Backdrops

[billk]

How about a thread on backdrops, with answers to questions like:

- How high is your backdrop (in what scale)?
- What material is it made from?
- Does it have rounded corners? What radius?
- What method was used to cover it (paint, photographs, etc.)?
- How far behind the tracks is it?
- Are there tracks behind it? How do the tracks get from one side to the other? How is the opening disguised?

 

[shamus]

Hiya Billk, how you doin friend.
okay, I will start this off

How high is your backdrop (in what scale)?

"My backdrop is 2' tall" and my scale is HO

- What material is it made from?

"Hardboard"

- Does it have rounded corners? What radius?

"Yes, around the 4' mark"

- What method was used to cover it (paint, photographs, etc.)?

"Painted white first then sky was added then the trees."

- How far behind the tracks is it?

"6"

- Are there tracks behind it

"No" just in front."

Shamus

 

[rockislandmike]

Actually, since (1) my layout is in a temporary home until my wife and I buy a house; and (2) while operated from inside the donut-type layout now, once installed in the final layout, operators will need to be on the outside of this layout part . . . . .

I just bought a sky-colored sheet, and am planning to hang it on the garage walls with grommets. It therefore not only gives me a sky background, but it should be all the same color, so can easily be removed on the computer to paste in other backgrounds.

Not a perfect solution to be sure, but I'm pleased with it. I also have a 1" piece of styrofoam that's painted like sky that I can quickly insert for photos if I want.

 

[Catt]

- How high is your backdrop (in what scale)?
Aproximately 14". Layout is N scale 0n30 layout is not started yet.

- What material is it made from?
.060 styrene

- Does it have rounded corners? What radius?
Yes,I have no idea what the raduis is ,it depends on the corner.

- What method was used to cover it (paint, photographs, etc.)?
At this point it is just painted blue.

- How far behind the tracks is it?
It varies from 5" to over 20".

- Are there tracks behind it? How do the tracks get from one side to the other? How is the opening disguised?
Tracks go through it.Opening disguised by large building.

 

[sumpter250]

Where my "layout" is modular, HO scale, there is a skyboard which is 21" total, 14' above the mainline, and 8-1/2" above the narrow gauge.

The skyboard is 1/2"plywwood.

The corners are "right angle", each module, or module set has a "scene divider" at the ends which slopes down from the top of the backboard, to the level of the mainline.

The skyboard is painted blue. It may have painted scenes, or photo overlays, but the basic requirement is blue paint.

The modules are 24' deep, the skyboard is 17' behind the inner main line, and 7-1/2" behind the narrow gauge line.

There are tracks behind, to complete a dogbone loop for the narrow gauge. The track goes into tunnel portals at each end of the module set. I'll use the same trick on the new module set, however, there is one place where the track has to pass to behind the skyboard, in "plain sight",,,,, I'm still trying to figure this one out.
Pete

 

[Vic]

Big 'Ol Backdrop

Well you guys know by now that the Robber Barron builds everything in a "Grand Scale" even in HOn3

My backdrop (uncompleted) is approx 3ft 10 inch tall and is made of tempered masonite. Its about 18 feet long at present. Sorry but the battery went dead on my camera before I could snap a pic of the curved section. What's been done so far is painted with acrylics.

I thought a layout to ceiling backdrop would really be an eyecatching thing but the #%@@ thing is so big I've gotten tired of painting on it for awhile. Word to the wise...."Don't bite off more than you can chew....

 

[Ralph]

I model in HO and have a masonite backdrop that is two feet high above track level. I painted it a sky blue and have added magazine and computer downloaded pictures of buildings (and a hot air ballon launch!) to create depth in some places. I've wrapped it around two room corners with a radius of 34 inches or so. There is a streth of double track that comes within two inches of the backdrop so I've used a couple of layers of masonite to make hill profiles and covered them with fine ground foam for texture. The eye accepts if for the most part, especially since I'm trying to make the scene in the foreground more interesting and detailed as a focus. The July Model Railroader has a good article about disguising holes in backdrops.
Ralph

 

[alkcnw]

My layout is HO, the backdrop is 2' tall floor vynil with Walthers backdrops glued to it then glued to concrete block wall. My corner radi are 6". It sits aprox. 3" behind the track, all track is in front. Kinda hard going through the block wall or else I probably would.

 

[marty w.]

My backdrop is 24" tall, HO scale.
Material is 1/8" masonite with unknown raduis in corners. The raduis is what ever the masonite would bend to.
It is painted white then blue. The white and blue were blended
to produce different shades of blue. The unblended blue is at the top with lighter shades of blue at the bottom.
It is anywhere from 4" to 6" behind track. There are no tracks behind the backdrop.

Vic, nice pic's, post more.

Marty

 

[shamus]

Vic,
I like the mirror image of the top two photo's, great idea for a photo.

Shamus

 

[Vic]

Shamus,
Thanks for the compliment...actually I was just trying to get enough pic to fill up the frame. I hate all that "dead" white space. What I should do is buy some decent software

Drawing and painting pictures is not my "forte"....but perhaps if you and Errol could provide a few liters of "Stout" then I may be encouraged to resume my "artistic endevors"