Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y31nqGsPlJk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV-8pWLkjHA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql2Ezc9j3lM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3fccZYyZZk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lfR_KU-DPQ

Well, finished the scenery, anyway.  Still some detail work, powering the yard lights in the intermodal yard, powering
the grade crossing signals, yard lights for the engine house / carknocker's shed area, and in front of those buildings,
loco service - fuel, sand, water.  That's all minor stuff and won't interfere with operations.

So, some photos.

Across the doorway I've built a drop-in bridge.  It pins (1/4" dia steel rod) on each end and holds the rails in perfect
alignment.  You can't even hear the wheels click as the train passes over the gaps.

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I extended the siding for the intermodal yard across the bridge and over to the other side.  This allows me to spot
9-10 well cars on that siding with the bridge in place.

Plexiglas was added on each side to keep derailed trains from falling into the "Door Valley Chasm".

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When the bridge is not in use, these short shields drop into slots routed in the bridge mounting blocks to keep from
running locos and cars off and onto the floor.

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Fascia was made from 5mm (?) Masonite (hardboard, like the back of a clipboard) and painted
Behr "Underwater", a dark, minty green.  I used some plastic finishing washers that were really
more OD, but the only green ones i could find.  I sprayed them with some Krylon for plastics
that is a pretty good match, as well as the screw heads.

And along this siding, due to proximity to the edge, I added more Plexiglas.

Attached File


All of this section is really just to get trains around to the other side of the doorway, and for the
most part, only 12" wide.  There was some space in the corner I wanted to do something with,
but it's lame to put a train station or other facility to be serviced by the RR on a curve.  And in
digging around in my stuff I found the earth moving equipment.  There has been an ongoing
flood control levee project going on in town, so I thought I'd incorporate that.  And that gave
an excuse to use the very well made BLMA Port-o-Potty.  I parked a supervisor's pickup, too.

I will be spraying some "dust" on the equipment, and dirt and mud on tires and treads.  I'll do
a little detail painting, covering hinge rivets with CAT yellow or black.  These are more diecast
collectable toys than true scale items, but they are very well made, all the same.  The dump
truck and excavator are both true HO, 1:87.  The Cat dozer is 1:83, a very oddball scale, but
close enough to not be noticed.  Besides, real dozers come in various sizes.

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Continuing around, this is the section passing over my desk.  A little "dust" sprayed on the Hayes
Bumping Posts to simulate dust and sunbleaching, and rust dabbed on in spots.  These Hayes
bumpers are made by Peco, and look very much like the real ones.

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The bumpers are firmly glued down with Pacer Formula 560 aka "Canopy glue" to the R/C plane guys.
It looks like white glue, but dries flat clear, and sticks very well to plastic.

Here's the real deal for comparison.

Attached File

Nice!  But you know that a model railroad is never truly finished!!  

If you read MRH online, I'd suggest subscribing to Trainmasters TV.  They have some great tree making videos - particularly the one where the owner of Model Builders Supply.  I bought their tree kits for my groups modular layout from them, and they are awesome!

I'll IM you some photos of my modules.

Also, the Peco bumpers are nice.  I use the track bumpers from Tomar Industries.  Check them out.   They are awesome!

Very nice setup, good work also

I had some Atlas Code 83 (rail size) "rerailers".  These will put wheels off the track right back up on the rail when
passing over, or if placing a car or loco on the track, just swipe it back and forth and all wheels are up on the
rails.  Since the train would soon turn the corner and go over the drop-in bridge, if going "eastbound", or if "westbound"
into the town with all it's sidings and crossings, having the rerailer here is pretty handy.  But I needed all of them to
complete the illusion that it was a grade crossing of three tracks.

The nearest track is a siding that is insulated over on the right where it joins the main line.  The toggle allows it to
be used like regular track, if the toggle is to the right "Main".  If centered, power is Off.  If the toggle is pushed to
the left it connects that siding to the programming module, allowing me to use my computer, directly below, via a
program called JMRI Decoder Pro program locomotives.  I can swipe a loco back and forth on the grade crossing,
it's on the track, toggle to Program, and set start and max speeds, momentum, lighting and sound effects, and other
things.  The crossing signals just plug in, removable so as not to be damaged when programming locos.

