How to build HO scenery with foam
Foam boards are light, quick to shape and ideal for hills, cuttings and embankments. Build up the shape, cover it, then add ground cover and trees.
- Time
- A weekend
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cost
- Moderate cost
- Steps
- 7
- Checked
What you’ll need
- Extruded polystyrene foam board or a foam layout system Search Amazon for extruded polystyrene foam board
- Serrated knife or foam cutter Search Amazon for foam cutter
- Low-temperature foam glue gun or foam-safe glue Search Amazon for low temp glue gun foam
- Foam nails or cocktail sticks
- Plaster cloth or lightweight filler Search Amazon for plaster cloth
- Earth-coloured paint Search Amazon for earth brown acrylic paint
- Ground cover, scatter and grass fibres Search Amazon for model railway scatter
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The Amazon links go to search results, so you can compare what’s available.
Take care
- Hot-wire foam cutters produce fumes — use only in a well-ventilated room and follow the maker's instructions.
- Wear a dust mask when sanding foam or plaster.
Step by step
-
Step 1: Plan the landscape around the track
Decide where hills, cuttings, embankments and tunnels go before you start, and keep tunnels accessible for cleaning and rescuing derailed trains.
Next: step 2 -
Step 2: Build up the rough shape
Stack and glue layers of foam board where you want hills, then carve the shape. Woodland Scenics' SubTerrain system uses foam risers and incline pieces fixed with foam nails and foam glue.
Next: step 3 -
Step 3: Use the right glue
Use glue sold as safe for foam. Woodland Scenics, for example, sells Foam Tack glue and a low-temperature foam glue gun for its foam system.
Next: step 4 -
Step 4: Carve and smooth
Carve with a serrated knife in a ventilated area, then smooth with a rasp or coarse sandpaper. Vacuum up the crumbs as you go.
Next: step 5 -
Step 5: Add a hard shell
Cover the foam with plaster cloth or a thin layer of lightweight filler to give a tough surface. Let it dry fully.
Next: step 6 -
Step 6: Paint an earth colour
Paint the whole surface a dull earth colour so any gaps in the ground cover don't show white.
Next: step 7 -
Step 7: Add ground cover
Brush on diluted PVA and sprinkle scatter and grass fibres, then add bushes and trees. Keep everything off the track and out of point mechanisms.
Tips
- Look at photos of the real landscape in your chosen country — Alpine, German river valley and American desert scenes look very different.
- Put a lining of cling film over the track while you work nearby.
Questions people ask
Is foam strong enough?
It is fine for scenery shapes; for the main baseboard use a proper frame or a system designed for it, such as Woodland Scenics SubTerrain.
Sources
Checked 18 October 2026. We wrote this guide in our own words, using:
- Woodland Scenics: SubTerrain foam layout system (woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com)
- Woodland Scenics: 2% incline/decline set (ST1410) (woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com)
- NOCH: scenery and figures (noch.de)
- Faller: H0 buildings and scenery (faller.de)
Was this guide helpful?
Report a problem with this guide
Printed from locoho.co.uk/guides/how-to-build-scenery-with-foam/ · Checked 18 October 2026 · General information only. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your trains, track, controllers and decoders.