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My husband and I are currently working on our second n scale model railway. After months of working on our first layout which was only about 4'x4' we decided it was time to expand. Now we are mid way through the construction of a 4'x8' layout instead.

It truly surprises me how enjoyable model railroading is, when we first decided to begin this hobby I really figured it would something new that my husband would be into for oh ......about a week before we would be boxing everything up and putting it into storage. I never imagined that I myself would be involved with it, let alone be enjoying it but it really is a hobby that the whole family can get involved in. There is some thing really exciting about cutting foam, scrunching wads of paper together, slathering a layer of plaster over it all and wallah there you have it ......... your very own mountain.

Well with that said I thought I would take a few minutes to pass on a couple of little tips that we have picked up, some I found online at other sites while others we came up with. There are a lot of products available for purchase at hobby stores that are made specifically for model railroading but for a little less expense you can improvise and still create a very nice layout.

Instead of purchasing the foam products available at the hobby store that can run up to $10 for two 2"x24" pieces we went down to our local home improvement store and bought three 4'x8' sheets of foam for about $6 each instead. So for approximately $18 we had all the foam we needed to create all the mountains and tunnels for our layout.

For coloring your base I suggest a tip I picked up somewhere on the Internet. Instead of trying to paint your layout go down to your grocery store or walmart and buy yourself a spray bottle and a couple different color shades of RIT fabric dye. For our layout I used a combination of yellow, tan and dark brown. Mix and spray your colors using the lightest shade first, then spraying each additional color a little lighter as the shades get darker. This will allow for the lighter shades to show through still and give your layout a natural look. Allow time for each color to dry and set in thoroughly before applying the next color as sometimes the plaster will soak up a lot of the first coat and require a second coat before moving on to your next color.

Track nails are a great way to secure your track to your bed and they allow for you to pull up your track if need be to make any necessary changes. They are fairly inexpensive and have a slightly more realistic look to them but if you find yourself unable to locate them at any of your local hobby stores then head to the fabric section. For about $1 you can buy a box of regular stick pin that will serve the same purpose.Another item that you can find in and fabric section is a tracing wheel. They cost about $1 also and if you use it to score balsa wood it will give you a very realistic nail hole pattern for your wood buildings.

For my last tip the next time you purchase any thing that comes in a clear plastic case..... save the case. The clear plastic makes for great window glass and it's free since you would just be throwing it away.

Learn more about this author, TJ Anders.
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