hello all ,some what new or at least new to real estate development in HO.been doing testing (playing) on my layout and Im doing some background type buildings for the more in less use of space ,mostly in the industry siding area around the yard .but before I start bashing some none “background” kits into "background " buildings .just wondering how others feel about this type of buildings or space use ? I see picts where there used and I like em ,but then I see others that dont use em(backdrop type) and get more of a industry in the middle of the country look and really like that look,but I lack the space .what your take ?..Jerry
I have Walthers Background buildings like these:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3177
I like them.
I think these are great buildings. They let you use the “back wall” of your layout very effectively, and give you a well-modeled industry without taking up a lot of space.
This is my interpretation of Walthers “Arrowhead Ale” building. In case you’re not modelling a brewery, don’t let the name throw you off. The only thing that makes this a brewery is the decal sheet. It could be used for any generic industrial or warehouse application. For example, I chose to make it…a brewery:
I’m a bit unusual when it comes to using background buildings, because I’ve got this one on the outside edge of a table layout. This makes the inside of the structure visible, so I decided to detail it:
I’ve got more details in there now than what you see in this early picture.
I’ve also got the Parkview Terrace building, but it’s sitting in a box right now. I plan to do the same sort of detailing inside this one, but I’m adding an extension to my layout right now, and the proposed site for this building has moved. So, it’s likely that it will be a year or more before I settle down to building this kit.
nice work and doing the inside too,wow.fits nicely …did it begin life as a background building or did you bash a normal structure to that configuration ? Jerry
When using background buildings, I think you have to look at the whole picture.
What I do is start with the wall. If it is to be a city, I will use some type of photo or printed paper background glued to the wall. This somewhat represents the distance behind the buildings. Next is the building flat if I have room. This is only the front wall of a building kit. It can be any of the four walls; front, back, or sides. In front of that will be a 3D partial building that is one or two inches deep.
The real trick for using these three elements is the distance between them. The ideal distance between them seems to be an inch or two. Of course this depends on the space that you have available. However, for the best use, no shallow 3D building or building flat should be touching the wall if possible. Even one-quarter inch is better than nothing.
Hi from Belgium,
I model in Nscale and for my Port Allen part of my Maclau river, which is like a peninsula,I had a little scenic problems, because the small yard run along the fascia.
When you you are on the other side of the peninsula you see the yard with nothing beside, just a big canyon where 1/1 operators are walking.
This acces is 110cm or 3,1 feet so I was looking for something to hide that.
My answer was to paint the wall beside the acces blue sky with clouds. I also curved the corner to give an “eye continuity” on the sky.
By adjoining a plywood base of only 3 inch along the whole fascia I was able to change completely the canyon look!
On the layout itself I build a flat town backdrop on the edge of the plywood base; the town is a build up of photocopied buildings from a Walthers backdrop town and run all along the whole fascia.
The paper buildings are cut and glued on a foam core structure which is cut around the roof of the skyscrapper. By changing the contrast of the color on a color copier I was able to have some different buildings.
Along this “town” I have build some “flats buildings” from leftover parts of differents kits; I also build a road along the flats.
The result is when you are on the other side of the peninsula you see now a big town. The walk away canyon had completely dissapear but the access to the yard remain for the operators.
I join some pictures.
Marc
I think the real trick is as one other poster mentioned blending all the elements of aback drop together.
The wall it self with clouds painted on it, the scenic of photo back drops ( I prefer to cut out the sky portions so they blend better with my sky color), building flats and then back drop buildings and if room allows regular 3D buildings On my old layout I choose to light several of the back drop buildings, a friend or as I call him the ancient modeler told em that you don’t want to light them as it draws attention to them. I asked so whats wrong with that? He said “they are only there for the purpose of illusion to make your mind thing there is more there then there really is” AHHH! the light bulb over my head went off. Unlike a #D building where you want people to notice the details you’ve put into them and say wow look at this or look at that when it comes to back drops they are there basically to cover the wall or other wise baron useless space.
(I still left the light in just didn’t tell him that)
Another vote in favor of the background building. I have a couple of buildings up against the backdrop. The backrop adds depth to the scene and also hides the two track passing/staging track in the remaing six inches before we reach the edge of the universe.
Tom
Yup, I use them extensively…
This one’s an actual Walthers background kit:
I have a number of them alone the back on my yard and really should update my picture:
Here’s a large mill made from DPM modules:
Nick
It came as a background building. There is one full-sized wall. The side walls and roof are very shallow, and I built that part exactly as it came. I added the interior floors. The wall and floor coverings were simply printed on the computer, cut and glued to the interior walls.
I recently bought the Walther’s trucking company background kit. Since it’s going on an HO shelf switcher, I think it’s great. And I’m not all that much into detailing industries - “close enough / good enough” works for me.