Boomer since I saw your video's with the explanation and experience of using matt medium I also started to use it. Now I hardly don't use any diluted wood glue anymore and for trees I defenately don't use spray adhesive anymore. Thanks for the tips. Greetings from the Netherlands. Cheers Ronald (Modellbahn Rosenbahn)

Love just "looking over your shoulder" as you work...

I can just imagine all these big brand model train company's cringing every time you release an instructional video. Thanks for helping the modelling community. 👍🏽

Boomer, one size fits all! One can be a beginner, or have years of experience and there is always something to learn from every one of your videos. Thank You for the generosity of your experience!

I dare say that my modeling has improved greatly since I started watching and practicing on my layout

Absolutely the best modeling info I've seen. And what I mean by that is the time you take to explain the methods and materials. Biggest of all is the Why's ! ... it works. Hats of to you for sharing your time with us. I'm hooked and digging every sec of it!

This fellow boomer recently got satisfaction by making scrap ties from Home Depot paint stirring sticks... your vids are super helpful!

Boomer your videos have taught me so much..thank you for sharing your masterful talents! Cheers.

One word...incredible. thank you for sharing your talents!

Your a Great Craftsman, Boomer! Thanks again, for teaching all these great model railroad hints! Perfect ideas for overgrown track, in my train yard. As always; Fantastic Work!

I am at awe with every video I watch Boomer. Your skills and end results blow me away every time!

I ran right down into the layout room, pulled out my jar of XF-52, thinned some down, and gave my ballast a wash. I finally have exactly what I was missing - instead of a dramatic difference between the ground and the ballasted area, the two are subtly tied together. Thanks, Boomer! I think I’m up to a half-dozen of your tips used to great effect!

Boomer, definitely am convinced about the properties of matte medium. Absolutely love your method of layering matte medium with soil, a new layer of matte and the grasses on top, or whatever other texture we want to put on top.

I really enjoy your ideas and the finished product. Thanks 😊

Love this video. Easy to follow along. Thank you.

I´m watching again and again so many times your scholarship lessons... What follow is few tips for CN, CP branchline, spurs and lightly used tracks. 1) dot of paint on ties. Every year a track maintainer walk the track and put a flashy yellow, red, green round dot of paint on ties needing replacement. Every year they change color. It´s not rare that ties stayed in service for years before being replaced. Low budget, time to do it is a factor. May be now they´ll do the yellow ones, marked 3 years ago. 2) ties replacement leaves scars in the ballast. Even packed, ballast, earth isn´t concrete. When you pull the old one and push the new, your ballast won´t be flat, nice and even. Less close to the tie with a wave around and almost none, tie tickness on the side they pull push. Old tie in one piece or broken left beside for later pick up. Can be years. 3) oil track joint. Every summer all track joints were oiled for lubrication and ease of removal. Leaving a dark wet color. Depending on rail lengt, 10, 11, 12 yards it should be steady. Rails being generally all the same lenght. Rails are offbeat one to the other to avoid up and down movements. That´s why on poor tracks, cars balance from side to side. At those joints that we don´t have, a simple file, a few shots on railhead to simulate the joint, will bring back the clikety clac sound that wheels make when passing from one rail to the other. 4) non parallel ties. In real world ties can move and not all being perfectly parallel. Handlaid or sectional you can remove a few, here and there and put back more or less unparalel. 5) rails must have holes to being bolted. Old or new ones, in pile or somewhere close to the track must have holes on both ends. Depending on tonnage carried, and joint bars lenght it can be 2, 3. 4 is for welded mainline rails at joints. 6) telegraph poles. They can be in service or dead. With/without wires. A few or a lot, or being cut and pending. Generally in the same side. When derelicts, some goes sideways, fall or have being cut with only the base remaining. On swampy ground, usually the base is surrounded by big stones in a wooden crate. Don´t forget some holding cables here and there. 7) greasy grass. Weed killers like Boomer mentioned leaves a regular and consisten path line, sort of brown color dead vegetation on track and some distances of it. When not applied, vegetation will rub under greasy locomotives leaving a black top on the grass. Big oily greasy spot can be on ballast. Or load spill from leaky covered hopper. It can be grain, plastic pellets or chemical. Play with the color commodity you´re suppose to carry. From time to time, railroads send a brush cutter machine to cut trees and bushes along right of way. If made by a lumber man with chainsaw, the trunk will be clean cutted with tree lying on side. With the machine it´s a very rough cut, a big shredded cut. Sometimes it hits only branches. Leaving a fresh color if recent or grayish brown if years ago. Some trees grows back with a lot of thin branches like poplar. Vignettes ? Oh yes non stop add on. There´s no limit, brake shoes air hoses, broken coupler jaw, scrap metal, loose content. You can add as much as you want. Not to mention trash from railroaders or the public. Make Boomer proud of its students we are. Every few inches can be a story in itself.😊

