Model Railroad Blog

Urban Backdrop Transitions

Post author By Lmind1
Post date July 26, 2015
Categories In Construction, Los Angeles Junction Railway, Model Railroad Design, Realism

The transition from layout to backdrop is dicey even under the best of circumstances. Moving from a three dimensional flat layout surface to a two dimensional backdrop surface perpendicular to the eye, typically leaves the viewer with the subconscious nagging that “this just isn’t real”. If we are lucky we model a rural area and can screen the transition with vegetation. If we model an urban scene….no such luck. There is no way around the fact that cities have streets and those streets have to intersect with the backdrop. There are three ways this typically happens as shown in the illustration below.

The through street is the most common. Unfortunately the laws of physics are such that the layout to backdrop transition for a through street only works for one viewing angle. Even then you have the near impossible task of matching the street colors of those on the layout and backdrop. Sure, if you model a narrow two lane road and can tightly control the viewing angle by framing the edges you have a chance. This is rarely the case though as streets are typically much wider and the urban scene doesn’t lend itself to trees over arcing the pavement.

A dead end situation where the tree stops just short of the backdrop with trees behind is very workable but doesn’t occur often enough that we can use it in every situation.

This leaves the “T” a very workable solution in that we don’t need the road to continue on into the backdrop. In order for the “T” scenario to work, however, there has to be at least the suggestion of the cross street. You can’t just butt your structures up tight against the backdrop.

I’m still experimenting with the width of the suggested cross street but the mock up above illustrates a first attempt. Again, structures butting against the backdrop don’t work unless you can hide the intersection point with vegetation, rarely an option for the urban modeler. The taller the backdrop structures, the more visually jarring so, if possible, keep them to one story. Note in the image above that I’ve made the background structure the exact same height as those adjoining it on the layout. Experimentation showed that having the background structure taller or shorter doesn’t work. Note also, that I’ve included the sidewalk in front of the background structure to aid in the visual transition.

LAJ Prototype Map

Post author By Lmind1
Post date July 21, 2015
Categories In Los Angeles Junction Railway, Model Railroad Design

Here’s a map of the prototype area I finally chose to use as the basis for the LAJ switching layout. It took quite a few hours of (enjoyable) virtual rail fanning via Google Maps and Bing Maps to finally settle on a location. I’m satisfied, however, that I’ve finally found an area that embodies the look I’m after.

Scene Composition

Post author By Lmind1
Post date July 19, 2015
Categories In Los Angeles Junction Railway, Model Railroad Design

How do you learn how to compose a scene? It’s a very pertinent question and one that was asked by a visitor that dropped by today. It was also a hard one to answer because it’s more art than science, more of “I know it’s right when I see it” sort of thing. Scene composition has to do with the elements we select for our scenes, their size, and of critical importance, the space between them. Get it right and you have a model of a railroad. Get it wrong and it looks like a 1960’s “model railroad”. I felt bad that I really couldn’t give my guest as many specifics as I would have liked. What I did say was make very heavy use of mock ups to give things the eyeball test before committing.

For a proto freelance layout element selection becomes dicey as we can’t simply copy what is there. We have the multiple goals of picking elements that tell the viewer where they are but do so without cherry picking. Cherry picking is defined as avoiding the natural inclination to just choose the coolest elements and ignoring the ordinary ones that put a stamp on a place. For the LAJ layout (Note I decided to go with LAJ for the name as opposed to UP 38th Street). I’m emphasizing the one story art deco structures, the ragged pavement, lot’s of abandoned track, and abandoned curved spurs. I also wanted to incorporate a diagonal street for visual interest.

Spacing between elements also becomes very tricky given the very limited space we have. All too often pushing the envelope of packing things too close together quickly pushes us over the edge toward the toy look. Again, you need to let your eye be your guide. I do suggest though that you keep your pavement lane widths and structure set backs at prototypical distances. That alone will help.