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Dark gray artist's chalk was used for the oil stains on the road.  The signals are from ebay seller "wehonest".  They
are very well made, mostly brass.  The "target faces" (black pieces around lights) are plastic.  But very rugged, look
good, and are inexpensive.  I highly recommend this supplier.  They have lots of other track details.  They made the
yard lights in the intermodal yard, too.

(In person, the oil stains on the road are darker, the road surface more gray-tan, like real concrete, and the RR
crossing stencil on the road surface shows up better.)

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On down the line, another plug in panel (NCE calls these UTP panels) for the controllers, though for my own use
I have a wireless radio controller.

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And finally, where it connects to the rest of the layout you have seen previously.

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You can see the rest of the layout in this now archived thread.  Toward the end is a link to a Youtube video.

Go down to the 7th post on this page and working your way down the page brings you from the enginehouse
around back to the door:

https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/-ARCHIVED-THREAD-Time-for-me-to-put-up-or-shut-up-my-railroad-now-with-VIDEO-p-2-/186-2088146/?page=2

And the first 5 minutes of this video for a walkaround.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7Bfyh5lb2c

The unfinished section in this video is the area I have just completed.

So there it is, other than minor details, it's done!

(Such as painting the remaining few supports under the layout.)

Nice job on the ballast!  Atlas Code 83 on the mains?

I know, I know.  

I'll be adding some trees made with Woodland Scenics armatures later.  Right now all the trees are on the backdrop, which I painted.  

That would be much appreciated!

I like the slight flexibility of the plastic used on the Pecos, as compared to the Walthers bumpers I used on other places
on the layout.  Look more realistic.  I may pry some of those up and replace with Pecos later.

Are the Tomars metal or plastic?  There was one brand, all metal, and they would short the rails.

Thank you, Vinny!

Thanks about the ballast.  I hate doing ballast... it's very tedious, and tiring to do, for me.  But about the time I really
got good at it I was done... hahah.  Next layout I'll do even better.  Isn't that how it always is?

Some think coarse ballast is for 0 Scale, medium for HO, and fine ballast for N.  But I use only fine.  Medium is just too
large for HO to my eye.  I've never had anyone say, "Your ballast is too fine... it needs to be larger."

Yes, Atlas Code 83.  The curved switches are Peco.  Curved switches really are a space saver, but if I was doing a larger
layout I'd just use all Atlas.

For those that don't know, the Code is the height of rail.  Code 100 is heavy rail, and 0.100" high.  Atlas Code 100 track
comes with black plastic ties (wood grain).

Code 83 is 0.083" high, a more medium grade rail appearance, with brown wood looking plastic ties.  I go one step further
and paint the sides of the rails a rusty, dirty brown, wipe the tops clean with thinner soaked rag.  Humbrol #98 for those
interested.  Right color, spreads well.  And I painted rails, ties and all with the Humbrol #98 on the Peco switches, that
had black ties.

Atlas Code 83 is also available with gray "concrete ties".

On my layout, since you can only see one side of the rails except coming into the intermodal yard, I only had to paint one
side of the rails.

Code 70 is 0.070" high, and is light rail such as sidings, spurs, or other lightly used track.   There is a problem transitioning
to and from this to 83, and some brands of locos and cars wheel flanges hitting rail joiners.  I solve these problems by using
Code 83 for everything.

They are metal...  No shorting though...  I will just cut in a gap, fill the gap with styrene, trim the styrene to match the rail profile, paint, and you are good to go.  You can also use insulated rail joiners if you want, but they are soooo bulky.  They just don't look as good.

The Walthers bumpers are too bulky too.  I like the Tomar bumpers because they look more realistic (although your Peco ones aren't bad.) and they don't break.

Great suggestion!  I could have done that where I insulated the siding, too.  I painted the plastic insulating joiners with Humbrol 98, too,
and they are just gone.  Nearly invisible.  Also where I soldered power drops to the rails, solder, wire and all.  Once ballasted, you don't
notice it.

See them?

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There they are...

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Painting really hides them.

Got 'em, thank!

very nice!

Jup..
Been following your threads from the start.
I can't imagine the time and money you have in the railroad but it's beautiful.
I've also followed your ham radio threads... excellent tutorials for newcomers.
As others mentioned... it's never "done".
I'm sure there will be more small details that add to the realistic looks.
Now ya need to make a close up "foamer" video... Maybe a train / car wreck.. LOL
Great Job! Enjoy!

