Welcome to a guide of how to make realistic and beautiful terrain in T:ANE.
In this guide we will learn how to make hills, river beds, how to "paint" the terrain, and how to detail the terrain using objects and splines.
In this more or less, tutorial, we will be focusing on how to make a desert themed land and adding details to beautify the landscape.

To get started on development, go and add tables, sections, or whatever you prefer to call them, I will call them tables. i.e. the baseboard that you develop on.
I have already started and added a small section of track with a small amound of ballast. The track I am using is GT rusty no ballast, so I am able to control what it looks like around the track.
Note that I also prefer to have in area 2 tables wide and set to the 5m setting for most terrain detail. I usually have it set to 2 tables wide so that there is less processing for your PC to handle, yet you have plenty of space for detail, though you can have them as wide as you want.

To get started in this section, select your topography tab in surveyor. Add hills and river beds like shown in this screenshot, or however you prefer.
I have detailed the terrain to where it looks like it is going into apart of a mountain chain off the table. Hence the larger in-line hills and valleys.

In this section, we will learn how to paint your terrain to your liking.
To start off, pick a base color, this is what all other terrain paints will be covering, and is what will show if you do not cover the area with another paint.
I have chosen a sandy grass as my base.
Next, detail your river beds or where water is or was flowing when it has rained. For this I have chosen a solid sand.
After doing the river beds, its time to start detailing the land. First detail paint, I have kept with the solid sand texture and set the radius to the smallest size. A method that I have found to work really well si to paint with this small size and move the mouse in a quick circle. It covers the ground well and leaves most of the base untouched. Though hard to see, you are able to see the ground has gotten a bit more sandy and a little less grassy.
As for the next bit of detail, the ground is still too 1-tone if you will. mostly the sand is the issue.
This next bit I add is a darker-toned grassy-rocky ground, perfect for desert theme. Again smallest radius, and quick circular movements with the mouse while avoiding your river beds. it should start to look something like this.
After doing this and you are happy with what the terrain looks like, its time to move on to details and splines.

In this section, we will be learning how to detail trackside, adding roads, and power lines.
First note that when I was painting, I have left the area that will be getting splines added untouched. This way I still have a grid to follow when adding splines, though it is optional to follow the grid, I just do so to make it a bit easier.
After adding your splines and painting in the terrain, repeating the step process from Painting Terrain. It is time to finally add detailing objects to your route.
Trackside I have started with grass and other small objects, such as prickly pear cacti. These are good up-close to the track detail as it is what you will see them most.
I prefer to keep the small objects near the track only, as it will be less processing for your PC to handle beings there is none of it in the distance, and honestly, who would go all the way to the edge of the route to look at some grass?
Next step is to add the larger objects, like trees. In this screenshot I have added Joshua trees and will later add palm trees to break it up a bit. Remember to add some degree of rotation to each object as some do not auto-rotate when placed, rotating an object will give it more in-depth, real-life feel to the route.
As for forest routes, follow the path of what I did with the small objects, have it thicker near the tracks and start to thin out as you travel farther away from the track, this will give the full feel of a forest, yet be easy on your PC.

After all is said and done, and the whole process is repeated on the other side of the track, and you are happy the way everything looks. Save your route, and take tons of screenshots to show the people what you have done. ;)
Certainly gives you the true desert feel, doesn't it?
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Hope this guide was helpful to you all, feedback is appreciated.
I will be making guides of how to session, industries, and track layout sometime in the future. Enjoy.