Absolutely awesome! With the right tools and supplies, there’s no limit to the possibilities of realism that the mind can vision. It’s amazing 👍

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I gotta do that. Making the sheet of dirt and grass is something I can do today, even if I don't need it right away. Very cool. Thanks. Cheers - Larry.

As the work of all true artists, yours is and will always be most inspiring. Hope you're well, greetings from Argentina!

Your certainly the guy for inspiration 👍🏻

Love all your details!

Beautiful work all round. Only found your site yesterday and have done no work around the house since, been watching all your Vlogs. After being in N Scale since 1969 I have just started to weather a few HO box-cars. I brushed on some Tamiya X-21 and nearly had heart failure, boy what a mess. Cleaned it up as shown and happy with results. Thank you for the trouble you go to, to show us all this neat stuff. Rod. Melbourne Australia, still in Lock-down.

Another great job Boomer it is really good watching you doing all the details and you can feel your enthusiasm for your layout take care 😀👍

Very detailed and realistic! Best Regards, Railherbie

Hey Boomer, it's always enjoyable to see that you have posted an update. I have so much going on that your posts are a fantastic distraction and inspiration. Your comment with regards to always changing and never replicating colours etc is so true and I applaud your efforts to document your thought processes. I have often been asked how I achieved a particular result and I honestly have to say that I don't know. I some times just keep working until the scene or structure looks right. The only thing I do know is how to achieve and then replicate results by understanding how various paints and mediums work. I believe that this understanding is so much more valuable than any given 'technique'. With good reference material and quality art supplies it's just a matter of experimentation and an understanding of those supplies properties to get a great result.

These Vlogs are awesome Boomer. A reference library for the modeller.

In many ways, we are the Borg. All of our collective knowledge comes together in a hive-mind to help others learn & grow. The only thing we're missing is the cubes.

A wonderful and amazing video for sharing. Cheers!

Great video Boomer, love how you show and describe new techniques (new to me anyhow) I hope to try several on my new layout soon. Thank You Gary.

Sorry to comment again on one of your vid Boomer but discovering your channel I’ve found so many additional tips , and as you said we learn new techniques 👌😎 thanks fred

Wishing you and yours a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year!!!!

Some wonderfully useful tips in this video Roy! I really like your idea for "grass mats"... Going to give that a go tomorrow. A few tips on Matte Medium and I apologize if you've already mentioned this in another VLog. First, if you want your matte medium to truly "disappear" completely when dry. Mix up a small bottle of it 50:50 with water in a large plastic container (I use orange juice containers). Once mixed (shake vigorously for a minute or so), add in about 10% by volume of IPA, this HAS to be done after you mix the MM with water. Shake thoroughly again. This gives you a super flowing matte medium solution. But here's the final trick for this... Let this sit for a few weeks (sealed of course). During this time, the sediment in the solution will settle out. This is some type of filler, either calcium carbonate or titanium dioxide. Both are white in color and can sometimes leave a residue on the scenery (some brands of MM, but not all). Once the solution has set and settled for a few weeks, decant the whitish fluid into a separate container and it's ready to use. Also... For static grass tufts and for your grass mats. Use IPA as a wetting agent once you glue your mat or tufts in place (using matte medium). IPA will soften the matte medium in your grass mat material, (I use MM for grass tufts too) and allow them to settle nicely onto your scenery. I had an idea, but have not yet experimented with it for using lady's panty hose, stretched over parchment paper as a base for static grass mats. Stretch the hose over a piece of parchment. Apply MM, then shoot fibers into the glue. Let dry and once dry remove the hose/grass from the parchment backing... I was thinking it would result in a fairly light and flexible grass "netting". Still have to give it a shot, but your grass mat technique might be a lot better. Looking forward to watching more videos of your excellent work!

