I am building a large mountain on one side of my HO scale layout and am considering running a n scale train on the very top edge, along the wall, to try to create a visual depth effect. The n scale “loop” will enter a tunnel on either end of the mountain and the back half of the loop will be hidden in a closet. Has anyone ever done this before (pictures or video’s would be great); what should I take into consideration before moving forward?
I haven’t done that, but I have used a lot of forced perspective. With it, you do have to keep the distant appearing things fairly consistent in proportion for it to work best. So lots of attention to the scenic forms and backdrop with this in mind will help this work for you.
I have numerous examples of how I do this in my Cascade Branch build thread, starting at the end of page one, then continuing onto page 2 and beyond: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/219241.aspx?page=2
Note: If there’s a missing pic, it was lost in the great ImageShack meltdown a couple of weeks back when they lost 4% of all images. I haven’t had a chance to go through and fix any links yet, but if something is missing that sounds like you may want to see it, let me know and I will try to fix.
It seems I lost about 15 images (out of a coupple hundred) at Imageshack. I’m sticking with them as I like how their site operates.
Jay,
Gotta agree, except for the recent hiccup, a great resource at a very affordable price.
Something to note for users who used ImageShack for free hosting for posting here, etc, that will be going away after the end of the year.
I personally have never used a running train in such a manner, but I know that John Allen did that with a stationary one in his Great Divide yard. I have used N scale with the hi-rail section of my O gauge layout, however, as a live steam club layout.
Apx. 8 years ago (a Model Railroad Planning?) similar to what you are proposing, and; the N Scale trackage even “intermingled” with HO Scale yard tracks down in the lowlands – The yard was fairly large where you wouldn’t notice the N Scale cars mixed in with the HO Scale cars.
I remember back in the 1980s or 90s a HO layout featured in MR had a N scale dog bone loop up in the mountains like you are looking for. It had a few N scale buildings to go with it. I don’t remember anything about it except that it was the first time I had heard about ‘forced perspective.’ I do remember that it was several inches higher than the HO scale mainline and was only in the rear of the layout, far from the viewers.
I’ve seen a high bridge or trestle (over a deep canyon) HO modual in a layout at a train show that had a N scale train running though the bottom of the canyon. Very forced vertical perspective, but it worked.
Missouri Pacific BNSF:
I suspect that you are contemplating something that very few people have done, but I fully encourage you to explore the concept.
When I was first designing my layout I thought about the possibility of having two identical trains, one in HO and the other in N, with the idea that the two trains would traverse a valley between two mountains. The HO scale train would appear in the foreground on the right side of the valley. Then it would wind around the right side mountain and disappear into a tunnel mid way back in the valley. After a suitable delay the identical N scale train would appear from another tunnel in the back of the valley. The N scale train would then cross the valley and then disappear into another tunnel at the back of the opposite side of the valley. Then, again after a suitable delay, the HO train would emerge from a tunnel mid way between the front and the back of the valley on the left side and continue around the mountain on the left of the valley.
Someone in Europe did something similar with just a trolley car in three different scales. I believe Ulrich posted the video. Perhaps he could dig it up again.
After working on the track plan for several days I realized that I simply didn’t have the space for the whole assembly, and given my available layout space the N scale portion would have been way out of reach. Maybe if I win the lottery I will have another look at the idea.
What you are contemplating would be much simpler to accomplish. Go for it!!
Dave
It’s not that uncommon to use N-scale buildings in the background of an HO layout, or S-scale buildings in the background of an O scale layout. On my HO layout, I don’t have any N-scale buildings, but I do have an area with large pine trees near the foreground, with smaller trees near the backdrop with a couple of N scale deer amongst the small trees.
However, having running N-scale trains in the background of an HO layout would be much rarer. I do recall an Austrailian or New Zealand modeller who had a logging layout set in the US Pacific northwest. He used On3 or On30 trains in the foreground, and HO standard gauge in the background.
With your suggestions and encouragement, I think I am going to go forward with it; in the end if it doesn’t work or look right, I wouldn’t have too much invested in the concept. The plan is to do it at an elevation abut 30 inches above the layout and approximately 12 inches from the “front” of the mountains edge at that 30 inch mark. Does this sound like enough “height/depth” to achieve the affect?
The elevation is more than enough and height seems OK, too. Go for it.[tup]
Check out the Grand D’Elusion RR, on page 42 of our April 2010 issue.