# HO scale baseball field



## Scott Schofield (Jan 26, 2009)

I've been building my layout for a couole of years now and have been amazed and inspired by the tracks I've seen here. You're ideas and expertise are something else. I'm not at all good at building and fixing stuff and wouldn't be anywhere if I didn't steal your great ideas and techniques. I want to build a ho scale baseball field on my layout but don't have any ideas on how to do this. A high school or playground type field. Does anyone have any ideas, pictures, suggestions?? I have a drive in theater, a cemetery, a old style roadside motel on my layout and would like to build a baseball field.


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## GTHobbyandRaceway (Nov 23, 2011)

In High School we made a HO scale model of the PNC Field on a train layout that used to house AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons.. let me tell you that an actual HO scale baseball field took about 4.4 foot area that was not including the rest of layout with train .. very big to do in HO. takes up alot of room!

You could maybe get away with doing a sandlot as you could size it to your need. ours was a small back corner with a wall marked single, double, triple, and homerun depending on height. do something with a rickety fence, dirt lot, and some random objects as bases. a couple basic weathered wooden benches and your set, could be cool actually..


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

I assume you want a grass and dirt/gravel look. The grass technique is typically done with flocking and the dirt can be done with ultra fine gravel or maybe cork sheet. Add some bleachers, dugouts, backstop, walls, fence, walls, lines, etc. I'd look for an aerial view of a small town Triple A or college ballpark, not Yankee Stadium. Google Earth may be a helpful tool if you know the address or location of a small ballpark. 

This sounds like a very fun and highly doable scenery project using standard model railroad scenery techniques. I always look to Dave Frary's books and online site for how-to guidance in the scenery department.

By the way, model railroad/slotcar scenery is typically not about creating a scale replica of the scene you are trying to create. A true scale model would require a warehouse sized track. Rather, it's all about creating a vinette or diorama that captures an essential subset of visual elements of the scene or situation you are trying to create. It's your mind and imagination that fills in the gaps between the model and reality.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

I have a baseball field on my layout. It's not really well done; I really need to lay down some textures for grass and infield dirt, where now it's just painted wood and a foam sheet. I kinda plopped it there to see how it would look and never got around to redoing it the right way. Maybe watching someone else do one will help inspire me. In the meantime, I'll try and find some pics I have posted of what's there now...

--rick


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

OK, I found a couple of pictures:



















The figures are from Woodland Scenics. Fun stuff. Now I have to get around to doing it the right way, like I said...

--rick


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## gomanvongo (Jun 12, 2010)

ParkRNDL said:


> --rick


is that a fly ball, or just a fly in your outfield? :wave:

john


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## GTHobbyandRaceway (Nov 23, 2011)

Like the open concession stand.. Would make a good ice cream stand. green sandpaper, 80 grit if I remember correctly, makes mighty fine astroturf.
Just a thought, you might already have a technique.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

You can use small white Chiclets for the bases, half submerged, if you're using dirt.


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## BewstdGT (Jan 4, 2005)

Where did you find that material for doing the fence? I recently went and bought some diamond pattern mesh from joann fabrics but it turned out to be a nightmare and was horrible. Just curious what you used. Looks pretty cool!


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## foxkilo (Mar 27, 2008)

To get a more authentic look to the fence I would use gaze fabric from decorations or gift stores. The stuff they use to make ribbons and bows from.

As for the posts of the fence longer woodpicks are really good for that purpose. Over her they are used as skewers on mixed grillplates.

As to speak of mesh or grills for our cars a good source are kitchen water taps. If you unscrew the outlet it is packed inside with nice little meshes.

Mario


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

It's another Jo-Ann Fabrics kind of thing, but I forget what it's for, I gotta ask my wife... I actually "borrowed" it from her craft room.  It's actually way too big to look really realistic, but I had it on hand and it gets the point across. 

--rick


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## BewstdGT (Jan 4, 2005)

For the fence I bought diamond veil material. It looks just like a typical wire mesh yard fence but its so flimsy it's hard to make it conform to a shape. And there's not a good way to stake it for the fence posts. I have much to learn when it comes to scenery.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

If you have window screen, you might be able to work with it. It will conform to the shape easier. You will really need to come up with a framework for it (or anything else really) to work. If you're handy with a soldering iron, I would scope out copper rod in 1/16th or smaller if you can find it for the frame because it's soft and easy to manipulate. Make sure you scuff it up, not only so the solder has something to bite into, but also so the paint will too. Once you have it formed, clear hot melt used sparingly could hold the screen in place. Use as little of the glue as possible, because paint doesn't like to stick to it. A better alternative to the glue is the wire from bread twist ties. It's small enough to hide in the fence, and holds pretty good.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

BewstdGT said:


> Where did you find that material for doing the fence? I recently went and bought some diamond pattern mesh from joann fabrics but it turned out to be a nightmare and was horrible. Just curious what you used. Looks pretty cool!


Finally responding to this... my wife said it's called plastic canvas and you can get it at any craft store.

--rick


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## BewstdGT (Jan 4, 2005)

Thanks for finding out. I'm actually getting ready to tackle one of my fence structures today. I'm going to attempt using wood dowel rod as fence posts and try to use this diamond pattern veil fabric I bought, but if it fails horribly I'll be getting some of the harder plastic. The veil stuff is about right for scale and looks but it's pretty floppy and needs glue to stick to the fence posts. Thanks for posting that though!


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Old rail road trick. - You might spray it with some Aquanet hair spray to stiffen it up.


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