Gary S Wrote: ... I am somewhat considering hiring an artist to do the backdrop scenes... man... would y'all lose respect for me if I did that? ...

C'mon, Gary ... don't be ridiculous!

How many of us have built the 1:1 scale building or a rack-mount electrical control cabinet?

And ... what's the difference between pasting a pre-printed backdrop poster on your wall and hiring someone to paint an image directly on your wall? Besides, if you're paying the guy (or girl) you are going to get what you want, not some "near-um" approximation of what you want that you'd get with a poster!

The idea of projecting an image on the wall and using it as a guide is a good one ... and one that pros useall the time, I might add! [An opaque projector and an image projected on a sheet of cold-pressed Windsor-Newton water color paper taped to the wall, and lightly tracing objects with a 5H Kohinoor drafting lead in a lead holder .... mmmmmm ... brings back memories of doing assignments for an illustration class when I was a sophomore at Philadelphia College of Art.]

Theres no shame in either hiring someone who draws better than you do or tracing an image of the landscape you want and then applying the paint yourself. I wouldn't think less of you, either way! Have at it!

(Check out some of the "specialized" brushes if you decide to go that route ... fan brushes are a boon when you go to "indicate" trees!)

Gary:
I note you are also "cheating" by using pre-made conduit and wire that's already drawn and insulated.
I've hand-laid 5 turnouts in my time: 3 when I was in high school and 2 more about 20 years ago. Also built a few kit turnouts. I gave that up when I got a job and could afford Peco.
NMRA contest rules allow certain commercial parts on scratchbuilt models: wheels, couplers and something else (motors?). But there's extra points for scratching those. And you aren't entering a contest.

David, you made me smile with the conduit and insulated wire comment!

biL, I'm up in the air as to what method to use for the backdrop. I'll probably end up painting it myself, but you never know.

NOTE to everyone: Haven't been posting much on this thread since I am working on the bridge for the contest. The bridge thread is at http://www.the-gauge.net/forum/viewtopic...91&start=0

Gary S Wrote:Tom, that is a good idea, but my fear is that I would need to use photos for the entire backdrop. Any idea on what it costs to reproduce a photo to poster size? With 170 feet of backdrop, that is alot of poster photos!

On the note of cost though, I am somewhat considering hiring an artist to do the backdrop scenes... man... would y'all lose respect for me if I did that? :oops:

Gary,

You are not the first to request such help. Here's a thread:

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in which I mention the Lyon Valley Northern - a local layout for which the owner (Chris) has painted a very effective backdrop. You might need to search a bit now, but he has posted pictures and videos of how to do it. He also delivered a very good clinic at the local CARM convention a few years ago.

Andrew

If you're seriously thinking of hiring an artist, you might also want to check out the Backdrop Warehouse. They can make you a one-piece backdrop for the entire layout.

Wayne

I've seen a 35' backdrop from the guys Doc is talking about. It looked pretty good. What about painting the entire backdrop with the good ole' sky blue and a hint of clouds, then cut out various pictures you want to use and glue them to the backdrop, maybe add some trees and whatever else. Might give it a little depth.

Backdrops are one of those tricky things - sometimes less is more. I have seen some magnificent hand painted "true" backdrops - those meant to represent a distant background. But usually, if one desires some kind of detail of trees or buildings on the backdrop, the hand painting usually fails. I have seen photo backdrops and pre-printed backdrops work well, and other times where they too looked awkward. I have seen painted ones that werent intended to look super realistic (with silhouettes of buildings and mountains), but worked extremely well with the layout theme and style in that they brought attention to the trains. The backdrop was just a "suggestion" of what lies beyond, rather than a "definition" of what lies beyond.

From my time in the humid south regions - one thing I notice is the lack of visibility. Here, I can sometimes see mountains 50 miles away. There, things that are just a few miles away fade into this gray-blue haze. My suggestion is to do a "less is more" approach. Start with the blue/gray sky, and blend down to a hazy gray horizon. Add maybe only a few hints of clouds nearer to the horizon, and lastly give the suggestion of clumps of treetops in the distance - dark gray/blue with a tad of green. Hide the corner where the layout meets the backdrop with trees or building flats, and it should look detailed enough to work, but not too detailed that it works badly.

Before you hire someone, I would suggest experimenting for yourself, as it could be valuable learning experience. A little paint and time are relatively cheap. The hardest part for me would be to find colors that compliment each other and compliment the color on the layout. I have learned that the fewer paint colors you use, the more things blend harmoniously. For example, don't buy two blue colors for the sky because those colors likely uses different amounts and types of blue pigments. Instead buy ONE blue color, and vary the tone by adding only one other color of gray. I would also seriously consider painting the whole thing using an airbrush. You will get a smooth background, well-blended coors, and may give that "hazy" appearance common to humid regions.

