OK how much space do yall leave for scenery from the wall to the first track ya come to?
I have left about 6 inches from the wall. Too litle? too much? Opinions please!
J.W.
If you look closely at many of the pics posted on this forum you will notice that the biggest problem with close spacing is the shadows cast on the background.
That said, if you use a more direct overhead lighting the shadows will not appear.
BigRusty wrote: If you look closely at many of the pics posted on this forum you will notice that the biggest problem with close spacing is the shadows cast on the background.
And one way that make that less of a problem is for background to represent something close to tracks-- building side, fence, trees, that SHOULD have a shadow. (As opposed to clear horizon.)
I am building an N layout with staging 1 ½" from background, but track is not visible there. Will be hidden inside long port warehouse buildings.
The center-line of the farthest-back visible track will be only one inch from front of the warehouse, but that is a loading track, up against loading doors. Upper portion of ships half a block away (supposedly) visible over tops of warehouse sheds.
It is nice to have more spacing, but where the "backest" track has something in front of it, and a background integrated with the closer scene, space almost zero can work. In the middle picture of the set below, the painted background is 1 ½" behind the center line of the track on which the switcher runs.
Oops. Shadow of the water tower falls on the BG. Oh well....
All depends on what you are putting there. If its a false front building then a inch or two will do. If its a mountain then you'll need a couple feet.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Depends on the scenery. 6 inches is plenty for a rock face or a havily vegetated slope (with selective compression - trees getting smaller toward the top - it can look a lot deeper than 6 inches.) You might be able to selectively compress a block of downtown (fillintheblank) structures, with most of the city on the backdrop. The wide open spaces might present more of a challenge - most of which will consist of keeping improbable shadows off the backdrop.
Still, by allowing six inches, you have left yourself more space than most folks do - a big plus in your favor.
Chuck (modeling the heavily vegetated vertical scenery of Central Japan in September, 1964)