after finally setting up all the turnouts including powered frogs, i spent a few hours on the landscape. added a piece of wood along the rear edge to get a bit more depth behind the yard. rough shape was done using styrofoam. covered with the usual sawdust/water/white glue putty. while still wet i added static grass. it is not yet hard enough to add trees though. maybe in a day or two.
a few buildings have been added as well. i hope they will blend into to the temporary backdrop. using shallow buildings should increase the 3d effect. not sure yet.