need some guidence...please!

trainsteve2435

trainsteve2435

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Jun 18, 2004
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barboursville, wv
hello everyone, i thought i might get more response from this post if i posted it here. i have attached a couple of pictures showing where im planning on useing the 2 background buildings i mentioned in another thread. i need to know if anyone has ever seen anything like this done before? as you can see, i had to add another smaller view block out away from the main backdrop board. i never had enough space to install them between the backdrop and track, plus the track is a main line and i didnt think this was very realistic haveing to block the main with reefers and box cars. i really need some input from you guys here. how tall should this view block be? should it be cut to fit the two buildings? what color should it be? i have some of the instant horizon manufactureing and industrial backdrops from walthers, maybe add one of them to the viewblock? i have never done anything like this before and im not sure if it will look stupid or not. if anyone has any input or suggestions.... please let me know. this little dilema has help up my progress for nearly a week now and im eager to get started again. thanks for everything!:wave:
 

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I get it. You want to have the structure where its located but the building will be too thin to be believed if you set it between the spur and the mainline behind it. So you're thinking of creating a trick to fool the eye. Its an interesting idea.

In case it doesn't pan out as you hope you could instead create a larger building that extends all the way to your backdrop but is constructed to allow the track in back to run through the lower part of the structure... as if the back of the building was intentionally built over the tracks to connect with more buildings on the other side of the track. You could make a building flat to match on the backdrop to suggest a sprawling business.

See my hastily done doodle as an example....
Ralph
 

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Trainsteve,

I like Cid's suggestion - although extending the building digitally is easier...! ;)

I think I mentioned this in your other thread, but I would look for articles by Art Curren (in back issues of MR, or Kalmbach books). He was a master of what I would call the "non-traditional" view block. He used flat, shallow, and double sided buildings to create some great alternatives to the traditional row of hills or building flats.

I would go with something like Cid suggested, keeping the angles and rooflines all irregular, and then put your flats against the true backdrop to continue the "industrial" feel of the area.

Andrew
 
WOW Cid, thats really cool. i had to look twice to make sure that really was my layout i was looking at. really good idea also. i see pretty much everyone who has replied has had about the same idea..... cool, that makes it easy to decide. Cid, do you think those new Walthers building componets would work ok to kit bash something like you showed me? i know they are pretty new on the market and ive not seen any that anyone has used. thanks for the great idea.:thumb: also, Andrew, i searched on the MR site but couldnt find anything pertaining to Art Curren, maybe i looked in the wrong place...LOL:oops: Anyway, i have a big bunch of the MR's all the way back to the early 1960's, if you know of a couple of issue dates, maybe i could look them up in my books. thanks again to all who have lent their time and experience, you guys are a true asset to model railroading.:thumb:

steve
 
Who says the company(ies) that are along there didn't buy land on both sides of the rail.
Then built portions on both sides and attached them overtop of the mainline. Since the
company could not use the mainline to get goods off loaded they use the extensions and
haul things over the rail to the "main" building. This can give you an "urban" tunnel.
See where I'm going with this?
 
Steve,

You'll have to search in the index of magazines to get specific dates... Art was pretty active in the 80s and 90s (and earlier), but I believe he passed away in the late 90s or early 00s... :(

He was famous for funny and sily names for his industries - Budummer Beer, Halfa Mine (or was it Frienda Mine?), etc...

Andrew
 
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