Welcome to the Gauge! Model Railroader probably has the best layout coverage of any of the mags. Railroad Model Craftsman and Model Railroading have a lot of good articles on scenery and structure building. Mainline modeler has really good features on detailing specific locomotives. I think for intructions on how to build a layout form benchwork to scenery, your best bet would be to look over some of Kalmbach (Model Railroader Publisher) paper back book titles. They regularly reprint articles that have appeared in various issues of the magazine into a book with a unifying theme, whether it is a book with 6 Small Railroads You Can Build, or a book of trackside details, books on building benchwork, books on kitbashing structures, or even books dedicated to building one specific layout from benchwork to finished scenery, they have a bunch of titles that are sure to help you out. Lastly, don't overlook the Gauge. If you spend a few hours browsing the boards here, you will find a wealth of information on just about every aspect and type of construction used in building a model railroad. If you want to see what can be done with almost nothing, take a tour into the academy and start browsing through "Robin At His Best." He would build craftsman quality structures that would rival some of the best Fine Scale Miniatures kits, and do it in n scale out of old cereal boxes, sequines, and bits of junk!!!
