I am planning a small (1'X6') (HO scale) industrial switching addition to my layout. Being new to the hobby and having no experience in scratch building models, to add industries, I am thinking of using Walthers Cornerstone background buildings. I would appreciate tips, techniques and photos from modelers, who have used these building kits on their layout.   Also ideas for filling the spaces between buildings. Has anyone used background buildings made by other manufactures?

Thanks.

Rick

Realistic Street construction ideas

Just a quick post requesting ideas from my fellow modelers on how to construct realistic looking roads and streets.  I have a need for a series of streets for my town area and I am not satisfied with any of my attempts so far, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely

Andrew Hauser

Minooka, IL

Last summer, I decided to make a diorama using natural material for scenery like gravel and the dust and dirt from various gravel sifted through different sized strainers. The track and ballast is commercial the rest including the sub-roadbed is not.

I'm going to use what I learned from making this diorama for a future layout that will depict a coastal branch line terminus that is near the coast.

The beach wrack is made out of corn silk I dried in the oven.

How thick (or thin) is 0.007 inches?  Not very darned thick.  How much effort does it take to break a piece of glass 0.007 inches thick?  Not very darned much.