Most layouts that I have visited and operated on that used the Card Card and Waybill system operated very well and reasonably efficient. I chose this system based on the ease of use and not having to hand write or computer-generate switch lists for each train in real time.

I posted this question as a reply to several older topics on static grass, but it occurred to me they might never even be seen by anyone for awhile.  My question is on how to establish a good ground contact for the application of static grass when one has hard shell or some other plaster scenery base.  All the videos I have seen apparently have a foam board base or some other soft material that one can easily inert a nail into as the ground contact.  Can't very well pound a nail into a plaster scenery base without cracking the plaster or at least making a mess of plaster

This sounds like a dumb question, but what's the proper ratio of water to paint to make a nice wash that does what its supposed to without covering what's underneath. I have tried a few washes but just seems like I have too much water. Help!

It's not that I've never finished anything before but this was the very first model railroad thing I bought.  I was 11 and had recently discovered model railroading by reading encyclopedias after school.  In the QR volume was a section on railroads and then one on model railroading, a hobby I didn't know existed.  We had just moved to a town with a hobby shop and I had also just read a book about building the transcontinental railroad.  I mentioned to the shop owner I thought it was a fascinating story.