| A well thought out model railroad backdrop is an | | | | Use Digital Photos |
| essential part of landscaping that should not be | | | | If you have a flair for photography, you can |
| overlooked. Here is a guide for a choosing the | | | | create a custom backdrop using your own digital |
| best background for your train. | | | | photos. Head to the great outdoors and find the |
| One of the blunders I have seen over the years | | | | right scene that you think would be an |
| is when a modeler has a beautiful train layout with | | | | appropriate background for your trains. Set your |
| lots of attention to details, and a backdrop that | | | | camera up on a tripod to stabilize it and then take |
| looks almost like an afterthought. It really detracts | | | | a series of side by side photos, taking care to |
| from the whole look. Don't fall into the trap of a | | | | capture the entire landscape. These can be |
| haphazard background for your railroad. | | | | printed onto wallpaper and adhered to the wall |
| Do It Yourself | | | | with paste. The results will be stunning. Be sure to |
| You don't have to be a skilled artist to be able to | | | | ask for mildew resistant wallpaper. |
| paint your own landscape, but you do have to | | | | Panoramic Wall Murals |
| practice. If you decide to do it yourself, start by | | | | A third option is to use panoramic wall murals |
| practicing on poster board until you are happy | | | | scaled to the appropriate size for your railroad. |
| with your technique. Be sure to choose the right | | | | These are professional photographs printed onto |
| colors to give a seamless transition from 3-D to | | | | wallpaper or vinyl wall banner material. You can |
| 2-D. Pick a spectrum of greens, browns, and | | | | choose from cityscapes, mountainscapes, or |
| greys that reflect the colors of the ground foam | | | | scenes with rolling hills. Be sure to measure the |
| products you already use for your ground cover | | | | length of your layout so you aren't left short. |
| and rocks. | | | | Again, if you're going for wallpaper, use mildew |
| You can keep the background fairly simple and still | | | | resistant. |
| achieve a great look. You basically need three | | | | You've spent countless hours on your model |
| elements: hills, sky, and trees. The hills should | | | | railroad. Invest a little time and finish the look of |
| gently slope upwards and downwards, and they | | | | your entire layout with a great model railroad |
| will be speckled throughout with various trees. | | | | backdrop. Not only will it complement your existing |
| The sky above will of course need clouds, so | | | | scenery, it will be a grand finishing touch that |
| research pictures and basic cloud painting | | | | really completes your railroad. |
| techniques online. | | | | |