I've got some neat things I'm going to do "behind the scenes" to make for easier operation... unique things,
that draw from several disciplines, so to speak.

OK... I'll tell you a few.

Using an R/C servo to operate a difficult to see/reach switch behind a building.  From the first thread about
my layout, behind the gray building "TransShip International".  I'll show how to make it operate via a toggle
on the fascia.

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Sound effects for the intermodal (container) yard.  I have found forklift and crane sounds on the net, engines
running, hydraulics whining, etc.  I'll mix these in a program I use for music recording and editing.  I have enough
to make 20-30 minutes.  I could loop it, of course.  Load that as MP3's into one of those tiny pocket size MP3
players.  Come off the earbud jack with a Y-cable to RCA phono plugs into one of those little 15 watt per channel
stereo amps ("chip amp").   And play that through a pair of small "bookshelf" type speakers under the intermodal
yard.  I'll even try some pan effects so that the forklifts run around the yard.

Across the layout around the engine house, I may try a similar setup but feed it with some loco diesel idling sounds.

I might even hook a VHF receiver tuned to the local railroad so it will randomly play the defects detector voice  
("_____ axles, no defects") and other RR radio chatter.

The yard lights in the intermodal facility are now powered.  I used an old 19 volt laptop power supply, the output
regulated down to 12 volts suitable for the lights.  These yard lights (by wehonest.net) have SMT LEDs and each
light has a resistor in the positive lead to provide the corrent current for 12 volt operation.

For voltage regulation I simply wired in a 7812 regulator chip.  No heat sink required for this very low power usage,
and did not add the capacitors often recommended.

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Similar lights will be installed by the engine house / maintenance facility.

Are ya going to put those irritating "motion beepers" on all the machinery??
We need a good video with all the sound effects when ya get the chance.
Lookin good Jup.. 73 & Happy New Year.

TTX guy here.

Is that a TTX parts yard there?

As a matter of fact, I have a bunch of such sounds, short mp3's, I'm going to mix... hydraulics
whining, forklifts running around, get out of my way beepers, machinery idling, the works.

Going to mix, loop, into one mp3... in stereo.  Get the forklifts running from one speaker to the
other, stuff like that.  I'll put a little 15 wpc amp and MP3 player under the intermodal yard, and
turn it on on occasion for sound effects.  You think I'm kidding?

Yep... I have a total of 14 TTX units... some singles, some 3-unit cars.  Also some red and blue stuff.  Lots
of well cars.

You just can't do intermodal without lots of yellow stuff.

Looking around the layout now, there are also three Railbox boxes (2 50'ers and 1 60' high cube), and I have
three more 50' railbox still in their boxes waiting to be assembled and weathered.  The three on the layout
need a car wash, and the damned taggers got to them.

I've done it!!!

I've mixed first a 5 minute stereo track of various diesel trucks idling, forklift motors, hydraulics whining, clatters,
clanks and clunks, forklifts honking horns, backup warning beepers, the works!

Then a did a fast but neat fade in / fade out on each end.  Then I looped it, overlapping the end and next beginning,
resulting in a 15 minute stereo wav file of industrial yard noise.  Made me feel like I was back to work, but shook
myself, reminding me I was retired.  Whew!  Close call!  I then converted that file to MP3 format, and it is right at
15 mb.

I'm loading it into a little SanDisk MP3 player as I type.

I'll hook that up to a little chip amp like this:

https://www.parts-express.com/lepai-lp-2020ti-digital-hi-fi-audio-mini-class-d-stereo-amplifier-with-power-supply--310-3000

I'll connect the amp to some small bookshelf speakers (old Rat Shack Optimus Pro-55AV bookshelf speakers).

This stuff will be placed on a shelf under the intermodal yard and rumble and make workin' noise.

Anyone that wants this MP3 need only message me with their email address.

If you think a bunch of diesel locomotives with sound idling in the yard is irritating, you ain't heard nuthin' yet!



EDIT!!!  Now with video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV-8pWLkjHA

This is really cool stuff. Thanks for all the pics and details!  You have skills and patience.

Thank you!

I noticed that you mentioned getting the yard lights from wehonest, it looks like your crossing signals are from them too. Do you have any other lights, signals from them? I'm seriously considering ordering a bunch of things from them as they are so inexpensive. It's the crossing and signal controllers from other manufacturers that are going to be sucking up the $$$$$'s. I'm still researching those now.