Mod Podge! Matte! Use it for scenery glue and ballast glue! Great tips! Thanks! ☕🍻👍

Great ideas to borrow! Thanks for sharing and regards from Spain! Subscribed

Really enjoyed this! Relaxing and instructional at the same time. Much appreciated! (Love the music too.)

So, first…. I’m a loudmouth, and I’ve made peace with that ;) so I like to comment on others videos. Either just to compliment them, or just to share what I’ve gained from them… what I also do as they do or just to vote up the recommendation that others should really try something… or what I do instead. However, despite watching hours of your content, I have not commented. I either do much the same, or especially with scratch building, I’m learning much…. Thank you, and I should have commented and said so already. Thanks. I do second the Matte Medium, it’s my favorite scenery adhesive. Well, artists paint medium in general, the general purpose matte gel is good for mixing with grout to “pour” asphalt, or gel/super gel for water surfaces, streams, or puddles. But I’ve really fallen in love with the powdered polymer adhesive that is added to sand and pigment to become grout. You can get it in 10 lb sacks or so as a grout additive. It’s exceptional for ballast or scenery that would require soaking with adhesive. Then it just requires 50% IPA or IPA added to water to activate it. It’s technically wet, but you can get everything perfect while dry, and spray to set it. It seems that most everything stays put, especially useful for ballast, if your picky… I am picky, with my own work, as you are, and why I think it’s worth trying. But you have methods that work very well, I get the reluctance to not break what is not broken, but you may find an edge case or others will benefit. I call it the dry method and mediums for wet method adhesion for flocking, trees, slopes, etc. Next, all that really matters is what WORKS FOR YOU. Modelers should use the WFM abridged messaging more. Matte medium, or any medium is a must and I can’t imagine another way to do it well. Thanks for sharing it, and quite well. Your videos are exceptional and one of the few channels where I’ve went for a second or third watch on some, that’s rare for busy people. And just my $0.02 of something else to try and maybe add to one’s toolbox. I got it from somewhere else, and have been supper happy since I gained that knowledge, and is worth passing on.

I really found this video to be very informative. Excellent explanation very easy to follow. Will be using this idea for sure . Thank you Boomer

Those tuffs are super innovative. They look extremely realistic too. Great tips, thanks

I will never forget.....thin...thin..... Wonderful scenery 👏👏👏👏

Excellent tutorial, thanks for sharing your vast knowledge.

I just subscribed to your channel. Ummmm this is absolutely fantastic, I didn’t even look at part one. Love the track work, and details around it. Can’t wait to see more

Thanks again Boomer, detail looks great and soothing to do.... 😃

Just amazing. How cool. Thank You for sharing

Congratulations on having this Vlog published the NMRA's "Turntable" for October!

Awesome. Another nice touch would be crosstie fragments. I don't see so many whole cross ties laying alongside the track as I see "splinters." Split, decaying ties, scattered tie plates, etc.

Cool railroad.

Great tips!

Great tutorial!

I am very much enjoying all your videos. The content is put together so well and you have a good way of explaining the details. I have a LOT more of your videos to watch yet but can I ask if you have one detailing the planning/construction/laying of the track ? I notice your ties appear to be spaced much further apart than seems usual on US railroads which looks much better to me. Many thanks Rob ( in the UK)

In the olden days pastel earth powders we used to weather everything, synthetic granular sponge, auto puddy [Bondo] for tree trunks, wire trees, artist damar varnish because acrylic had not come into full use, oil paints, rail was rail until the NMRA came along. It's tedious but fun fun fun

Thanks for the many good tips

Great style and presentation. Now all I have to do is implement your process on my rather seedy branch-line HO layout (code 780 & 55). Perhaps I can incorporate the thin layer of dust that has settled on my rails. :) And speaking of seldom used trackage, I would love to find a conductive material/paint to eliminate the shine but still send current to my locos - on that seldom used siding.

