Hello all,
I’m looking for creative input on trying to add mirrors or something else to my backdrop to simulate my yard continuing on, instead of it appearing to just end as it does. So far I purchased a 12" x 12" mirror at my local Michaels craft store, and had it cut into two 6" x 12" pieces. See photos below.
My initial plan was to simply incorporate these mirrors into my two yards I have on my layout. Both of which run into a wall. While the yards are decent enough in size for what I want in a layout, I wanted to create the illustion that they continued on. The problem is with the mirror situated how I have it, it does its purpose, but sticks out other than that. In other words, you can tell its a mirror. Can anyone give me some pointers/tips on either working with mirrors, or perhaps doing something else on my backdrop in that area.
Looking forward to any feedback!! Also, just so you know, these mirrors are just basic mirrors (about 1/8" thick). Not front-surface ones, but they give a good enough impression to me.
Some years ago I saw a couple articles about using first surface mirrors for this. Also depends on location so people normally do not see themselves in the mirror. Do a Google search for first surface mirrors model railroad. You will get hits.
In case you have a supply of old mrr magazines, here are links to some articles. One article I saw quite a few years ago, the person actually attached some small items to the mirror for more effects. You would have to see the article to understand how he did it. The mirror I remember was about almost 18 to 20 inches tall. Good luck.
Ray Hoppes has a neat 2-page article, “Doing It with Mirrors,” in July 2009 Railroad Model Craftsman with the module later on display at the September 2009 National Narrow Guage Convention.
The module’s mirror was mounted behind a bridge at 2-degree top-forward tilt from the backdrop. Just three more of the pointers…
“I bought a 9"x30” piece of acrylic mirror at a plastic supply company for $8.00."
“Before mounting the new mirror, I sprayed the upper part of the mirror with Floquil Dust paint, graduating the spray so there was no paint on the bottom half.”
“Next, I mounted the mirror with silicon caulk so it wouldn’t dissolve the foam scenery base.”
P.S.: This RMC was one of those “the whole magazine was in rare form” months. Another article was Don Spiro’s 9-page “Shallow-relief structures.”
Personally, it is disconcerting seeing cars/locomotives/trains moving away and especially toward the mirror. A parallel universe might be believable, but a mirrored universe is something else. Even as a static model, one has to look at the mirror at the correct angle for the view to be plausible.
Thanks for all of the comments on the subject so far. I did happen to have a few of the old Model Railroader mags that show a few applications for mirrors. Again, helpful infromation. But every situation is different. I think what I’m going to do is “hide” my mirror by two methods I can think of. One, having an overpass go over the end of my yard, against the wall/backdrop, with the mirror cut-out beneath it, and between the support columns of the overpass. This effect should give the illusion that yard continues on. Rather stubtle, but good enough. It is also somewhat prototypical for what I’m modeling as well, being that Mt. Elliot St. overpasses the yard in Hamtramck, MI. Two, for my other yard…located on Zug Island, southwest of downtown Detroit, MI…I plan on having an overhead structure/frame to provide me with the same type of result. Prototypical in that the yard on Zug Island actually has this structure/bridge/frame, which appears to house/protect a gas line of some sort. Again cutting off the mirror between the riser areas and below the structure crossing over the tracks. This should also provide a small illusion of the yard tracks continuing on underneath the bridge. The rest of my backdrop in this area will contain all of the structure type elements you can see on the island…making the scene busy enough to have the viewer drawn into the area and not think of the mirror as being overdone.
Finally, Mark, you make a good argument concerning trains/cars moving away/towards each other in the mirror. Probably a good reason to go with the methods I’m suggesting above. Photography wise, they should look good. Operations wise…it’ll look a little fake, but not to bad, since it’s contained within a small area.
It’s great hearing other modelers ideas and thoughts on the subject…Keep’em coming
John Allen did something that should have attracted attention to one of his mirrors, but actually had the opposite effect. He put the burned out end of a burned-out-at-one-end building right against the mirror, then sprayed a few wisps of grey smoke on the glass. There was a flickering red bulb inside as well. At the angle it was seen, it took me a couple of looks to realize that it wasn’t burned out in the middle with both ends still standing.
Does anyone else remember the Teaby Fire Extinguisher Company?
I remember that scene on John Allens layout.He had 7 or 8 mirrors i9n different places on his layout.He did such a good job hiding them you had trouble finding them.He was a master.It was an insparational layout.
Blend the edges into the background. the reflective surface does not have to make a sudden transition form the rest. Use paint, overspray, trees, rock outcroppings or buildings.
Fool the eye by making the reflection something other than what appears before the mirror. For example, use a building with one style front and a different style back painted in different colors.
Don’t use acrylic mirrors as they scratch very easily and tend to yellow over time. If your concerned with the weight of a glass mirror and how to mount it just use some globs of GE clear silicone sealant on the back side of the mirror and press it in place and hold it there temporarily with blue painters tape. come back the next day and try and remove the mirror, your not going to at least not without tearing the Sheetrock off the wall. I’ve mounted full size etched glass mirrors this way in a friends restaurant ten years a go and there still there .
I’ve never seen mirrors used in a yard like your trying to do in person but rather in tunnels and behind structures etc. Grampy’s Trains a member her has a few really slick mirrors on his layout that I didn’t notice even while looking right at them. Pretty cool stuff.
