I was wondering how people made their straight sided ovals, especially doughnut style layouts, look
less like ovals. What sort of view blocks did you find most effective? Any nifty/original tricks?
I’m going to try to curve my mainline a bit here and there, but if that’s not possible(do to Xovers, switches, etc.) what have you done to make it look like more?
A backdrop higher than you can see over running through the middle of the layout (doesn’t have to be the center or straight, it can be curved, angled, off center, etc).
Dave H.
Dave, good reminder for table top oval folks, thanks.
I’m probably going to do a doughnut myself though and could use ideas for that style.
I wonder if anyone’s ever put a divider down the middle of the operator pit? Well won’t be room for that
for me… I like the “pseudo” nature of walkaround with the doughnut, but of course I’d prefer walkaround
IF I can manage it…
I suppose an Ovaltine Factory is going to be de rigeur! 
As Dave said, use scenic dividers. In an oval you put it in the middle, in a donut across one end. You can use that divider to hide some staging too.
You can see a fantastic example of a donut divided that includes staging here:
http://www.ovar.ca/MemberLayouts/Mike%20Hamer/Hamer.htm
Chris
A scenic divider doesn’t have to be large, or even an artificial board across the center. I have a lot of 2 and 3 story buildings on my layout, and I also build up the “terrain around the train” so that the tracks run through the scenery, rather than just on top of it. Even though I have no “divider” on my 5x12 foot layout, the trains going around the back part of the loop are hidden from view as they pass behind hills and buildings.
I strongly prefer MisterBeasley’s approach. If you use the center board method, be prepared for an endless stream of questions from kids asking, “Why is that board sticking up in the middle of the trains?”
Mister Beasley,
got any pics handy by chance? I was thinking about an urban area to hide one curve.
I know the general idea/traditional things that are done (I think) from reading MR and RMC, but wouldn’t mind seeing more, use for their effectiveness and ideas.
This is an overview of my layout from one end. In the foreground, there’s some high ground, and the roundhouse is nestled down behind it. This hill hides the train as it runs around behind the roundhouse. (The nominal “front” side of the layout is to the right.)
The next shot is from a different angle. (I think I was replacing the battery in the smoke detector this day. Anyway, I had a big ladder in the room, so that’s where I shot the picture from.) In the foreground here is the “downtown” area, with 3 and 4 story brick buildings.
Finally, here’s a shot from a more normal viewing angle. The tracks are barely visible behind the buildings, and the trains only show up when they cross the street.
I don’t worry about kids’ opinions. The layout is for me, not them.
By the way, any scenic divider is more effective if the layout sits up high. Mine are never lower than 48" high.
Some subtle things you can do is add a gentle curve to the long end of your oval to break the alignment from being perfectly parallel to the edge of the table. If you’re modeling a town, set the street grid at 30 degrees to the track instead dead parallel.
You can also put 2" of foam between the track and the table top, affording you the opportunity to carve out scenery contours below grade, as well as stacking up hills above.
A view block, as has been noted, can be anything from a slight hill covered with trees…
A row of tall buildings…
A mountain…
Or a sky board…
There’s always a lot of ways to skin a cat!
Lee
Without using any of the other suggestions - putting the layout at close to eye level will very effectively disguise the oval. Put a set of 56" legs on a 4x8 and see what a difference it makes -especially in conjunction with the other suggestions. Now there are drawbacks - the higher the layout, the more difficult the construction. Frequently a step must be used. Also, trains on the front tracks can actually block your view of track, trains, and other things further back. Sight lines for checking turnout alignment and spotting for uncoupling become a lot more critical.
just some thoughts
Fred W
Interesting you should ask that. I was just looking at the video on Dave Vollmer’s site. As Dave hasn’t responded in this thread, I’ll post his link for him:
http://thevollmerfamily.com/Pennsy/index.html
Watch the video. It’s hard to believe this is a 36" x 80" door layout.
Best!
Dave’s done an amazing job. I’m having trouble figuring out how to scenic the inside edges of a doughnut
hole (operator’s pit). If anyone has pics of that process that’d be really helpful! Thanks Mr. Beasley for your pics! They’re worth a 1,000 words!
It seems like one is so much more scenically limited with the hole in the center than with a table style layout (smaller towns perhaps, etc.) I’ve been using walkaround layouts for ideas but somehow the “feel” is still a bit different.
Chris, Wm, all, thanks for the photos and links. Very helpful!
Randall, Mr. Hamer’s use of side scene dividers (and raisers) is something that hadn’t occured and I might find very useful. Thanks! I’ll be mulling his site over to absorb…
NH, I do intend to put my layout at or near eye level. Definitely a good point with ovals especially!
I would think that if you were on the inside of a dunut then you would want your backdrop on the outside… so it would be the same as scenicing any front edge,Is it your intention to have observers on the outside?
You could have a low backdrop, enough to provide a less jarring transition to the center while still allowing easy observation in the middle, depending on the height of your benchwork. You could also have staging tracks on the inside edge of the donut behind said backdrop.
Chris
Mister B,
Your layout is quite nice. Thanks for posting pictures! It is the first time I’ve seen your work and you are a respectable modeler!
Interestingly, last week at a garage sale a few blocks from my house I obtained a dozen or so HO sized automobiles, some hot wheels, you know the typical bunch. In the lot was an ‘MG’ exactly like the one in your picture! I say MG, because it kinda looks like what I remember them to be. (Mine says Lesney England underneath.)
Again, thanks for the pictures, nothing builds a man’s credibity with me better than unphotoshoped pictures of his or her work!
Warmest regards,
Joe Daddy
I believe hiding the appearance of an oval track can be done by using scenery or a tunnel to conceal 1/4 of the track. In addition changing the track elevation can confuse the eye when viewing an oval track.
I have 4 high-speed passenger tracks, one freight track side by side in a station with a commuter track above. All are separate ovals (some bends and turns). The passenger tracks and the freight track upon leaving the station disappear into a tunnel which is covered partially with a mountain. It also serves as a staging area. The tracks come out of different tunnels (not same location) on the other side of the layout and at different levels.
By alternating the time each train stays hidden, it gives the appearance that train A leaves on its journey and disappears into the tunnel while train B is now coming out of the tunnel into the station. Train C and D are also doing the same in both directions. To complicate matters a freight train passes through at another time. Above at street level the commuter car is stopping at various stations on the loop.
Even though I know what is happening I am find myself losing track of which train is showing up next. Visitors never believe the tracks are ovals and ask where do the trains go when they disappear into the tunnels.
Each separate oval track is a separate block controlled by a toggle switch on the control board. To stop a train in a tunnel I just switch it off and on when needed. I would like to eventually automate the train delays and station stops so the layout could operate by its self. I could then concentrate on the locomotive facility and freight yard moves manually at the same time. The layout is HO/DCC and is 50% complete at this time. Hope this gives you some ideas.
Doc
Harry, you are not being creative. You need to say something like, “It was a gift from Barracks O’Bummer. I put it there until I can figure out a better place for it.” This is going to inspire a “No it’s not!” response at which time you lean very close and loudly whisper “Have I ever lied to you before?” Should the conversation continue beyond this point you say “I want you to look around the room and tell me where you would put a gift from Barracks O’Bummer”; if he points in the direction of the trash can or he reaches in his pocket and pulls out some change you will have just learned where his parents stand politically.
On a serious note, do take a look at Dave Vollmer’s layout as a pristine example of a layout that disquises the fact that it is an oval. And Fred Wright makes a good point: high benchwork limits what can be seen from one side of a tabletop platform.