Which first - ballast or other scenic materials?

[JeffPreston]

Hi All:

I was wondering... which first - ballast or other scenic materials? 

I am using Woodland Scenics ballast and the MDF board at present has nothing at all on it but track.

I really want to ballast next but was concerned about the look the layout might end up with if I, after ballasting, then do all the landscaping with undulation and hills and the tunnel and have to, as it were, bring the grass (or whatever) up to the very edge of the neatly laid ballast.

I understand there needs to be a cess along the edges of the ballast where it meets the rest of the world - so there would I imagine be a naturally obvious 'join' as it were between the two.

Are there any generally followed procedures that are used based on experiences of pitfalls to avoid? 

Thanks as always for any tips! 

[painbrook]

For me only, I would make sure the track where you want it and no problem with power supplies then ballast. Once your ballasting is done check your power again (do it in sections) When you've finished then think about your scenic. cheers john.

[cjdodd]

I did my ballast first, but it's personal choice really.

[Papyrus]

At the very least I think it is worth fixing any structures that the ballast is going to adjoin, especially station platforms, before you start ballasting. I'd probably also paint the boards a suitably earthy colour along the edges where the ballast is going to go so that the board doesn't show through where the ballast is thin. Does this make sense?

Cheers,

Chris

[Newportnobby]

On the scenic board on Bletchford I did the scenery first and then the ballast/track colouring having masked off the scenery before I sprayed the sleeper grime

[Bealman]

I read years ago in an American MR publication, "Modelling the Clinchfield in N Scale" that they did the scenery first.

I adopted that approach on my own layout and have not had a problem. It just made sense to me.... after all, on the real thing, the ground and grass are there first, and the ballast and track go over the top.

But, as others have said, it's a matter of personal choice.

[JeffPreston]

  ALL!

Great input as always! 

I'm working on it all at present at a temporary site (dining room!) - it will be moved at some point soon to its final location, so... I think I'd better ballast first as I don't want a lot of scenery in place when I rotate it through several doorways and up a flight of stairs.

I'd been thinking the same thing about painting the region that the ballast will be laid on and also about getting the adjoining structures sorted out - especially the station platforms. I did a test on a couple of sections of scrap track using the well known ballast and diluted PVA method and it looks really good. It sat in my unheated garage for over a year and is still absolutely rock solid, so I think I can depend on it.

[Greybags]

I prefer to cover the baseboard with a mixture of dark brown paint, do 90% of the "hard" landscaping, and the ballast is usually one of the last things to go on, so the grass can be matched to the edge..

[Newportnobby]

That's looking good
Can we see more pics of your layout please?

[steve836]

Yes Greybags , more

[Greybags]

Thanks for the kind words. and as I complete each section, I will post some more ..