Scenery Challenge

[beiland]

Please step forward all of you fellows that are knowledgeable about scenery.


I'm trying to place a Walthers 'New River Coal Mining' structure into the upper deck, back left corner of my layout. A portion of it would sit over the double crossover fixture I made, while the loading tracks themselves would be out on a 'flat' like I show in these photos,...the foam flat

Two of the most immediate questions that come to mind:

1. Is it possible the 'camouflage' that opening in the rear wall that is bringing a single line track into the room from the outdoor helix? Is it possible to make that NOT look like a tunnel entrance??
2. In that same sort of vein, is it possible to create a 'fake background scene' on a small portion of that rear wall would appear to be a track (or several of them) coming in to the loading tracks for the coal cars?...(at the wall end of those straight pieces of track I laid down there)
   
   
   
   

Sorry for the rather crude mock up

 

[beiland]

Here is the corner I am speaking of, (At one time I had thought I might be placing refinery oil storage tanks there)

And here is some 2" foam I'm looking at raising the track level in that area to match the track coming out of the helix.

 

[Espeefan]

There is no way Jose I would cover a double crossover, but its your railroad.

 

[beiland]

I do realize its not a great idea to cover up a turnout, but I thought if I could make it look right, then I might be able to fashion the mine in two parts with the portion that is directly over that double crossover as a very light weight portion of the mine and its hillside that could be easily lifted up to gain access?

I did some experiments with that double crossover, and became pretty confidante that it would not be that problematic.

I'm still very apprehensive about this idea/location. But I am exploring.

 

[beiland]

I'd try a front surface mirror behind the coal tipple to make the loading tracks appear to go thru the wall.

The edges of the mirror could easily be hidden by the tipple, trees or buildings carefully placed.

The helix entry could also be hidden by the same building(s) used to hide the right edge of the mirror. If you could add a storage silo/bin or smokestacks, the top of the tunnel could also be hidden.
Bruce

I had thought of a mirror behind the coal tracks, but wouldn't that also reflect the mine and/or its tipple as well?...which would look odd?...like another mine down the tracks?

 

[santafewillie]

I'm with Alan on covering that double crossover. It's not if it gives you a problem, but when!

 

[beiland]

suggestion from another forum,...

A mirror could be used directly behind the 3 tracks to the mine loadout and a short painted backdrop attached to the wall hiding the "portal" Paint it like a mountain and taper it down to nothing.
Look up mirror usage , especially John Allen, who was a master. There is a lot of information to be had and you have a good place to use a mirror illusion.

I am not an artist but I hope this will help you see what I mean.
Charlie
https://www.google.com/search?q=using+mi...e&ie=UTF-8

https://www.google.com/search?q=usi...ome..69i57.11511j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8​

 

[beiland]

Mirror Usage


Thanks Charlie,
I was beginning to be able to visualize hiding the entrance hole for the helix track with a clump of trees, but I was having a more difficult time with the coal car tracks. From what I can tell with your image there you are suggesting a smaller/shorter mirror that would just reflect the cars and track themselves?


When I looked at a few of your links, I found a number of them I am going to have to review. I thank you for that.


One in particular I looked at was,..
http://www.building-your-model-railroad....sions.html


just a few excerpts

Quote:
• Any structures, figures, train cars or autos reflected in the mirror should be painted a different color on the front and the back, so that the reflection appears to show a different structure, person or car.
• The cars or trucks that are reflected in the mirror can be altered (cut in half and re-glued together) so that they either have a front on both ends or a rear on both ends. That way, when they are viewed at eye level going into the mirror, it appears that the car in the mirror is heading in the same direction on the same side of the street as the real car.
• Place inverted signs on the backs of reflected structures, street signs, commercial signs so that when they are reflected in the mirror, the lettering can be read normally. The items in the mirror will then have the appearance of being completely different structures than the real ones especially if they’ve been painted differently on the backsides as well.​

 

[beiland]

As far as your wanting to 'camouflage' that opening in the rear wall that is bringing a single line track into the room from your outdoor helix, you could use trees placed in a way along the front/foreground of the track that makes the track appear to come from within a group of trees. Seen in first picture examples.
The three tracks could have the tracks going into, and continuing on into the wall, by painting three tracks to appear as they keep going, as seen in the next two set of pictures for examples. Instead of a single track, you paint your three tracks.