Track Distance to Backdrop

[hon30critter]

bogp40

Mighty fine looking rock formations and bridge abutments! Maybe on another thread you could tell us how you did them.

Dave

[bogp40]

DanJo

Thanks for all of the replies.  There is a wealth of knowledge on this site.  My clearance with the backdrop is sufficient from an operational standpoint.  Luckily I made sure of that when doing my plan on Anyrail.  In order to get a bigger turn radius, my curves come about 3" from the track center to the backdrop and then continue straight along the back wall.  It sounds like a little extra space will make it easier to blend from scenery to backdrop.  I think I'll add a gentle curve to that straight section of track on the back of the layout to bring the track a little away from the backdrop.  This should give me more scenery space and I think it will add a little visual interest as well.

Dan  

Good idea. You would only need to gain a couple inches.  Just do make that curve "gentle" not sure of the radius you're coming off, but want to eliminate any problematic "S" in a hard to reach place.

[BATMAN]

Dan

One way to solve the portal problem is to slice a thin piece of foam and apply it to the backdrop and blend it into a tunnel portal made out of foam and carved to look like blasted rock. You could then paint the backdrop to look like a continuation of the rock. I like what Lateral - G has done.

I also curve the track away from the backdrop and then go close again to max out my curve radius on one end of my layout.

 

                                                                           Brent

[DanJo]

Thanks for all of the replies.  There is a wealth of knowledge on this site.  My clearance with the backdrop is sufficient from an operational standpoint.  Luckily I made sure of that when doing my plan on Anyrail.  In order to get a bigger turn radius, my curves come about 3" from the track center to the backdrop and then continue straight along the back wall.  It sounds like a little extra space will make it easier to blend from scenery to backdrop.  I think I'll add a gentle curve to that straight section of track on the back of the layout to bring the track a little away from the backdrop.  This should give me more scenery space and I think it will add a little visual interest as well.

Dan  

[MisterBeasley]

I've got several "background building" kits from Walthers.  They are typically 1 to 2 inches deep.  So, to provide clearance, you'd need 2 to 3 inches between the wall and the edge of the track.  You can, of course, cut the sidewalls to make them thinner, or, as suggested earlier, just use the front walls as "building flats."

If your room lighting is high or directly above the layout, then shadows are less of a problem.  But, if you get a lot of light from across the room, then the shadows of trains on the wall can be annoying.  You can break this up with non-flat scenery, particularly irregular scenery like trees, or with darker items rather than a light blue sky background.

[bogp40]

I would say that it would primarily depend on the effect you want and the scenery you plan to depict. If you are running on the plains or showing any other type of flat, even water etc, then you can have the track as close as min clearances allow. The close proximity can cause some awful shadows as mentioned though. If you want to convey  some sort of hill, forest rock, then you need enough space to set some forgroung to run against the backdrop. I have successfully used this method allowing 4-5" to the backdrop. This also allows plenty of space to place tunnel portals and even wing walls, which would be appropriate if the hill was to be on the backdrop.

This area not finished in the pic, but there is 3" behind the upper track to backdrop

Double track 3 1/2" from backdrop

Different view, lower track runs through backdrop.

[eTraxx]

NMRA Standards -  Clearances for  Bridges, Structures and Tangent Tracks for Old Time, Classic 

and Modern eras.as of February 2011

http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/pdf/s-7_2011_02.pdf

That's your minimum .. anything else follow the other suggestins

[tgindy]

When is a not-backdrop "in essence" also a backdrop?

When tracks are beside a rock cliff.  What would the proper track distance then be to the rock cliff?

How about building flats against the backdrop, but; between the track and the backdrop itself?  What is the proper track distance, or clearance, then be to the building flats?

[galaxy]

There really is no general rule for this.

However, there must be enough clearance for your locos and cars to traverse close to the backdrop without scraping or derailing because of the backdrop. If there is a curve leading into track parallelling the backdrop, be sure to leave room for engine or car overhang.

[Lateral-G]

My track gets pretty close to the backdrop....

[tomikawaTT]

Hi, Dan,

As  general rule, there is no general rule.  There ARE specific examples:

• Track parallel to prairie scene on backdrop - depends on where the lights are.  No shadow of train on backdrop.
• Track serving loading doors of buildings painted on backdrop - minimum NMRA gauge clearance.
• Track in a modeled cut.  Enough space for the trackside ditch and a 1:1 slope (earth cut) or about 10mm to model a vertical retaining wall or a drilled and blasted rock face.
• Track on a bridge - see first example - especially (worst case) if the bridge is a through truss.
• Track parallel to painted woodlands, with underbrush.  NMRA minimum plus 25mm - with some scrub vegetation in the 25mm space.

If you can, leave more space, and hide the places where the clearance is really tight behind trees, buildings or landforms.

Chuck (Modeling the cedar-forested mountains of Central Japan in September, 1964)

[jwhitten]

DanJo

I am finalizing my track plan for an 9 x 16 U shaped around the room layout with a return loop at each end.  As a general rule, how close can I place my track to the backdrop and still leave enough space to scenic behind the track?  I ask because I discovered that there isn't enough room for the side of my tunnel portal where the track comes close to the backdrop on the back straight section.  It looked good on paper when it was just track and open areas, but now it seems like I need to move the track a little further away from the backdrop.  At least I caught this while drawing the plan on my foam base and using foam cut outs for my portals.

Thanks for your help, Dan

 

That's partly a personal (subjective) question as in, it will really be up to you to decide what you can live with. Some folks can get by with a photo backdrop and nothing else, whereas others need several feet and might still feel like that's not enough. That said though, typically most folks (I'd wager) leave at least a few inches off the backdrop-- say 6-8 inches, though you could get by with less, so they can add a little terrain, perhaps a small building, or building flat or other low-relief structural elements. Another item that comes into play is the absolute minimum distance needed for clearance by your trains. You could check out the following two web sites for more information on this and other topics:

NMRA Web Site:

http://www.nmra.org

Layout Design Special Interest Group (LDSig):

http://www.ldsig.org

 

John

[DanJo]

I am finalizing my track plan for an 9 x 16 U shaped around the room layout with a return loop at each end.  As a general rule, how close can I place my track to the backdrop and still leave enough space to scenic behind the track?  I ask because I discovered that there isn't enough room for the side of my tunnel portal where the track comes close to the backdrop on the back straight section.  It looked good on paper when it was just track and open areas, but now it seems like I need to move the track a little further away from the backdrop.  At least I caught this while drawing the plan on my foam base and using foam cut outs for my portals.

Thanks for your help, Dan