Around the edge of my layout I have a 6"-8" fascia board made of masonite. It rises about 1 1/2" above the layout for fall protection (from occasional cats, not trackwork), and I have painted it a dark green. My question is what color should I paint the interior side? The rough masonite side is visible from many angles, and looks ugly in photos.
What color do I paint the ...?
- Thread starter santafewillie
- Start date
It always depends on the colours you like most, in my case I like pastel colours soft tones, they always go with anything you put around them!
Is the upper edge of your fascia panel dead straight?
I have a similar situation on my layout. I haven't added my fascia yet, but here is what I'll do:
I'll cut the top of the fascia with small ups and downs, giving a softly rolling landscape contour. On the inside I'll pull up the scenery from track level up to the fascia top edge. On this strip between track and layout edge I'll add rocks, shrubbery - you get the idea.
This has the advantage that your trains move THROUGH a landscape and not along the edge of an unbelievable high cliff. With this trick you even add more realism to the layout.
Ron
I have a similar situation on my layout. I haven't added my fascia yet, but here is what I'll do:
I'll cut the top of the fascia with small ups and downs, giving a softly rolling landscape contour. On the inside I'll pull up the scenery from track level up to the fascia top edge. On this strip between track and layout edge I'll add rocks, shrubbery - you get the idea.
This has the advantage that your trains move THROUGH a landscape and not along the edge of an unbelievable high cliff. With this trick you even add more realism to the layout.
Ron
Good idea Ron, i might need to try that wiht my re-fascia-ing project...is that a word? Anyway, since i model N, i wouldn't need 1.5 inches, i'd only really need .5-.75.
I concur with Ron..That technique will vastly improve the looks of the layout (layout being spoken in general usage).. :thumb:
Ron, I use that technique around most of the layout, nothing improves looks like driving through the landscape. My problem area is a 30" radius teardrop peninsula with a 28.5" radius offset mainline. No real room for anything but ballast and a bit of groundcover. I just hate looking across the peninsula and seeing the bare masonite. I was leaning towards petey's suggestion but didn't know if there might be something else.
Do you have a picture? Maybe that will help stir up some thoughts, I know that visuals help me a lot. 
Depending on how much work you want to do, maybe you could redo the top 1 1/2" and change it to plexi glass, you wouldn't have to paint or scenic it because you could see right through it.
Freelancer
Depending on how much work you want to do, maybe you could redo the top 1 1/2" and change it to plexi glass, you wouldn't have to paint or scenic it because you could see right through it.Freelancer
Here's another thought, depeding on how well your artistic skills are, you could try painting the fascia to look like a stone wall. Or maybe something else that would look even more realistic is if you did what Casey Feedwater did and build a rock wall out of plaster. I think that the overall thickness of the plaster was actually thin, just enough to cover the front of the material he was covering, and then he carved the stones into the wall. It is very impressive and realistic looking, I beleive his thread is in the acadamy titled Stonewallin'. It would probably look pretty good in most places, but after going around the entire layout, it might get old. You could use a variation of things, stone wall, tall bushes, rail tie retaining wall, tall grass. Don't know if this helps any.
Freelancer
Freelancer