Your railroad building skills are really impressive! Thanks for the great pictures.

Yes, all signals are from Wehonest.  The flasher circuits come with the grade crossing signals.  They have a crossing controller.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Control-Signals-etc-automatically-trains-Delay-Switches-Circuit-Board-/150756095487?hash=item2319c375ff

There are links further down that page showing how it works.  For $15 you can't go wrong.

The signals in the front were not from Wehonest, but another supplier.  The signals in the back were from Wehonest.  After just
a few days, working on things, I broke one of the signals in the front... all plastic.  I replaced them later with ones from Wehonest,
which are all brass but for the target face.

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These are from Wehonest, too... not a thing wrong with these.

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The yard lights require 12 vdc.  The leads have the resistors built in for LED 12 v operation.  I rigged them up with an old laptop
power supply that produces 19 vdc.  The voltage is regulated down to 12 volts using a 7812 regulator chip.  Like this.

Attached File


This can also be used to power the grade crossing flasher circuit and controller.

Wehonest ships via slow boat from China, I think, but the shipping costs are very modest.  Their English in their emails is better than
my Chinese, I will not insult them over that.  But they produce very nice products at great prices and they really care that they make
their customers happy.

Thanks much, Speed!

I'll post a link to video by a friend shot just this morning of my layout as soon as it is edited and
uploaded to Youtube.

Thanks. I did order some products from them. How did you set up the IR sensor for the flasher? It only comes with one pair. It appears that most other manufacturers have two pairs(one for each side). I wonder if you could hook up either 2 emitters or receivers in series so that one set can be on each side of the crossing and if you break one of the beams it will trigger the flasher? I have also just bought the Azatrax D2T-xing circuit which will do this. I have a 4 track crossing which the Azatrax should work for as I can mount the detectors to span across the 4 tracks. I don't know if the wehonest one will be able to do that.

Also, how did you do the lines and RR xing on your roads? Are those decals or dry transfers?

I have not gotten around to wiring the crossing signals yet.  I'm still trying to figure that out myself.  I do have the
flasher circuits, which came with the signals.  You only need one circuit to operate all four signals on that double
grade crossing.  Actually, I'm not going to even bother with the one facing the back wall in the back.  No one can
see it without a mirror.

The others will just be wired parallel.  I've looked at real such crossings.  When they flash, each signal is not independant
of the others.  They are not all flashing left-right-left-right at random times.  All the lefts light up, then all the rights light
up,  all lefts, all rights.  So only one flasher circuit is needed.

At this time I don't know how I'm going to trigger them.

There is a site, Highways & Byways, the guy's name is John Howard, and a very nice guy.  Those markings by the double
grade crossing between the bayou and Cargill are all from him.  Also, the turn arrows and STOP markings in the intermodal
yard.  I think these were all on one sheet.  They are "rub-ons".  John also makes lit up police, fire, emergency vehicles.  LED
flashers all over.  They really look good.  I just tried his website, not working at present, but he is on Facebook.  His FB page
says he is closed while moving everything to a new office.

https://www.facebook.com/Highways-and-Byways-565947940218546/

The marking by the triple grade crossing over my desk is a brass stencil I bought from a friend, and used an airbrush to
paint.  It is not nearly as sharp as the rub-ons, but will stay on longer, I'm sure.

Video was shot a few days ago.  Here is the grand tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y31nqGsPlJk

Of course, there are still things to do, a model railroad is never really finished.  But for now it is mostly sceniced and
operational.  I need to light up grade crossing signals over by the bayou, and I have some other signals to put here
and there around the layout.  I have one or two switches I want to operate remotely as reaching the manual ground
throws is very awkward.

But that is a little stuff.  The railroad is up and running.

Wow.  I just finished your 20-min video, and have to say I am more impressed.  Even the landscape details, and the road, painted on the walls show talent.

Thanks, Vim!  I've sort of taught myself painting as I went.  Having a photo of what you want to paint helps, too.  I just could not
get perspective right otherwise.  For example:

This is the real lake, taken from the highrise through town:

Attached File


The mowed area on the right side, and curving around parallel to the lakefront is the levee under construction.  They have not yet
driven sheet piling in this area, but have it around other areas.

