Weathering Techniques for a Dry Landscape

Ask any experienced model railroader their opinion on weathering the components of a layout, and we guarantee they’ll tell you it’s a necessity. You can’t achieve the most realistic scenes possible unless you make them appear to be lived and operated on, which requires weathering. On David Barrow’s HO scale layout of Cat Mountain & Santa Fe Railway, unique weathering techniques were used to capture the arid, barren landscape of West Texas in all its industrial glory.

In this segment, host Allen Keller visits David’s workshop to hear his input on proper weathering on a model railroad. David discusses some of his favorite ways to weather a layout, especially ones that doesn’t utilize any water sources. Plus, he introduces a basic ground material that can be found throughout the dry regions of Texas, and talks about the importance of using elements native to your prototype’s part of the world. Take a tip from a master, and add some age to your layout!