STUART JORDAN reviews the essential items in the Gaugemaster Scenics range.
The Gaugemaster Scenics range contains everything that you’ll need to build a scenic layout. You may remember our Scenic guide produced way back in 2008 – you can download it here – which contains lots of useful information on how to get started. In this article I’m going to run through the essential items that you’ll need. It’s not going to be a detailed ‘how to’ article; you can find those in the archives.
Building a permanent scenic layout is what sets a ‘train set’ apart from a ‘model railway’. With a clever use of scenics you can reinforce the theme of your layout, rolling West Country terrain for GWR layouts, or soaring mountains for Swiss railways. An important caveat is that of course it’s your layout - if you’re just running trains for the joy of seeing them go then you may not want to build any scenery at all!
To start with, it’s always a good idea to test out any new techniques that you were thinking of using. Rather than buying a large amount of material only to find that you can’t use it, you can have a go in advance by using the Scenic Starter Set (GM194). This set contains scatter materials, trees, a scenic mat, some glue, and a puffer bottle.
The first step, after planning how you want the layout to look, is to build the terrain. For this you’ll need to create formers out of a sturdy material, either cardboard or foam (using GM622) are good for this. If you’re using a cardboard grid or other open material, Landscape Wire Mesh (GM189) can then be laid over the top. Then a layer of Mod Roc bandages (GM100) can be used to create a harder base to build on.
Once your Mod Roc is set, you can start to think about grass. The easiest and most economic way to cover large areas is with grass mats . This can be stuck down with a suitable scenic glue (we recommend Speed Bond from Deluxe Materials).
Smaller patches of grass can be filled in with our Static Grass, applied either with a Puffer Bottle (GM193) or with a Gras-Master applicator (GM144) for larger areas. The specially designed Static Grass Glue (GM169) is ideal for these two methods.
Once your terrain is built and your basic grass layer is down, you can start adding trees. There is a wide selection in the Gaugemaster Scenics range. You can get multi-packs which contain between 10-25 trees and allow you to cover larger areas of the layout economically. If the slightly more generic trees are not to your taste, also available are packs representing specific species of tree.
A sense of depth can really show off a layout and add to the realism. There are (currently) eight variations of backscenes in the range, which are available in both large (GM701-708) and small (GM751-758) sizes. The larger size are most suited for OO Scale and the smaller size are designed for N Scale. We recommend Deluxe Materials' View Glue (DLAD-61), which has been developed to allowed the backscene to be moved into position before drying.
By now, from just a few simple products you’ll have quite a scene built up. The next step is adding buildings and other structures. Although not strictly part of the Gaugemaster Scenics range, there are kits available in the Gaugemaster Kestrel and Gaugemaster Structures ranges for N Scale and OO Scale modellers respectively.
These ranges cover all manner of subjects from station buildings to town and country, with new kits being added regularly.
Just by using these products you will now have a perfectly fine scenic model railway layout and learnt new skills. You can go further with more advanced items such as rockfaces, water features, roads, and bridges. Adding further detailing and signage are jobs for a later date. Of course, don't forget to lay and wire the track!
Click Here to view the full Gaugemaster Scenic range on our website.