This is a shot of the levee with the pilings:

Attached File


And this is the lake on my layout:

Attached File


This is a photo of a road I sort of copied:

Attached File


And on the layout:

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And I did similarly with other things painted.

Sorry, but copying from a photo is no excuse:  you have talent and an eye for things.  Seeing is one thing; being able to get that effect with paint and brush is another.

Really good stuff, man. I did have one question, though.  That drop-in section at the doorway, how long did that take to get right?

Really enjoyed the video! (ArthurHouston3 is a good channel too)

Just starting to build my new layout. Tore out the old one when we moved 3 years ago (was DC).

Sorry for the old layout... BUT, things you learned doing that one, you'll do a much "new and improved" one this
time, I'll bet!

Thank you!

I did some sanding with a palm sander on the ends to get what felt like a good fit, but loose enough to slide on and off after painting.

Not long... I had in my mind how I was going to build it.  Knocked that together in just a morning.  The painting took time for two coats of latex to dry, painted in a morning, second coat about noon, ready to proceed by evening.

So that the paint was not thick and sticky, easily barked off, on the bridge mounting blocks on the layout, and the ends of the bridge itself, there is only one coat of paint, and it was thinned a lot so that it is more of a stain than a paint.

The greenery on top of the bridge took one day, most of which was glue drying.

Being loose enough to slide on and off easily, there was some slack on each end, thus the need for the pins to hold the rails in alignment left and right, up and down.

One thing... if you looked at the video, the rails to not appear to align on the left side of the main.  They didn't.  Apparently I had bumped it and about 1" of rail was out of the notches on the ties.  I could not figure it out at first, it usually aligned perfectly.  When I saw what had happened I just pushed down on the rail and "pop!", back in the groove.

The locos and cars cross those gaps and don't even click.  Very smooth.

The Plexiglas took a few days to acquire, but when it was ready at the glass shop I had both sides on the bridge in just a few minutes.

So it wasn't really a big deal.  I spent much more time planning how I was going to mount it rather than actually doing it.  But planning is the important thing, right?

Excellent video Paul!
Thanks so much for posting it..
Can you operate more than one action at a time?
Fer instance: Two trains in opposite directions?
Is anything in the inter-modal yard controllable?
Just wondering if more things in motion at the same time would add to the overall effect.
I'm sure the programming & coding would be a nightmare...
I'm not a modeler but have deep respect for those who are!
Very interesting to watch as it grows.
Thanks again for the vid...73

Power Pro Command Station Specifications:Cabs: 63 maximum
Number of simultaneous trains: 250
Number of consists: 127 advanced consists of unlimited number of
locomotives each. Plus 250 old style consists up to 4 locos each. Range of locomotive addresses: 0-9999
Range of consist addresses: 1-127
Range of accessory addresses: 1-2044
Range of signal addresses: 1-2044 Computer interface: RS-232 included
Five Amp Power Booster Specifications:
Continuous Output Current: 5.14 Amps
Power requirements: 15VAC, 5 Amps (NCE P515 Power Supply)
Short circuit handling: Automatic shutdown after 500mS of short circuit Output voltage: Factory set to 14 Volts, adjustable 9.5 to 18 Volts
19

I'm also re-learning model railroad technology, but my understanding is it's run similarly to a network.  Each train or device has it's own address, and the track acts as both power and network.  If you need to couple two trains to pull a heavy load, you can back up one to hitch to the stationary train.

Regarding the running  of the trains, I saw a video yesterday of someone using the Lionel's control system to control multiple trains and tracks with a tablet.

You are very welcome!

Yes.  One "cab" (controller) can be set to have up to six locomotives in its "recall" so that you can scroll through them and
quickly access them.  But I have, for simplicity, restricted each one to two locos.  You can still go through the short routine,
"Select Loco"... enter the number painted on the side of the locomotives cab... and press "Enter", giving control of that loco.

I can put more locos than I have into motion.  For example, with one controller in hand, I can start one train circling the room
on the main, then hit the recall button, switching to another loco, for example, the switcher in the intermodal yard, and shuffle
cars around.  It would be difficult to handle more than two trains, or locomotives at a time, without problems.

