Anyone have an idea how I can scenic two corners of my layout. The layout is 13’x15’. It is a free standing layout with center being open. I access the center by use of a lift up bridge. All four corners are cut on an angle. I have a double mainline the goes around the perimeter, two of the corners are used by some industries. The other two corners I would like to make some sort of mountain or hill. I have about 12"x20" in the two corners to work with. I tried making a small hill in the corners using left over foam board, after scenicing them with grass and shrubs they just look like two out of place hills. Any thoughts, ideas photos. This is HO scale.
There is a product called Deadman’s Corner. You can get it at Scenic Express. It’s on page 110 of their newest pdf catalog.
-Paul
A corner is a good location for a junction of two railroads.
This can be as simple as the Reading (1-track) interchanging with the Pennsy (2-tracks) – Only one track with one turnout is needed. Or, interchanging with a freight depot, team tracks, yard structures, etc.
How about a photo or two so we can visualize the area in question.
Rich
Instead of an isolated hill, consider continuing the line of the hill inside the loop, with a cut for the tracks. The sides can be natural rock faces or high retaining walls. If your layout is already mountainous, you could have a tunnel, but an isolated tunnel on an otherwise flat layout would look out of place.
I put a small house in one such corner, with a road going past it, off-layout on one end, and crossing the tracks at grade.
Ever since Christopher Columbus proved that our layouts should not have edges, how about a feature that tends to distract the eye from the curve itself? You mentioned a hill – unlesss we are talking mine tailings (itself a possible idea), more probably, it would be a cut so there should be a hill on both sides of the track that would briefly “hide” the train if the hill had trees. The hill would originally have been intact and then cut through by the rail line. Another possibility would be structures along the tracks that are perhaps themselves not rail served (or maybe used to be rail served but aren;'t now) so again the tracks would be in a sort of “canyon.”
Not far from Sheboygan WI on the former CNW line is an interesting feature that I have seen modeled on a layout in that area – a small country cemetery is trackside, in a sort of hollow surrounded by mature trees, and the visitors and mourners have to cross the tracks to get to it.
Dave Nelson
Maybe that is how the deceased got there.
Rich
I’m working on one of those “dead zones” on my layout. It’s not on the edge, but it’s an awkward triangle with curved mains all the way around. I decided to put in a swamp.
If you haven’t worked with putting “water” on your layout, this is an opportunity to experiment. If you don’t like it, you can tear it out and try something else.
I would suppose it would depend upon what your other terrain looks like, but ultimately I would think that there should be something that would cause the railroad to turn. A water feature, a mountain/hill would fill that bill. So would a graveyard, some large structure or even some old coot who refused to sell his land to the railroad. Because I like hilly terrain, I like the idea of an interchange thru a tunnel, or perhaps an abandoned tunnel. Those two seem to fit my ideas, but it’s your railroad. Good luck
Kevin
Another thing you can do is put in a wooded section with a small stream and a campground scene. Maybe a kid fishing in the stream as well.
A large structure (ethanol plant, mine, steel mill, grain elevator, power plant, factory, etc.) will also take up quite a bit of space, and may give you some additional switching possibilities as well.
Again, though, it’s hard to visualize what you’re dealing with without a photo or sketch.
A Book on this subject might be fun to look at? I utilized my corners this way,1 corner has a 2-lane highway crossing the corner ( / ) 2 has a hill up from the tracks with trees all the way up (thick woods). 3 has a old abandoned railroad with a tree line between the curved track and the abandoned track. 4 has another road with a tree line between the tracks and the road with an opposite angle of the other corner. I really enjoy the corners because they appear to be opposite from the curved track,crossing the corner of the layout ( / ).
Twin ideas spring to mind: Will have same situation shortly, in two corners on new, small shelf switching pike. First: Winding country road goes uphill, toward corner angle. T’will use selective compression/ forced perspective. By this, I mean that road width will quickly diminish and might put N Scale farmhouse on roadside in extreme background, reduce tree size toward rear. Second idea; possibly for other corner, if I don’t put industry there: Will again have winding country road go uphill but t’will disappear to side, behind foliage, all the while becoming narrower. Since yours truly worked with Webelos Scouts for many years, will have small Webelos Campout scene [N Scale], w/American flag, tent or two and few figures of Scouts/ adults. Might even put N Scale deer on extreme opposite edge from camp sccene, poised upon a rock ledge. My two cents…pqpasmurf
Anything will work, I decided on a road.
…and made a scene.
On the upper corner I made a small hill using newspapers and plaster cloth, and planted some trees, excuse the tree “foot”, it was later covered with ground material.
Another corner idea I saw used: Pond at corner angle [w/ heavy foliage along it’s sides], with small grain/ flour mill situated next to pond dam, w/ spillway. Waterwheel on mill fed by pond and runoff trickled back into stream at dam base. Modeler used electirc motor to energize waterwheel. That and interior lighting in mill, wowed visitors. Not too many modelers animate their layout scenes, so it’s nice to see an occasional exception to the rule. TTFN*…papasmurf in NH*
P.S. Mill could also [even at a later date] become a l/o industry, with small added loading dock/ short spur, holding occasional single boxcar for grain/ flour shipment pickups.
hey that would make a great " show us youre corner scene" type a post …Just a thought ,Jerry
Sounds like the hills on your corners are back to main level at the edge of the layout, sort of just humps. I have a small hill in one corner that gives the illusion that it keeps going up, the corner is about 3" above the main level. The other corner is a rock cut, as already mentioned. This hill is sloping down as it goes toward the edge of the layout, but it is still 4" - 5" above the main level at the edge of the benchwork. I will cut my facia to follow all the contours of the benchwork edge, whether above or below main level.
Good luck,
Richard