I'll have to give that grass Matt trick a try! Don't have an applicator though... Cheers 👍

Beautiful

Wonderful video. You have some many I will keep watching. The music with video is so peaceful, and as a former musician it is familiar but cannot place it. Would you kindly identify. Thanks for all the fantastic modeling ideas you share. wonder modeling ideas you share.

I'm loving this layout build. I've mentioned before how I find it inspiring - so much so I just ducked down to the shops and got some of that same matte medium. No matter how many different brands of paint keep hitting the market I always come back to Tamiya. I love your all-over wash tip to mute and blend the colour palette. Soil and dust where I am from (Australia) is a bit more grey and yellow so I might try those tones (We have crappy soil and low rainfall). Your thoughts on that would be appreciated? Thank you for uploading these updates. 👍

Many thanks for the inspiration. Have you done a tutorial for painting raw concrete as in buildings or structures ? JP in UK

Hope you get this, Boomer. You are go to for everything is now am doing in the expansion and completion of my railroad, which has been under way for 10 years. Problem here in US. Tamiya XF paints in the colors we need are virtually not available, especially in 23 ml. Where are you getting yours? I see two of the more well known British Columbis hobby stores are going out of business or have lost space. I buy everything on line being in remote Tennessee.

Great tutorial, I’m looking forward to use these techniques soon. What do you use to thin the paint and what is the ratio to start with? I like the grass you used, the green goes well with you ground color, I know that’s part of the plan. You said use 10mm, what shade of grass do you use, who’s grass applicator do you? I’m going gather up my supplies, build a small track section and experiment we colors, create the look for my planned layout, thanks for the help!

Yes, of course... dead rail. But with 60 year old brass HO Scale locos, dead rail doesn't seem to be an option just yet... but I could be wrong. I would love to be wrong.

so nice. you have my subscribe… Thank you…..

Beauty

Hi. I am a model railroader from Italy who used to live in Vancouver. You are doing a terrific job! How can I contact you? I need some suggestions for my layout (with European and American trains).

Hello...what is this product that you use for the grass fibers...? This is incredible..!! Thanks...Nyms.

"I've used more of this paint than any other color" - I thought you didn't like using the same thing twice? LOL I've heard of lamp shades from skin, but grass mats?

What is the name of the paper I want to try this but wax paper is ok but what is the difference in using wax paper? Great video!

Boomer, what product do you suggest to use as a layer between bare plywood and the first layer of ground cover?

Where do you get the code 40 rail you use?

Matte Medium

Rail bar? Do you not mean the sleepers?

Mr. Boomer, Do you varathane the plywood before you lay down the cork?

I just tried this technique using parchment paper, sifted dirt and static grass, however mine just sticks to the paper and peels paper off with it. Any idea what I may have done wrong? Thank you!

Hello, I'm starting on a shelf layout myself and will be using code 55 rail. what is the brand of ballast you use, please?

A half crushed barrel, a few half rotted rusty tin cans and dirty glass bottles and it's done. 😏

Maybe it's a sign of our times, but I never thought I'd ever be convinced to believe in flat earth😂

What I like to do in N scale for my tufts, specially around track, is use matte medium and add tiny tiny bits of it where I wants tufts. Like seriously tiny dabs of the medium, to the point that you're not sure any actually left the brush or toothpick. Then I'll static grass over the area and vacuum it up. The incredibly tiny amount of the glue holds the grass firm, vacuuming it up makes everything stand up extra straight, and then I just dump the excess grass back in my container. The tiny tiny tufts turned out pretty ok I think. Here's a picture! puu.sh/J4FVF/04c7e26e9a.png