional GWI shortline combining three separate areas into one freelance-ish railroad.
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toyzforme Regular poster 131 posts
toyzforme

Thanks Jeff I kinda figured I

Thanks Jeff

I kinda figured I went about it all wrong. I just dug in and started doing things.  I realized real quick that I was doing something wrong.  Oh well I hope I do better on the next layout.  Of all the things I liked best with this layout was my mountain.  I plan on keeping it and trying to use it on the next layout somehow.
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