How long does scenery last?

[chessie system fan]

Hi all.  If all the proverbial ducks get lined up in a row, I'll be helping the local RR museum build an N scale layout sometime in the future, and that has got me thinking.

How long does ground foam look good?  What about the various water products?  Do they turn yellow over time?

What about styrene?  Does anything happen to it over 20-30 years?

 

If I'm going to put a lot of effort into something like this, I'd like it to last.

[peteski]

From my experience, scenery is mainly discolored (dulled down) by dust which settles down over time and faded by UV light (from sunlight, fluorescent lamps or even halogen or incandescent lamps).   If the layout will be enclosed by some sort of tight cover and if you install UV filters on your light sources the scenery should last for decades.  Scenery can also be refreshed even simply by misting some "wet water" over the ground foam. Or for more severe refresh, you can apply a fresh coat of ground foam over the old one.

As far as styrene goes, it will outlast you.

[nkalanaga]

Styrene is degraded mainly be heat and UV.  Both tend to make the plastic brittle, causing problems in handling and building models.  If the lights are properly shielded and the temperature controlled, Peteski is right, the models will outlast you, especially since they shouldn't be handled much.

[Chris333]

Lucky for me I just tear it all up before it gets old. 

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Or like me, never build anything in the first place.

[rogergperkins]

Weathering is the result of mother nature and time; that is basically my experience with my layout which has some structures that are about 30 years old.
 
Lichen is one item that I do NOT USE because it does dry out and fall apart.
The W/S foam improves with age by natural weathering.

[SAH]

Lucky for me I just tear it all up before it gets old. 

I thought you just stacked them up in the corner. 

[chessie system fan]

Well, all the replies so far are reassuring.    Most (if not all) of the layout will be behind plexiglass so dust won't be an issue.  There will be an air conditioning system put in most likely too, though it probably will be off when no one is there.  And about a third of the layout will be in a room with a few windows facing south into the gulf coast sun.

[Brakie]

There are local HO clubs with scenery that is 20 plus years old that still looks good.

Unless  N Scale scenery is different then HO, it should last for years before needing redone.

[rogergperkins]

  The scenery on my layout has improved with age because of dust and such settling on the layout despite it being in a finished room currently.  The roofs of structures have mellowed with that addition.  I do not attempt to weather, but I have attempted to tone down W/S autumn trees; time also improved them.

I do vacuum the track regularly and wipe off spider webs as I notice them.
 

[eja]

Forever .....

 ... oh, I thought you were asking about how long it takes to build it 

[u18b]

And to add a more specific question-  what about that red or blue foam as a base. 

Will it contract with time?  How long will it last?

[peteski]

Ron, AFAIK, blue and pink extruded polystyrene insulating sheets will last forever and are dimensionally stable (unaffected by temperature and moisture).  After all, it is the same plastic used in those pesky styrofoam coffee cups which will not decompose in the landfills for thousands of years.    So unless you count heating it up to the point where the foam melts or pouring acetone on it, the pink and blue sheets will easily outlast you, your children, grandchildren and so on.

[u18b]

Thanks Peteski.

That's probably what we will use for a base.