Alan Kettlewell Posted August 20, 2017 Author Share Posted August 20, 2017 Just gathering a few ideas for one of the other mountains on the layout .... A Schloss! Now that would be a real modelling challenge. A simplified version of course but could be a nice project indoors during the winter months .. hmmmm... Cheers ... Alan 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Just gathering a few ideas for one of the other mountains on the layout .... A Schloss! Now that would be a real modelling challenge. A simplified version of course but could be a nice project indoors during the winter months .. hmmmm... image.jpeg Cheers ... Alan If you decide to do Neuschwanstein Castle Alan I hope it won't drive you mad like it did to King Ludwig ! ) I went several years ago whilst driving through Bavaria and it certainly took my breath away. If you do decide on that one it'll be the icing on cake I reckon. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Kettlewell Posted August 20, 2017 Author Share Posted August 20, 2017 (edited) If you decide to do Neuschwanstein Castle Alan I hope it won't drive you mad like it did to King Ludwig ! ) I went several years ago whilst driving through Bavaria and it certainly took my breath away. If you do decide on that one it'll be the icing on cake I reckon. I'm sure even a model of that would take up half my shed. Something a lot more modest perhaps ... Edited August 20, 2017 by Alan Kettlewell 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissRailPassion Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Colditz? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Kettlewell Posted August 21, 2017 Author Share Posted August 21, 2017 I'm almost convinced I'd like a Schloss to dominate one of mountains on my layout. Got to admit Neuschwantein is fabulous - and massive. I came across this model, no idea of the scale here but it's certainly a fine model of this magnificent castle. Looking at the floor plans of the castle (below) I believe there may be scope for a very much cut down version to fit in the space I'll have available on my south spirals mountain. I reckon I'd need to considerably shorten the parade ground/open yard area and reduce the main building (top end of this plan) to a single shape, compress the gatehouse and lower forecourt areas, I could just fit a model in the space available. Odd though that I'd be sacrificing the Royal chambers - kind of defeats the object of the castle! Anyway, food for thought. Much more measuring and planning needed - but I enjoy that part of modelling. Cheers ... Alan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted August 21, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 21, 2017 Only thing I'd say is most of the Swiss castles I've seen are a tad less fairytale than that There are some very nice ones that would be much easier to build too. Still who knows what eccentric Baron lived in that valley 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Given the compression required in modelling, would a more simple tower possibly be a better option? http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/mouse-tower.html (Other towers are available, some of the pictures show a small schloss further up the hill behind the tower) Even with all the space you've got there I suspect it may be hard keeping a big schloss look in proportion with the rest of the layout, as spectacular as they are, it may end up dominating the room. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Kettlewell Posted August 21, 2017 Author Share Posted August 21, 2017 I'm sure you're both right - and common sense should prevail over a romantic idea. Another thought is a model I could set further back on a hill top which I could build to 2mm (N) scale, and so giving a perspective ... Cheers ... Alan 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhBBob Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Mine are bound to be very simple - just foamboard carved with a screwdriver !! https://www.flickr.com/photos/winterschlaf/32124881376/in/dateposted-public/ 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Kettlewell Posted August 21, 2017 Author Share Posted August 21, 2017 Looking into my shed now presents quite a different view from two years ago - but it also highlights how much there is still to do! 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Kettlewell Posted August 21, 2017 Author Share Posted August 21, 2017 A few pictures of the scene to date - tree planting has begun but I'm going to need hundreds. Still, more progress and looking the part a bit more now: More ... 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Kettlewell Posted August 21, 2017 Author Share Posted August 21, 2017 (edited) A few more ... I've made the trees at the top of the mountain much smaller to give a sense of perspective - need many more of them though .. Cheers ... Alan Edited August 21, 2017 by Alan Kettlewell 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted August 21, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 21, 2017 I think that's officially become a Chalet rather than a mere shed 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Vecchio Posted August 22, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 22, 2017 A few more ... image.jpeg I've made the trees at the top of the mountain much smaller to give a sense of perspective - need many more of them though .. image.jpeg Cheers ... Alan Smaller trees on top - makes perfect sense - not only because of perspective but because of rough climate. Winds can attack the trees more easily, and also from a certain sea level on you will not have any tree as the climate is to rough. What you need are low creeping mountain pines (Latschen Kiefer) which sometimes form a very small tree but mainly grow in groups and form a kind of a thicket. These kind of trees grow between the real woodland and the completely bare area on the mountain top. Tried to find a photo on the net - I think this one is quite typical. Vecchio, ready for the holiday... