Half relief vans for a backscene

[92220]

I had what is probably a really stupid idea to help with the backscene on Camden Shed. You can see progress on the thread in my signature. It has, or will have, the station building at the N end, and the side of the goods depot and the signal box at the S end. In between, there is not enough room for a full track's width of "ornamental" wagons, but I could perhaps take a razor saw to some vans lengthways to depict them in the background to the up fast. If it works, it could be a plausible backdrop. It could be a disaster.

 

I have a few Parkside vans that don't run that well being too light, obviously rigid and probably not even totally square since the chassis were built without any sort of alignment jig. So I guessing could try it and see? But any experience of this, or other advice, is much appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Iain

[PhilJ W]

What about hiding them under a canopy as if they were at a loading bank?

[David C]

A novel idea, to say the least! You'd still need some kind of backscene, I would have thought, as wagons in 4mm scale aren't that tall. Nevertheless, its one way of using up rolling stock which doesn't run too well - I too have got quite a few kit built models like that.

 

David C

[92220]

Phil - thanks for the suggestion but that wouldn't fit the location I'm afraid. It is a big open yard in front of the goods depot building.

David - yes, the idea would be for the vans to sit up against the backscene, which will be a painted silhouette representing what was visible to that aspect.

 

Anyone ever tried it?

 

Iain

[SRman]

Someone in the Model Bus Federation once used just the back ends of buses (from plastic Tower Models kits which actually had rather poorly executed front ends anyway) mounted on some black plastic sheet, sitting under a low-relief shed entrance - quite effectively, I should add.

 

The idea is a good one but, to my mind, it would need some sort of cover or canopy to assist them to blend the wagons into the backscene. I think it is certainly worth experimenting with the idea, anyhow.

[Dunsignalling]

I had what is probably a really stupid idea to help with the backscene on Camden Shed. You can see progress on the thread in my signature. It has, or will have, the station building at the N end, and the side of the goods depot and the signal box at the S end. In between, there is not enough room for a full track's width of "ornamental" wagons, but I could perhaps take a razor saw to some vans lengthways to depict them in the background to the up fast. If it works, it could be a plausible backdrop. It could be a disaster.

 

I have a few Parkside vans that don't run that well being too light, obviously rigid and probably not even totally square since the chassis were built without any sort of alignment jig. So I guessing could try it and see? But any experience of this, or other advice, is much appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Iain

If it will be a continuous line of vans with two structures hiding the ends, it could work. The height of your layout will be a deciding factor (the higher, the better) and a wide baseboard will be better than a narrow one.

 

With a viewpoint at around track level, your idea could work very well, especially if combined with a hazy morning silhouette backscene.

 

A very good example is that on the Leicester South exhibition layout and the technique is described in the March 2009 issue of BRM.

 

The observer's eye will not need to be far above the wagons before it becomes obvious what you have been up to but, if you are lucky, it might turn out to be one of those things the brain just edits out.

 

Why not cut one or two vans and make a rough diorama from an old cereal packet to try it out?

 

I also have a feeling that it would be easier to use unbuilt kits or r-t-r vans (unpainted Dapol body shells are obtainable quite cheaply); successfully bisecting a completed van body made up from six parts may not be as easy as it sounds.

 

John

[Pete 75C]

Personally, I have lots of disastrous ideas in my head, but just sometimes, they turn into successes. This may be one of your successes! Give it a go. If you are planning to razor saw lengthways, just clamp well and take your time. Interested to see the result. Pete.

[Neil]

Given that there's little difference in width between half and a whole van, at least in the context of a layout, wouldn't it be better to have whole ones? You avoid all the problems of disguising the top and end views, cutting wheelsets in half and maintaining axle alignment and of keeping a whole train in line. It's an ingenious idea, which is to be heartily congratulated, but it does come with significant snags that could be esily overcome for the sake of about 15mm extra width to the layout.

[92220]

Some excellent advice there, thanks.

As a result, I think I will:

1. Experiment

2. Have both ends of the line of vans hidden - the S end goes into the goods depot building and the N end may be behind an old small signal box

3. Try to shift the layout a little away from that wall of the shed so I can use a line of whole wagons close to the backscene. There is enough room to do that I think.

 

Thanks,

 

Iain

[southern42]

Hi Iain.

 

You might try comparing  vans split down the middle with ones cut beyond the middle so that the roofs are just sloping down toward the back.

 

The one disadvantage with the second version, though, is that you won't be so easily able to use both sides of the van.  At least with split down the middle you get two for the price of one. 

 

Or have the line slightly on the diagonal and have them tapering back until out of sight, as you say, behind a building.

 

Just some thoughts.  Look forward to your solution.

 

Polly

[IWCR]

With  half  models  it  may  also  be  worth  putting  them  against  a  mirror,  I  have  seen  this  done  with  model  aircraft  and  it  is  very  effective,  the  reflection  always  matches  your  viewing  angle  and  the  item  looks  whole.  You  would  need  to  blend  any  mirror  into  the  backscene  to  be  effective  and  be  careful  that  the  viewing  positions  dont  result  in  looking  at  yourself.

One  thing  to  watch  is  that  the  reflective  surface  of  the mirror  is  the  back  hence  an  apparrent  gap  of  twice  the  glass  thickness appears  in  the  centre  of  the  model/image,  this  can  be  overcome  by  using  polished  aluminium  or  similar  for  the  reflector  rahter  than  a  glass  mirror.

 

Pete

[clecklewyke]

I think this could work well, if the layout is set at eye level. A similar idea was used successfully on Western Road, one of the Scalefour Society 1883 challenge layouts, albeit they used a rake of Mk 1 corridor coaches as a backscene rather than vans. I suggest you position buildings as view-blockers to constrain sight-lines and allow only diagonal views of the vans, so you cannot see through the gaps between the vans.  

 

Have a go!

 

Ian

[Del]

I've considered this with coaches, the planned layout was to be the local platforms of an urban terminus, with the coaches visible through arches supposedly on a main line platform.

It still hasn't been built though, but I still think it would work.

[92220]

Given the rest of the layout a mirror isn't going to be an option I'm afraid. There is a backscene representation of the North London skyline to be painted, including Camden Roundhouse and other silhouetted buildings. The vans will occupy the space between the station buildings at the N and the goods depot building at the S......

 

The advice about only diagonal views being available, and the vans themselves being partly obscured anyway, are much appreciated too, and I think confirms that I need to move the layout 1" and include a full relief line of vans instead.

 

Iain