Hey SP1...

First,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

I see what you mean. The longer building placed on the other side of the bridge would help hide the junction of the backdrop and layout. Hmmm......

What I was thinking I would do is drastically reduce the parking lot on the upper left, and start a residential area which would extend all the way around the 180 turn of the layout. The houses would have wood fences and trees, and some of the houses would be right against the backdrop, and all of these things would make the backdrop junction less noticable.

I don't know when I will start on all this in full force, it is all just food for thought right now. I have ordered a bunch of brick sheet, so when it gets here, I'll probably dive in.

Thanks for taking a look!

Gary S Wrote:Hey SP1...

First,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

Thank you!

Quote:What I was thinking I would do is drastically reduce the parking lot on the upper left, and start a residential area which would extend all the way around the 180 turn of the layout. The houses would have wood fences and trees, and some of the houses would be right against the backdrop, and all of these things would make the backdrop junction less noticable.

Thats even better

Gary S Wrote:... start a residential area which would extend all the way around the 180 turn of the layout. The houses would have wood fences and trees, and some of the houses would be right against the backdrop, and all of these things would make the backdrop junction less noticable. ...

I think you're on the right track (no pun intended even though that one was highly appropriate) with the residential area. If it gets a bit congested towards the rear with houses, fences, trees, free-standing garages, back yard sheds, it will give to eye too much to digest before it realizes there's a backdrop there.

Revisit some of Steve's scenes, which I don't think have the depth that you do; the eye has so much to take in it never gets to the backdrop only a few inches beyond the scene's focal point!

With the depth you have, it should work to your advantage ...

... sez da guy wit no platform wit trains on it ta play wit!

Keep up the good work, there, Big Guy! It's coming along just fine, fine, super-fine!

I like the idea of a residential area. The voyeur in me like to look in other peoples back yards. :?

biL, I agree with you. I think my only backdrop issues will be at the bayous and underpasses.

Here is another semi-scaled view of what I am thinking. The track layout and the bayou and the underpass are all nailed down and I have to work with those constraints.

[attachment=19930]

That looks good. I would not modify the two bank buildings but cut them at the backdrop. The Donuts and the Fish market should slide somewhat to the back to allow a row of parking cars in front of them. At least a Donut shop needs that row of cars. It is so typical.
The left bank should have space for two rows of cars on the left parking lot. The residential area should move left 1/2 car size.
It looks like there are trees and bushes in that area. That would be a great help to camouflage the bayou at the backdrop.

Both kind of parking lots of the banks with well maintained asphalt and around the donut and fish shop with gravel only are typical and should get some attention. They are an important unimportant details

The green at both sides of the track should be made consistent all over the layout. The Houston area can be everything from very green to very brown depending on the season of the year and how much rain felt during late winter and spring. I would suggest late spring/early summer with some friendly green but first brown patches of grass in the full sun to make a clear statement about southern Texas.

Just my spontaneous thoughts looking at the scenery.

Thanks Reinhard. Your thoughts are always welcomed, because not only do you think about these kinds of layout issues, you have been experiencing them firsthand with all the work we have seen you do on your layout. I very much enjoy your threads where you discuss the various issues you have run across during your layout construction and all of its various incarnations.

I agree with your points above. I'm looking forward to getting started on it. Now that the bridges are completed to the point of running trains, I can concentrate on other things.

faraway Wrote:That looks good. I would not modify the two bank buildings but cut them at the backdrop. The Donuts and the Fish market should slide somewhat to the back to allow a row of parking cars in front of them. At least a Donut shop needs that row of cars. It is so typical

Don't forget the police cars in the donut shop parking lot.

And I also need a police car for the "under the 69th street bridge" incident, where I was interrogated for taking photos of "infrastructure".

Gary S Wrote:And I also need a police car for the "under the 69th street bridge" incident, where I was interrogated for taking photos of "infrastructure".

I did never find anything other than Texas state trooper. Could not find a model of the HPD.

faraway Wrote:

Gary S Wrote:And I also need a police car for the "under the 69th street bridge" incident, where I was interrogated for taking photos of "infrastructure".

I did never find anything other than Texas state trooper. Could not find a model of the HPD.

It would probably take only some Squadron Green Putty to modify that trooper, giving him an over-inflated sense of self-importance.

Wayne

good one, docWayne! As for the car, would have to find something close and do a repaint.

[/quote]

It would probably take only some Squadron Green Putty to modify that trooper, giving him an over-inflated sense of self-importance.

Wayne[/quote]

Wayne, I did that job for 25 years, although my time was spent in a boat instead of a car, can't recall ever having an over inflated sense of self importance.

Bruce

No slight intended to you or any other person in law enforcement who does their job in a courteous manner when dealing with the public, Bruce. I'm sure, though, that most of us have had an experience where we've been treated in a less than polite manner by someone overawed by their "powers". By the same token, I'm sure that a lot of otherwise ordinary citizens have behaved poorly when in a similar situation, and I'm not referring to anything related in any way to criminal or illegal activity.
Some people have bad days once in a while, whereas others have bad attitudes most of the time. When the latter type is a figure of authority, the outcome is pretty much predetermined.

Wayne

Gary, I just received the 4th quarter 2010 issue of the Warbonnet in the mail today. At the bottom of page 30 is a picture of a high hood Gp7 painted in blue & yellow warbonnet. The photo is taken at Chillicothe, Ill dated Jan.6, 1974. I don't know how much longer that unit lasted before going in for the rebuild, chop nose, and Topeka cab, but it is good into 1974 at least.