Scenery Dividers

[RicZ]

I have a problem, due to physical constraints, with two towns that are supposed to be some distance apart, but are in-fact literally a couple of inches apart around a curve.  One is an engine servicing facility and the other is a sugar mill In northeastern Colorado.  I need to find a divider or a scenery element that will provide separation of the two scenes.

I would appreciate any and all suggestions.  Thanks in advance.

RicZ

["JaBear"]

Gidday Rik, here's a link to a previous thread on view blocks....

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/p/205324/2246707.aspx#2246707

..........hope it is of use.

Cheers, the Bear.

[tomikawaTT]

Track in a cut, highway (or rural road) bridge and overhanging deciduous trees.

Using a variant to hide the entrance to a spiral.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[RicZ]

To elborate, let me put this in perspective.  the attached drawing shows the corner that the issue lies in and the proximity of the two "towns."  Grid is 12 inches square and thisis an HO layout.

CC Corner

I need to put a divider between the Sugar Mill and the spur running out of the engine servicing shop, but i would like to avoid cutting off the upper right corner view.

RicZ

[JoeinPA]

Ric

You can't directly paste photos or illustrations into your posts. Here is a link that explains the process:

http://cs.trains.com/p/help.aspx#forums9. It along with a lot of other info about this forum can be found under "Help" on the right side of this page.

Joe

[RicZ]

Thanks, Joe.  I put a Photobucket link. http://s1055.photobucket.com/user/ezrails/media/CCCorner.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

 

RicZ

["JaBear"]

Gidday Rik, because we can tend to be a lazy bunch, I'll take the liberty of putting your diagram up.

Cheers, the Bear.

EDIT: It would appear that you have about three inches between the sugar refinery and the engine servicing spur. The only thing I can think of which would still allow you to see the rear right corner yet divide the two scenes is a row of tall trees and imagination. Though having just looked at photos of Northeastern Colorado I hadn't thought about it being so flat and sparsely vegetated, so much for the idea it was all Rocky Mountains.

EDIT 2: Could a mirror the same height as, and placed hard up against, and across the rear of the sugar mill and prehaps the edges disguised as an overhead walkway, conveyor or some such thing work??

[ARTHILL]

I agree, tall trees, Furnace filter on a stick, alla Aggro  Jones, make a great, easy to built scene separater. I would build them more full than normal and rather skinny. Plant them close together and put some small scenic material on each side, of a different nature and it will work. Maybe some junk piles on the shop side and a drunk lying on a bench on the surgarbeat side, or some workers standing under a big tree in the shade.  

[dknelson]

A fairly tall building "flat" perhaps using the trick that Jim Hediger recently used on one of the recent project layouts and that is to have two different looking sides (for example one side red brick, the other side cream city brick); acting like a backdrop but at an angle to the edge of the layout, and self-supporting.  That building could be wedged between the two scenes and come close to the track curve.  Yes the very narrow end would look strange when standing opposite the curve (and that is where you'd be able to see both scenes at the same time) but given your circumstance and what it is that you want, something has to give.

Dave Nelson

[carl425]

Don't do anything that will block your access to the crossover that comes out of the inside track on that curve to the back right. The S-curve that it creates will likely result in some derailments.

[gandydancer19]

I agree that a row of tall trees would work.  But I would also make a raised ridgeline of about an inch to put them on.  To me, that would break up the two scenes more. 

As for the height of the trees, I don't think they would have to be any taller than the enginehouse.  Most of the time we are looking for something that will look right in a photo and yet block the view to the next scene.  But we still may want to look over the top at some point during operations.

[RicZ]

Thanks for all of your inputs.  The sugar mill will be at a slightly elevated point (about an inch higher), so we will add a slope down towards the engine shop, with a cut where the tracks come through at the rear and a tree line across the top of the slope.  There is already a hill at the rear of the curve and we will tie that into the view block with trees and vegetation.

Thanks again for all your inputs.  

RicZ

[ACY Tom]

The row of trees might work fine, but I'm thinking tall trees wouldn't be too common in eastern Colorado.  Maybe a dry wash or small stream could be put there, with a small culvert or trestle to carry the double track line over it.  It could be lined with some small cottonwoods or other appropriate vegetation.  In this instance, it wouldn't be much of a viewblock.  More like a scenic element that separates the two scenes, so that your attention is drawn to one or the other, but not both at the same time.  I would think a tall building just might not look at home in this part of the country.   

[cuyama]

carl425

Don't do anything that will block your access to the crossover that comes out of the inside track on that curve to the back right. The S-curve that it creates will likely result in some derailments.

Agree. Better still to rework the plan now to avoid that s-curve. It's hard to tell from the drawing, but those look like they might be #4s, which will be even more onerous. If you are willing to deal with a somewhat non-prototypical appearance, an angled crossover works well in that kind of situation and can use sharper turnouts than the typical straight crossover. Here are some examples.

One can also make these from curved turnouts

What you are trying to avoid is the s-curve created by the end curve and the diverging leg of the turnout immediately turning in the other direction.