The sketch above is where things stand now with the LAJ layout. The most difficult problem yet to be solved is the exact depths of the structures. How much depth do I allocate to the background structures vs. those in the foreground. It will take a lot of trial and error with mock ups. I also need to be aware of viewing angles and photography angles, being particular careful that foreground structures don’t block the view of signature scenes on the back side of the track. Also, how to handle the transition from streets to backdrop is a very thorny issue to be resolved. Progress but much planning still to be done.

Here’s the mock up as it stands today. The only thing set in stone at this point is the prototypical road widths.

The Money Shot

Post author By Lmind1
Post date July 12, 2015
Categories In Los Angeles Junction Railway, Model Railroad Design

Since finishing the bench work for my LAJ switching layout I’ve been playing around with scene composition and a variety of design ideas. Nothing really got me excited enough to commit. The reality is that the vast majority of the modern day LAJ just doesn’t make for a compelling modeling subject. Like much of the nation, vast swaths of its once fascinating switching spur network have been abandoned. What remains are essentially featureless concrete cubes. I was confident that if I stuck with it, spent enough time virtual railfanning on Google Streetview and Bing Maps, I’d eventually gain traction. Sure enough, there it was, the scene I was looking for that says “this is the LAJ”. The shot above was taken at 4799 South Maywood in Vernon. This scene, combined with one on Everett Avenue and District Blvd. give me enough to launch what will be a project that I’m excited about. The Downtown Spur is very close to the prototype. East Rail drew on the prototype for inspiration but wasn’t an accurate representation. Each layout was equally enjoyable. That being the case I’ve decided to make the LAJ proto freelanced, drawing from a variety of scenes in the Vernon area but not a purely prototypical representation. There just aren’t enough compelling, side by side, rail served scenes in existing to pull it off.

Knowing What We Don’t Know

Post author By Lmind1
Post date July 5, 2015
Categories In Construction, Los Angeles Junction Railway, Opinion, Realism

Most participants in model railroading, as with any leisure pursuit, are looking for a casual creative outlet, a break from the everyday without any overriding compulsion to be a master at it. This is as it should be and I point it out without any condescension. I enjoy surfing and playing basketball and can say in all honesty I have little desire to be that great at either. The fact that I’m a “dabbler” doesn’t detract from my experience.

With any pursuit, however, there will be a minority that does strive to be the best they can be, to be “excellent” at it. You can’t reach that promised land however, if you don’t know what the specific skills are that must be mastered. This not knowing what we don’t know is probably the largest limiting factor in creating excellent models. The disconnect comes from not making the distinction between a clean technical execution and a clean execution PLUS that hard to define artistic edge. An edge exemplified by modelers such as Bill Henderson (Coal Belt), Mike Confalone, or John Wright (Federal Street). Striving modelers reach the point of technical mastery, think they’ve hit the skills finish line, and stop. There isn’t an awareness that the race isn’t over and there are major elements beyond being a good “assembler, detailer, and painter” that must be mastered if you are to be excellent. The big three are scene composition, texture selection, and color selection/color placement (getting the ‘right’ color in the ‘right’ spot). Mastering the big three takes time and study, both of which typically doesn’t happen because modelers aren’t aware of the importance (or even the existence) of the subject matter.

The above photo is an aerial of the intersection of Gifford Avenue and District Blvd. in Los Angeles. The color patterns of the pavement and soils are very complex. Simply putting down a monotone layer of Woodland Scenics ballast and a uniform gray street won’t get you close. I count at least five soil colors with different feathering patterns in different locations. The pavement isn’t any simpler when you look at the mix of various ages of concrete, asphalt, cracks, expansion joints, and faded markings. A careful study and determined effort to match the photo will be rewarded with a unique show stopper of a model. It’s one thing to say that such a study is delving deeper into the hobby than a person wants. It’s quite another to be a striving modeler and not be cognizant that the subject needs study in the first place.