Here are 3 quick tips you might want to consider for your model railway layout: Model Railway Tip #1 Shiny surfaces can spoil the realism of any model railway.
Shiny surfaces can make buildings and trains look fake.
You do not want everything to look as though it has come straight out of its packaging.
A simple way to remove that shine is to spray over the structure or cars with Dullcote (Testors #1260 clear flat lacquer overcoat).
You can buy Dullcote at most hobby stores and comes in a small spray can like many other model car paint colors.
Model Railway Tip #2 Ballasted track adds more scenic realism to a layout.
However, you need to make sure that the electrics are all sorted out and that all the rail joiners are tight fitting before you start ballasting your model railway track.
Otherwise you may find that after you have ballasted your track, some sections of track will not work properly.
For yards you may want to use a finer grade of ballast to give the impression of more lightly laid lines, while on the mainline you might want more coarse ballast.
Model Railway Tip #3 Sawdust can be an inexpensive material for making ground cover.
Buy some fabric dye from the supermarket or craft store.
Mix up the dye according to the directions and start adding your sawdust.
Keep adding the sawdust until all the liquid is gone.
Preheat the kitchen oven and then turn it off.
Then put the colored sawdust in a baking dish and put in the warm oven for an hour or so to dry it out.
Be very careful you do not start a fire.
You should only be drying the sawdust out, NOT heating it or cooking it.
Safety first! Once it is dried and cooled, bag it up to store it until you are ready to use it.
You can apply it to the ground with white glue and to trees with spray glue or hairspray.
Have fun on working and operating your model railway layout.