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Kettlewell Posted August 22, 2017 Author Share Posted August 22, 2017 Thanks Vecchio - all info and the photo much appreciated. I'll need to spend some time getting my head around the ground cover and trees situation, find a method to construct them economically and relatively quickly. With such a large layout and doing it single handed I need to get a balance between the time spent on each aspect and getting it to look right, or reasonably so, overall. My approach is to get some details on straight away then move on with the view to re-visiting areas later to improve them. Thanks again. Cheers ... Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Kettlewell Posted August 22, 2017 Author Share Posted August 22, 2017 Meine Kleine Schloss I made this mock up today to see if a small castle could have a home on my layout. The idea is to depict it in a scale smaller than HO but position it in the distance on top of a hill. The mock up is of no particular scale except that the figure in the doorway is a 6ft man in 2mm to the foot scale (N scale). I would position it at about eye level and with the front facing the viewer so that it's not too important for it to have great depth. Some imagination is required as I obviously haven't built the mountain yet and most of the track seen on the spirals will be hidden. It would sit on top of a hill, and far back in the corner of the layout about here on top of the west spirals mountain, overlooking the valley below. I would probably make the rear buildings of the castle a bit taller to depict them being on a higher level than the gatehouse buildings at the front. And maybe a couple more towers. Some might recognise it as very loosely looking like the layout of Neushwanstein Schloss. Anyway, as ever, any thoughts on this idea would be appreciated. Cheers ... Alan 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted August 22, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 22, 2017 (edited) Looks good scale wise, if you keep the main entrance hidden on the other side the rest is much harder to scale by eye than doorways Edited August 22, 2017 by PaulRhB 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted August 22, 2017 Share Posted August 22, 2017 German typo alert! Should be "mein kleines Schloss" (or meine kleine Burg if it's more fortified and less of a luxury chateau) Located high and towards the back works for me too. You'd kind of expect people to have built castles like that where it's hard to build a railway, i.e. up the hill with a view, and away from busy travel corridors, but I'm sure there are plenty of counter-examples. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Kettlewell Posted August 22, 2017 Author Share Posted August 22, 2017 (edited) German typo alert! Should be "mein kleines Schloss" (or meine kleine Burg if it's more fortified and less of a luxury chateau) Located high and towards the back works for me too. You'd kind of expect people to have built castles like that where it's hard to build a railway, i.e. up the hill with a view, and away from busy travel corridors, but I'm sure there are plenty of counter-examples. Thanks for the typo correction - a long time since I did my basic German colloquial course, 1976 I think! I know what you mean about being away from railways/travel corridors - although there are many castles overlooking the Rhein of course, with it's railway route along the banks - but probably none on top of a spiral mountain... Lol.. Cheers ... Alan Edited August 22, 2017 by Alan Kettlewell 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted August 22, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 22, 2017 (edited) The RhB passes right under one Burgruine Campi (Campi Castle ruin) and right next to Castle Tarasp too http://www.bahnbilder.de/bild/Schweiz~Sonstiges~Stimmungsbilder/147909/ruine-campi-in-der-schinschlucht-zwischen.html Edited August 22, 2017 by PaulRhB 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Kettlewell Posted August 22, 2017 Author Share Posted August 22, 2017 The RhB passes right under one Burgruine Campi (Campi Castle ruin) and right next to Castle Tarasp too http://www.bahnbilder.de/bild/Schweiz~Sonstiges~Stimmungsbilder/147909/ruine-campi-in-der-schinschlucht-zwischen.html Brilliant - a prototype for everything eh ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted August 23, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 23, 2017 Brilliant - a prototype for everything eh ... That's why railways are so great to model, if all else fails you just look at the real world and move things sideways a bit 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Kettlewell Posted August 23, 2017 Author Share Posted August 23, 2017 Neuschwanstein Schloss - in HO scale. Wow! Looks like them people in Hamburg have beat me to it. What a size though even in this scale. Cheers ... Alan 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brittannia Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 Wunderland is certainly well worth a visit, full day of excellent viewing at a reasonable cost, it gets alot quieter towards the end of the day..Found it cheaper to fly to Bremen [RyanAir] hotel stay and car rental than fly direct to Hamburg and stay in hotel there.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Kettlewell Posted August 24, 2017 Author Share Posted August 24, 2017 It Wunderland is certainly well worth a visit, full day of excellent viewing at a reasonable cost, it gets alot quieter towards the end of the day..Found it cheaper to fly to Bremen [RyanAir] hotel stay and car rental than fly direct to Hamburg and stay in hotel there.. It is definitely on my bucket list. You might have seen that Wunderland advertise the likely waiting times on their booking page - I reckon I would need all day in there! I'm considering doing it as part of a short holiday by rail using a European InterRail Pass. The '5 days within a 15 day period' pass is around £210 (plus some reservation supplements eg Eurostar) which can include the journey to and from the international departure point, say Darlington to London Kings X (for the Eurostar out of St Pancras). I fancy visiting Miniatur Wunderland and then zip down to Salzburg to see the Peter Porsche Museum, maybe time for quick trip into Switzerland and visit the Bernina or Glacier express. For a short rail adventure like this the InterRail Pass is good value. Could be later this year ... getting excited already. Cheers ... Alan 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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