I’ve seen some pretty cool pictures of layouts with mirrors as part of the backdrop, as I recall John Allen was big on this.
The problem with common mirrors is that the reflective surface is on the back of a piece of glass. So now if you use such a mirror to make a building look twice as deep, or make a highway extend into the distance, you can see this piece of glass (usually 1/8 inch thick) interposed between the scene and its reflection.
At one time I saw a front surfaced mirror that had the reflective surface on the front of the glass so that when it was used as above, you didn’t see the glass, only the reflection. Its a much more convincing illusion.
So where can I buy front surfaced mirrors? [?][?][?][?]
There are places where regular mirrors are suitable. This is where the edges of the mirror will not be seen. This works out in many instances where the mirror will be placed within or near structures. I have one mirror on my RR where the above was used and it works great. I am very impressed with what a mirror does and love to see the expression on people’s faces as they become confused over what it is, they are looking at!
Don,
Look in the Raleigh Yellow Pages. It may be a big enough city to have a local optics shop. When I was working in Owego, NY we needed a front surfaced mirror for a helicopter mockup and found an optics shop in a Binghamton, NY suburb that sold us a front surface mirror for a reasonable fee.
Bob
NMRA 0543
I actually used a large dresser mirror once on a dog leg of a layout. My advice, if you plan on using a mirror, place it far enough from the viewer that they cannot see the 1/4 difference from the glass. Set the mirror at an angle from the viewer so the viewer cannot see:
A - Themselves (even by slightly leaning over the layout.)
B - Moving trains that are in their peripheral vision as well.
C - the edges of the mirror should be hidden by either scenery, window casing, or a wall (so that it looks like a window / opening into another room.) (Be carefull with your wall, the angle you choose must make the wall look natural… )
It was awesome, and I wish I had pictures. It decieved most people into believing my layout was 50% larger than it was. To accompli***he above needs, I had it appear to be a window and “cased” the far side of the mirror in window frame material. It was set at about 20 degrees away (and 2 degrees upward (initially imperceptible)) from the viewer on a second tier of the layout, with buildings and scenery blocking the view of the scene immediately in front of the mirror.
My suggestion is continued by adding… just “play” with it. Get a large mirror from a yard sale, or auction. Take the framing off of it and set it on your layout. Vision is self explanatory at this point. You will start to fool yourself when you get it right. Invite a friend, and let them look at the layout with the partially finished mirror technique. Impartial newcomers will give you startling advice on what gave it away and when. Make the changes needed and invite someone new!
What an optimist. . . I went around to some glass places in Raleigh and they didn’t even know what a front surfaced mirror was. Part of the problem may have been that I should have asked for a “first surface mirror”. That’s how they’re listed on the website that Rob gave me.
A helicopter mock-up…did you work for Link? I used to work for IBM up there but I guess they’re both gone now.
I agree, and I’ve got two of those already. The situation I have now is a street that runs smack up against a wall. I’ll put a mirror there that will extend behind two “half buildings” on both sides of the street. Both buildings and the street will actually touch the mirror, so the FSM will be perfect.
Don,
I worked for what was IBM FSD in Owego, now part of Lockheed-Marietta. The mockup was for the HH-60D night combat rescue helicopter avionics contract. Our proposal won. The optics shop, not a glass place, did lenses, prisms, etc., for Singer-Link, GE Westover, IBM and amateur telescope makers.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543