John Allen was famous for many things and one of them was his use of mirrors to create the illusion of larger spaces that what was actually there. His passenger terminal at Great Divide was stub ended but by backing it up to a mirror, it created the illusion of a larger through station. He placed other mirrors strategically around the layout and artfully disquised the edges so as not to give away the illusion. If memory serves, he had one town that was only visible in a mirror. I used to see a lot of plan books with mirrors used to make spaces seem bigger, but I don’t see that done much anymore. Mirrors do have to be positioned so that the viewer will never see his reflection and the edges need to be disquised but if done well, they can double the apparent size of an area. I am curious whether anyone is using or planning to use mirrors on their layouts.
Yes. I am currently working on a section of a highly urbanized scene where a secondary commuter line (non-functional) crosses over my main railroad’s trackage. The commuter line, running in a cut, extends from the layout’s front edge toward the rear, curving off to the left and under a highway overpass. At the end of the curve, beneath the overpass, will be a roughly 3"x5" mirror reflecting the curved trackage. At the point where the mirror is placed it is at about a 55-degree angle to the aisle and the high-banked railroad cut will prevent the viewer from being able to see his own reflection.
Incidentally, for years I’ve been seriously considering building a copy of John Allen’s incredible World’s Largest Parking Garage, just for the fun of it. Maybe after my urban scene is complete.
CNJ831
In my own case, I intend to use a large mirror as a backdrop to my urban scene to double the apparent size of the city. The mainline will disappear into a tunnel several blocks from the mirror and enter the staging yard. A large section of the city will be built over the top of it. The mirror itself will be set into a large shadow box with a tall building hiding the edge nearest the aisle. The top of the building will be well above 6 feet above the floor so unless Shaquille O’Neal comes by for a visit, no one will be able to see themselves in the mirror.
An idea which was suggested at a club to which I belonged involved a street which ran into the back wall about four feet from the aisle, with track in the street and industrial spurs on both sides. One of the members wanted to put a mirror at the end of the street, then paint reverse-lettered signage on the back walls of the buildings (which would then become visible.) I was transferred to another base before anything was done about the scheme, so I don’t know if it was ever installed.
Chuck
In my case, the mirror will be used above track with the trains disappearing below the cityscape. I had thought of using a mirror to double the size of my coach yard which backs into a corner but I couldn’t figure how to disguise the top and/or side of the mirror. I had thought of placing a mirror below an overpass that went over the end of the coach yard but I have seen mirrors used this way. With a mirror below a bridge and a painted backdrop above it, it is just too obvious that it is a mirror. I have also considering using the reversed sign but it would have to be strategically placed so that only the mirror image is visible from normal viewing angles.
I saw a layout at a show many years ago where are pair of mirrors at 90 degrees were placed at the end of an urban street. The angling of the mirrors gave the impression of a cross street going behind the buildings in both directions.
MR magazine did a feature on that technique a number of years ago and it looked very interesting. The problem I saw with it is the tops of the mirrors would have to be disquised or else run to the top of the backdrop which would raise a different set of issues. The cool part of using the double mirrors is that the images aren’t reversed like they would be for a conventional mirror system.
Does anyone remember what issue of MR talked about using mirrors?
I read in one of my old scenery books that Front Surface Mirrors were used by John Allen. The front surface mirror nearly eliminates the gap between the end of the subject and the refective film. However, they’re limited in size, hard to find, very expensive and can scratch easy. I can see why he banned smoking in the layout room. It must have been a pain to clean without scratching it.
A regular single pane mirror will work just about as well for large areas. And save a wad of money.
Another example of a killer application for mirrors in the book was a auto dealer show room. A car was painted a different color on the side the viewer couldn’t see. A mirror reflected the hidden side and it looked like two different cars inside.
We have spots for small mirrors, at spots against the backdrop:
- In an archway through a building
- River under a bridge
- City street under a bridge
Cheers,
Maureen
But if your operating crew are all vampires you don’t have to worry about this step[}:)][;)][^]
LOL[:D]
I like that one, too. I plan to build a copy, but maybe make it the world’s largest warehouse, or something besides a parking garage. It’s name may be something “borrowed” from Harry Potter or something to imply the “magically” enlarged interior. Then again I may call it Warehouse 23 (supposedly the US Government’s “secret” warehouse that has crashed UFO’s, aliens, the Ark of the Covenant, etc.) Think about the last scene in “Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark” the huge warehouse where all these “lost treasures” are stored.
Brad
I like your alternate concepts, especially the association with the warehouse in Ark! Might even go with that one myself, since I happen to have a large number of miniature crates in the scrapbox! [;)]
CNJ831
I placed a mirror under the bridge of my layout. Because the river is situated at the end of the layout, I use the mirror to create an illusion that the river flows beyond the backdrop.
Cheers,
Cliff
A mirror can be used inside a mine to make the entrance tracks look longer (and the mirror doesn’t get smudged or dusty as much). Angle it so the mine tracks decline.
Speaking of dust, there are anti-static sprays for non-conductive surfaces (like Staticide, check electronics sources) that keep the dust off for a long time.
I’m glad to see this because I plan a similar treatment for my river. I will be using a covered highway bridge to hide the junction of the river and backdrop with the mirror positioned below. I think this works when you have some space between the mirror and the backdrop. I’ve seen similar uses where the mirror is mounted flush with the backdrop and it just doesn’t work. The mirror has depth while the backdrop doesn’t and it looks really phoney.
PS. Outstanding canyon you’ve built there. It reminds me of a photo I saw of a section of Western Pacific line although I can’t remember the actual location.
I am looking to use a large mirror to try to double the number of blast furnaces I get from a Walther’s kit. I think I can angle them slightly away from the aisle to cut down how noticeable the operator is.
The blast furnace will be very close to the mirror. Has anyone tried lighting the back of a building by bouncing light off of the mirror? Does it work?
At the Big E in Springfield one of the layouts had half a soccer field, with a mirror right at the center line. I’ll admit to wearing bi-focals, but I didn’t notice the mirror until the second or third look.
(FYI, the soccer *** did not cast a reflection.)
If I ever get around to building my branch line, it is going to terminate at a lakeside town. The plan is to model a cove coming off the lake with a mirror to double the size of the cove. A covered bridge will cross the inlet to the cove and this bridge will be flush against the mirror making it seem twice as long. It will rest on a half pier against the mirror.