Hey guys, sorry for not replying sooner - been spending all the time on the new bridge.

As for the backdrop, I very much appreciate all the suggestions. Gives me lots of options and I find myself pondering how I should do it - the answer will eventually come. I did check out the backdrop place and that looks interesting.

Kevin, the walls are already painted blue with hazy clouds fading to hazy gray down at the layout. I am estimating that the backdrop scenes won't be any more than 3 inches tall at any place, and even less than that. A painted on "hazy suggestion" of the horizon is what I am thinking right now, but using a backdrop made from my photos is appetizing also.

I haven't even been in the train room more than 2 hours over the past several days. Just sitting here in my workroom enjoying the work on the bridge.

Gary S Wrote:TN, I used to see the advertisements for used cabooses in the train magazines. I always thought it would be so awesome to have one in the backyard and buildthe layout inside it.

Even though the cabooses were only $5000, the shipping charges were quite high. There is/was a website that chronicled one man's adventures in acquiring and installing a caboose in his backyard- very interesting and an enjoyable read. From his cost figures, it was cheaper for me to build the new building! Plus the building has more space than a caboose.

A boxcar would be really cool too.

Thank you for your respect comment, it is appreciated!

In the early 70's, in Tucson, my grandfather bought an out of service refrigerated boxcar and had it shipped across town to his place in the foothills. At the time, the boxcar cost him 2K and having it shipped cost him another 2K. He has since passed on but the boxcar still sits there. He built a big roof over the top of it and used it as a workshop for 30 some years. I can remember quite clearly cracking those doors open on a reallly hot summer day and feeling the refreshing whoosh of the nice cool air come rushing out at you. He never did hook any kind of AC up to it as It didn't matter how hot it was outside, it was always cool inside. As I was just a young whipper snapper back then, I used to climb all over that thing from top to bottom and I especially had fun standing halfway up on the end on a little tiny platform cranking on the brake wheel to watch the chain advance up and down.

Wow, been over a month since anything was posted here. Been working on the Summer Challenge project and then the other bridge. Next week I intend to find a brick layer. It is getting ridiculous that the brick is still sitting around the building for what, 3 months now? :oops:

I actually did some train room related stuff today while I was letting the glue dry on the dirt at the new bridge.

The room is a wreck right now, tools and stuff strewn all over and all over the layout shelves. To relieve the problem, I built two carts today, one for tools and hardware, and one for scenery items and materials. This should go a long way in helping keep the shelves clear of stuff, plus will save a thousand steps hunting for tools and materials. Also, it should make my hobby life easier and more productive.

First, the carts. One still needs the casters added.

[attachment=19878]

And one of the reasons why the carts are needed. Hardly an inch of space on the shelves that isn't holding stuff.

[attachment=19877]

Tomorrow morning, will clean up the room and then load everything on the carts, and after that, maybe the room will stay clean!

Nice carts!!!

I had to chuckle about keeping the layout and surrounding area clean...seems no matter how much storage space I have, my work space gets covered. The endless cycle....work work work....can't find something...find it...work work work...loose it again....get mad....clean room....go back to project (repeat cycle) I buy more shelves, I buy more storage bins, I have a place for everything...but everything keeps getting out of place....myabe I have train trolls

If you can keep your layout clean you are a better Man than I

Wow!

Are those verticals 1"-by or 1/2"-by material? Should I assume the plywood is 1/4" ... or is it 3/8" thick?

Hmmmmmmm! Maybe a materials list would be in order.

How wide? How deep? How tall? :?: :geek:

I can see a three-shelf-and-a-tray version, maybe one with reinforced shelves for books, one with a "lid" over the tray, my brain just started racing when I looked at those little darlings! Very cool stuff! [I'm still very much looking for storage ideas ... I looked at this room and realized that my "clutter" problem is a storage one ... there isn't any!!!]

Gary, maybe you could just give us some basic overalls and a listing of materials sizes. But, I've gotta tell you ...

Those are some fine carts, and they can roll right in under the bench work! How cool is that?!!!

Gary S Wrote:… then load everything on the carts, and after that, maybe the room will stay clean!

You are joking, right?

Gary, compared to my room right now, yours looks like a hospital.
It has been bugging me, but I keep unpacking. I need shelves but hate to make them because what the layout doesn't use will go when it is completed, so I just need to convince myself to not look down.
Charlie

mountaingoatgreg Wrote:I had to chuckle about keeping the layout and surrounding area clean...seems no matter how much storage space I have, my work space gets covered. The endless cycle....work work work....can't find something...find it...work work work...loose it again....get mad....clean room....go back to project (repeat cycle)

It's the same exact thing for me Greg, both in the layout room and my workroom in the house.

The carts can't do anything but help! Or... will they be just one more thing I have to add to the clean=up cycle? hock: