A View Down The Line - Sound

[peter220950]

Just putting a marker in for one of my intended cake box layouts, there's already a similar idea been floated, so I'm putting my post in so that I don't get accused of plagiarism! I have been working on four different schemes since last night, this is possibly the simplest.

 

 

This cake box challenge is to model a full sized line with locos and stock.

 

Obviously this isn't possible, but I think can get close by staging a scene in front of a tablet screen, to show a video of the real thing, I'm currently drifting between the view from inside a sectioned signal box or from a road bridge.

 

 

Having a moving image, filmed from a fixed viewpoint, should imitate the real thing, a little undergrowth to frame the sides, and a set of figures and a parapet wall, or the inside of a signal box, should complete the scene. The only problem I see with a box is the fact that it's adjacent to the line, but a bit of study over the next week or so will take the concept a bit further.

 

The problem I see with the bridge is to incorporate two railway items, I'm not sure that a video of track counts, so I can use the railway bridge as one item, just need to think about a second, the box on the other hand is much more compliant. There may also be 'something' extra.

 

I have also researched tablets, and reckon that a Kindle Fire 7 will fit, and provide sound as well as vision.

 

Peter

Edited October 15, 2017 by peter220950

[steve1]

And the D Type Jag...?

 

steve

[peter220950]

The only 1/43 vehicle I had to hand when I mocked it up, I suppose it should be a bus.

 

Peter

[BG John]

A railway replacement bus, making it the second railway item!

[Colin_McLeod]

 

The problem I see with the bridge is to incorporate two railway items, I'm not sure that a video of track counts, so I can use the railway bridge as one item, just need to think about a second....

How about a tunnel mouth or a second bridge framing the video. Edited October 9, 2017 by Colin_McLeod

[peter220950]

How about a tunnel mouth or a second bridge framing the video.

Worth a try, but I like the idea of not having to do any work on the entire back wall as it's a video of the real thing, - being lazy.

 

Peter

[Huw Griffiths]

A railway replacement bus, making it the second railway item!

 

Do the trainspotters count as railway related?

[peter220950]

Do the trainspotters count as railway related?

Could be, or there might even be room for the top of a signal, more thought needed, my preferred and original option was the signal box, but I might try to get a sneaky peak into one on the SVR to see if it's feasible.

 

Peter

[28XX]

I think a fully detailed signal box interior is a really good idea. Many were / are alarmingly close to high speed running lines. A lot of enjoyable research required!

[teaky]

Top of a signal just visible over the parapet?

[peter220950]

Top of a signal just visible over the parapet?

That's the preferred option if the signal box idea fails.

 

Peter

[JDW]

That's quite an interesting idea, I can't offer any better thoughts on the second railway-related item than already suggested, but if that plan fails, a similar design featuring the interior of a coach with view out of the window might work, or even from a loco cab using a drivers eye video clip...

[keefr2]

British Railways van stopped on the bridge?

[peter220950]

That's quite an interesting idea, I can't offer any better thoughts on the second railway-related item than already suggested, but if that plan fails, a similar design featuring the interior of a coach with view out of the window might work, or even from a loco cab using a drivers eye video clip...

 

I've now had a day or two to think about this, including a look at a small gap in the hedge by my local 'Men in Sheds' where theres a lot of freight and passender stock running. The freight stock regularly stops, leaving a big container visible while a passenger train goes through on an adjacent line. If the gap between wagons is in the right place there's quite a lot to see.

 

I came to the conclusion that anything not head on needs to have a pretty convincing frame to restrict the view, or it won't be as effective, traffic passing left to right, or vice versa, has to appear and dissapear, with a limited view. This is likely to be the problem with a signal box, you are supposed to have a clear unrestricted view both ways, and that doesn't work for this idea.

 

The coach window is good, but would only give a very limited picture, with anything else the eye will want to travel with the moving object, so I'm getting more and more convinced by the bridge.

 

I do like the idea of a view through the cab though, I hadn't considered actually being 'in' something that was moving, and watching the countryside pass by, I just hope that won't tempt me into a fifth box, but perhaps not. I looked at a couple pf cab ride videos and I'm not sure how the rocking cab motion would translate with a fixed frame of the cab window.

 

A bridge plate, or even the whole bridge, is certainly one item that passes the railway item test, it's then down to either a vehicle, or a signal top, as suggested. I do have a broken post with a signal that might suit, and I also considered a hoarding to one side with a railway poster, but these are detail items to work on once the main concepts are up and running. There's a very strong case that a video of a loco and track should be acceptable, given the relatively relaxed view of the rules the Judges seem to be taking!

 

To this end a new Kindle Fire 7 should be arriving tommorow, and I then need to do a bit of filming at a suitable location. There's a suitable place in Droitwich for a modern image, but I'm looking at a bridge just outside Arley on the Severn Valley to get some steam trains, though it's only a weekend service at present. There's plenty of time to get appropriate footage when busier services commence, I just need a test piece to work with at the moment.

 

With a fixed set up, and some video editing, which I have yet to learn, I would hope to get a succession of trains running through. One of the things I'm liking about both this and the Cameo challengs is the opportunity to learn and try out all sorts of new skills.

 

I'm tempted by the little laser cut bases on the main cakebox thread, and might succumb to one or two for a couple of the challenges, though one in particular might need the full 6" depth of board that they lack. The Kindle, being narrower might well house onto the vertical backscene quite nicely, and the void underneath will probably suit the 'something else' that's currently in development.

 

Thanks to all for the suggestions, much appreciated, it's amazing what even a passing comment can spark, I've just had a thought generated by these comment that might result in a fifth challenge that can tie them all together into a logical set......off to do a little thinking.

 

Peter

[Hroth]

You could always include some railway rozzers chasing some scallywags off the bridge....

[peter220950]

The second arrival in the post today was the Kindle, although listed as a factory refurb it looks brand new,

 

 

It seems to fit well enough to suit my purpose, a bit of undergrowth on the sides of the cutting to mask the edges and it should be just the job.

 

I can't really do too much until I have sorted the exact location, as the colouring of the undergrowth will have to match the video.

 

An mdf base has now been ordered for this project, and today has been spent testing the concept of the 'something else', it looks like it might be a viable possibility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The driver for the smoke is a fish tank pump connected to an e-cigarette, just need to sort my own non-toxic brew for the smoke, (glycerine and water)

 

 

 

All I need to do then is sort a release mechanism to trigger it.

 

Peter

[BG John]

I see that one of the people on the bridge will have spent too long in the pub, before videoing the train .

[JDW]

Now that's quite clever, I like it!  Completely wasn't expecting the smoke as it passed under the bridge!  If you end up using footage similar to that, with the grey boxes on the left, could you include those as part of the model itself, maybe half-relief against the screen or something, to further blur the lines between real and imagery?

[peter220950]

Now that's quite clever, I like it!  Completely wasn't expecting the smoke as it passed under the bridge!  If you end up using footage similar to that, with the grey boxes on the left, could you include those as part of the model itself, maybe half-relief against the screen or something, to further blur the lines between real and imagery?[/quote

 

No, thats a Youtube vid, I need to get something tailor made, with a rock solid camera position and lots of trains to leave a long loop running, I have only looked at my preferred location in Google Earth, but I hope theres nothing in the way visually, failing that it's Gotherington on the Gloucester and Warwickshire.

 

Peter

[peter220950]

Bit more studying today, which has only really highlighted that I need a video of my chosen location before I can get much done on the scenery front. It will need to blend in with the real scenery.

 

Some time was spent sorting out the position and height of the bridge in relation to the screen, and it even looks feasible to connect tapering rails to the rails on the screen, if anyone managed to peek down onto the track too much.

 

The idea of putting a BR vehicle on the bridge is questionable, as it tends to block out a bit too much of the view, so I'm currently considering the back half of an estate car with a photographer getting equipment out. The requirement for two railway related bits should be covered by a railway bridge, with a bridge plate, and the top of a signal post, providing I can find a relatively high bridge to film from

 

 

Photographer figures are available from Omen, and I now know where all the smoke gubbins will fit, it just remains to be seen how I activate it, manually with a cheap remote is easiest, but it would be nice to be able to leave it to do ots own thing. I suspect I'm not going to be able to trigger it from the tablet, so it looks like it might be down to timing the loco passes on the video and setting up a series of timings to synchronise. Sounds like it might be a simple Arduino job, but my Uno has been sitting on the workbench for about 3 years and I will need to learn how to use it first, but then isn't that the point of these Challenges.

 

Peter

[JDW]

Looking good.  Will you be synchronising the signal to change as the train passes too?

[peter220950]

It was something I wondered about, again presumably simple with an Arduino and a servo, but only if you know what you're doing, I'm currently at the opening the box stage, but I do have a year to learn, and I also have something in mind for the Cameo that would use the same principles.

 

If the video and Arduino starts can be synchronised relatively accurately it should only be a matter of setting a counting sequence to follow the timings of trains on the video to operate both the air pump and later the signal.

 

 

One thing I need to check out is whether the signal needs scaling down a bit, I am following the forced perspective thread with interest, and will need to do a bit of maths.

 

Peter

[Colin_McLeod]

A brilliant idea which is developing well. I look forward to seeing this progress.

[ColinK]

You could try making your own video to play on the screen. Just set up you camera/phone on a tripod and film everything that passes without moving the camera.

[peter220950]

That's the long term plan, the ones I have used to date are just to test the concept. The problem is that it's really the wrong time of year to get much traffic on any of the preservation lines. I really need to set up on a fixed tripod that will allow the video to be edited without getting jumps where they blend together, and it probably needs most of the day to film, so weather is important, I'm not standing in the pouring rain all day for an 8 x 8 cakebox!

 

I will scout out a couple of the favoured locations in the next week or two, but it will probably be spring before I can get the finished set of videos taken. In the interim I shall do the mechanical work on the smoke generator and get the bridge built, now I have some idea of where the bits fit.

 

Peter