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How To Make Your Layout Appear Bigger Than It Is
Experienced model railroaders use a variety of techniques to maximize space usage and to create the illusion their railroad stretch far into the distance.
One of the best ways is to give the illusion of the background scene extending further is to start with either a photographic or realistically painted backdrop. Commercially made photo backdrops are available, but many prefer to paint their own sky and background scene.
Whether painting the backdrop or using photographic printed landscape images, the trick is to create the illusion of depth and realism. The next thing is to build up the scene in front of the backdrop, to add further to the 3D effect. This can be done using trees, shrubs, grasses, people, fences, vehicles, roads, and structures.
The model buildings in this video can be seen here.
Instead of wasting valuable track or yard space with structures that are 6” or 8” deep, many hobbyists construct their background buildings just 1” or 2” deep. This clever technique can save an enormous of space, whilst still proving the illusion that the buildings are full-size, and that they extend well into the background.
These thin low relief buildings usually consist of a frontage, with part of a roof, and usually one or two side walls visible or partly visible. The buildings can be placed in front of the sky or tree lined painted or photographic backdrop.
More scenery, props, greenery, track etc can be positioned near the buildings to create the impression the layout extends considerably further than in reality it does.
It’s an expensive waste to cut up pricey plastic kits to create this type of background illusion. Instead, it is much cheaper to download and build these designs from corflute, ply, card, or foam board. They can be made exceptionally strong!
And, because the downloaded prints are like photos, no paints or airbrushing is required.
The railroad models on the modelbuildings.org website are of a high quality finish (photo-realistic) and already have fine detailing such as curtains hanging in windows, flaking paintwork, rusty pipes, mold on brickwork, cracks in concrete. Some buildings even feature items on display in shop windows.
4 Responses to How To Make Your Layout Appear Bigger Than It Is
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Also if your rinning HO use a n scale train in the distance that will give depth or go 1 size smaller than what you model if you have the space.
The suggestion by Jim that you use some “N” scale products to create the illusion of distance is a very practical one. This works for both trains and structures as well as making some shrubbery & trees smaller as you move away from the tracks. Some modelers have also tried mirror squares to make a track seem to disappear into the backround or scenery.
Years ago I worked running the Indianapolis Children’s Museum Layout, The layout was Lionel and along the back they had an HO train running up on the ridge of the mountain, Nothing fancy just a dog bone track and it could be seen going both ways. They didn’t allow much access to maintain the trains and track so it was hard to keep it running. It did look like it was in the distance and up on the ridge it was like watching the trains high above the road such as the Alaska railroad near Denalli National Park in Alaska. Also from the highways in Utah along I 80 The trains above the highway looked a lot smaller So yes It can look like there is distance from the rest of the layout. But if there is not much room on your layout and the small train is almost on top of your larger trains then it might look more like you have a zoo size train along with your larger train. So yes Give it a shot it can work. It did at the Children’s Museum. from Newman
Mirrors add depth to a layout. It can also look like a duplicate layout next to the one you are running. I have seen mirrors at the end of roads and making it look like the road extends farther back into your back drop. The Mattoon Train station on the lower track the track id not a running track but crosses the operational track and under the bridge there is a mirror that makes that short track looks much longer but in reality it is just a short distance across the section of the module. The video is one of my earlier videos so you may have to go back a ways, or just type in Mike Havens NYC HO Layout and that might get it there in the search. Mirrors work good when done right. from Newman