Two trains moving in opposite directions, no problem.  Also, I could back one loco, over by the engine house, up to, and couple
to another loco that is stationary.  Then a little routine to "consist" the two (or more... I've done up to six locos for a long coal
train at a club layout), thereby making all of the locos operate from commands addressed to the lead loco.  They can be set
to run in forward or reverse, so some can face forward, some rearward.  And all of those locos will follow along as if one loco.  
When I consisted six locos, four were up front, and two more were two thirds of the way back just as you might see for locos
pulling heavy trains over the Rockies.

No.  But  that is done on some layouts.  I've seen videos of some new stuff coming out, tiny HO scale (1:87) dump trucks being
loaded by an excavator scooping up dirt, depositing in the bed of the truck.  But all that would require more operators.  From a
practical standpoint, you can't do stuff like that and still operate the trains, at least on a small layout with limited number of operators.  
There are some great slotless car/highway systems now.  Did you know slot cars arose out of adding vehicles to model railroads?

The container lift trucks and straddle cranes are just stationary models.  Some guys are adding vehicle lighting however.  You can
find fire, police, and emergency vehicles that light up and flash.  Headlights in cars and trucks.  So guys have built scenes with a
police car stopping a speeder, apparently writing a ticket on the side of the road, or fire and emergency at the scene of an accident.  
I do have some State Police having a face-to-face parked next to each other on the side of the road.

I was content to just add the sound effects to my intermodal yard.

Again, thank you for the kind remarks!

As you can see, for a small layout like mine, I would never get near using the full capability of the NCE system I have.  A large
club layout can be done by adding some extra power boosters (additional power supplies and the "booster" which adds the
data packets on the rails).  The main problem on a club layout is what to do if a guy comes in with a loco number that is already
in use, like two guys having the same SP Dash-9 #8135 (one of the Kato factory applied numbers).  This happens a lot.  So
one loco may be reprogrammed and the operator has to remember his loco is now addressed as #8136.  But this is all minor
stuff and there are workarounds.

Yes, you can do this with my NCE system and a wifi router.  I posted a thread with a video about running your trains with a
smart phone.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/Controlling-your-model-trains-wirelessly-via-Smartphone/186-2183727/

The same can be done with a tablet or iPad.

How tall are those yard lights in your intermodal facility? I want to use some of those yard lights in the engine/coaling yard but I'm not sure which ones I should use. Their HO scale lights are around 4.5" tall, and the O scale are about 7 to 8" tall. I think taller ones would be better but the O scale seem like they'd be to tall.

The lights in the intermodal yard are 4-7/8" tall, require 12vdc.   The proper resistors are built into the
leads.  You may wish to drill a 3/16" hole and glue in a piece of K&S 3/16" brass tubing to insert the
lights so that the hole will not wallow out, and the lights may be removed easily for other work.

They are not fragile plastic, but all soldered brass construction.  They look very much like the yard
lights at my old place of employment before I retired.

They are from wehonest.net.

http://www.wehonest.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=25_95&product_id=269

They also have these, one is warm-white, the other white white:

http://www.wehonest.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=25_95&product_id=275

http://www.wehonest.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=25_95&product_id=273

http://www.wehonest.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=25_95&product_id=271

When I bought them I got a batch of 10.  Six are used in the intermodal yard, and I have four more I
will put in front of the engine house and carknocker's shed.  They look the right height for this.

As they say, it's never really finished, but I continue to add details.

I've added a few trees, and may add a few over by the Cargill Grain Elevator, but in the areas shown, this will be all I do.

"Less is more," as they say, and that is certainly true here.

These are 5"-7" trees, and match those painted on the backdrop fairly well:

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These are 3"-5" trees, and match the backdrop in this area:

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There are really four trees here, the previous photo made it look like three.

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Your painted backdrop does a great job filling out the layout

Thanks!

Some of that light green flora reminds me of kudzu vines, and how they cover everything with a layer of green.  We don't have it up here in Michigan, however we have species of ivy and other plants that crawl up the sides of buildings.  When I was younger I liked  to explore old barns and deserted farm buildings, and some of these buildings hadn't been abandoned for long before the vines and small trees took over.

With the high rainfall here, high humidity, and not much winter (oh, it may get down into the 50*F's) plants grow like a jungle.  
In fact, the first Tarzan movie was shot across the lake (painted on my backdrop) as they thought it looked like African jungle.

We've had visitors from others parts of the country, "It's so GREEN here!  Everything is green!"  Yep, sure is.