My layout will be double decked. Lower level will attach tot he wall directly, with as few legs as possible in the front. Standard stuff. The upper deck, which is the lighting valance for the lower deck as well as the upper deck for track and also a lighting valance for the upper deck, I am planning to make C shaped frames and hang them on the wall cabinet style.
So for the upper deck I will have supports sticking out a few inches fromt he wall, every 16", that I can attach a brackdrop to, witht he gap behind serving as a place to run wires from the second deck track and lighting underneath up to the top. No worries.
But - the lower deck. Two ways I see doing things here - attach supprots every 16" along the wall to space out a backdrop, OR just paint the wall that shows between the decks with a sky blue color.
Just painting seems like the easiest, though should I ever tear down the layout, there will basically be a blue stripe running around the room. Also cheaper, I won;t need to actually buy masonite or similar to make the backdrop for the lower level. The walls will be drywall, painted white before I build anything.
So, would you add all the extra supports, makign more holes in the walls that need to be filled in, and install the backdrop the same way as the upper level's, or just simply paint directly on the wall and be done with it?
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
For areas of the layout where I had drywall backdrop I simply painted the drywall 'sky' blue. When the layout eventually gets disassembled there will be far for issues to worry about compared to repainting the wall. :)
Modeling an HO gauge freelance version of the Union Pacific Oregon Short Line and the Utah Railway around 1957 in a world where Pirates from the Great Salt Lake founded Ogden, UT.
- Photo album of layout construction -
I painted the blue stripe on the walls. I haven't gotten far enough to form an opinion yet on how the finished product looks, but I've already started regreting having not coved the corners.
Where I would draw the line on using the wall as a backdrop is if I intended to attach a photo backdrop or something similar. Having removed wallpaper a couple of times in the past, that's a cleanup I wouldn't want to set myself up for.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
If you have even one hole in the wall to repair at some point, you might as well add all the supports, because you'll have to buy all the tools and materials to repair the one hole, so repairing a bunch more isn't that much worse, as you'll already have to buy the stuff anyway. Time to repair screw holes and such is only a few minutes per hole, total time for all steps.
On the other hand, with just painting the backdrop blue for the lower deck, should you ever need to take the layout down you'll probably have to repair mounting holes for the upper deck anyway, which will necessitate painting the walls. So the impact of the blue stripe is zero, in terms of rehabbing the room.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Coving the corners is the one thing I didn't think of. The upper deck will be coved, there's no point in NOT coving it when you are installing a dedicated backdrop on front of the actual wall.
I do have plenty of leftover and scrap to make all the supports I need, so I may just do that for the lower deck. And I may use something besides masonite, that comes in long rolls to minimize or eliminate joints. But that's another discussion.
rrinker But - the lower deck. Two ways I see doing things here - attach supprots every 16" along the wall to space out a backdrop, OR just paint the wall that shows between the decks with a sky blue color. Just painting seems like the easiest, though should I ever tear down the layout, there will basically be a blue stripe running around the room. Also cheaper, I won;t need to actually buy masonite or similar to make the backdrop for the lower level. The walls will be drywall, painted white before I build anything. So, would you add all the extra supports, makign more holes in the walls that need to be filled in, and install the backdrop the same way as the upper level's, or just simply paint directly on the wall and be done with it? --Randy
If I understand you question correctly, I would just paint the wall sky blue and worry about what it looks like if you ever tear it down later.
IMO, a freshly drywalled wall is the best backdrop there is. I just see that furring out a masonite strip would be more work to achieve a lesser backdrop.
I think a simple sky blue backdrop for the lower deck would help create separation between the decks, rather than one of those fancy photo backdrops that would extend up to the bottom of the upper deck, but that's a matter of personal taste.
EDIT: If it was me I'd just avoid the possible strip by painting the entirety of all basement walls sky blue before I even start on the benchwork. I'm slow, and having everything sky blue helps to help things look good while I run trains, not knowing when I'd get around to doing the final scenic touches.
- Douglas
I vote for paint. It would take maybe two coats to cover, and with a little cutting and rolling, maybe a total of one hour of work, including prep and cleanup.
If it doesn't seem to 'fit' later, simply tailor a backdrop, and glue it into place. You'll need help.
With the C shaped structural poeces for the upper deck, there would be ribs interrupting the backdrop every 16", so that definitely needs some material applied in front of the ribs to act as the backdrop.
I'm not a huge fan of photo backdrops, they end up looking TOO good compared to the models sitting in front of it. Distance hills and trees maybe, or else a very 'softened' low res image. There's a rather iconic view that could go behind my yard, for example.
Area underneath the lower level - doesn;t matter if it's blue or white. Area from the bottom of the upepr deck up to the ceiling - also doesn't matter. However, there's much resistance to painting the whole basement sky blue. I'd almost not even paint it, at least any of the walls the will have the layout in front of them, just have the drywall seams all taped and mudded. There are some walls that do need paint, for that it will be basic contractor white. Cheap and easy. Only reason for doing the restof it, it will be MUCH brighter in there while working on the layout if the walls were white instead of drywall tannish. And it shouldn;t take long to roll all the walls, working right out of the 5 gallon paint pail. I'd spray it, but I have a gas furnace and gas water heater, only the water heater has a live pilot, but I'd have to shut that all down, and there are no windows to cross ventilate the area, so roller it is.
I vote for painting the wall, the blue stripe as you call it. I painted mine sky blue, then did the detail painting as I progressed with the layout build.
Can't show pictures yet, waiting on Photobucket, but you can see it all on my YouTube.
Click on the "uploads" button to see everything I have on there, look for a video that's titled Hand painted backdrop.
What I DIDN'T do was round out the corners.
IF and when you ever tear it all down, more paint will cover it.
Mike.
My You Tube
rrinker ...But - the lower deck. Two ways I see doing things here - attach supprots every 16" along the wall to space out a backdrop, OR just paint the wall that shows between the decks with a sky blue color. Just painting seems like the easiest, though should I ever tear down the layout, there will basically be a blue stripe running around the room. Also cheaper, I won;t need to actually buy masonite or similar to make the backdrop for the lower level. The walls will be drywall, painted white before I build anything....
When I was building my house, over 30 years ago, I was going to have the luxury of the complete basement for my layout. That soon changed due to family considerations. Since the entire basement had already been studded and insulated, it was easy enough to divide it up as separate rooms and drywall all of it.
In the layout room, I planned for all ten corners of the room to be coved, as shown in the sketch below...
...and a view of the construction...
None of the coved corners have cracks at the seams where the Masonite meets the thicker drywall, nor are there cracks or seams showing anywhere in the basement - this is due, I think, to having installed all of the drywall vertically, where joints can be properly (and more easily) taped, unlike where "professional" drywallers prefer to use longer sheets, installed horizontally, to minimise the required taping. I've seen very few of the latter vertical joints that weren't very noticeable.
I had also planned for the layout to be partially double-decked, so once all the drywall had been done and the corners coved, I bought some not-too-dark blue paint and some white to use to lighten the colour for the lower portion of the "sky".Here's how it looked with the lower level in place and the upper level not yet added...
...and with upper level construction about to begin...
...and in progress...
and finally useable...
When the layout is removed, I'll have to redo all of those corners using 1/2" drywall, and there'll be lots of holes to fill and, of course, repaint all of the walls and re-arrange the lighting - not that big of a deal, in my opinion.
mbinsewi...Can't show pictures yet, waiting on Photobucket, but you can see it all on my YouTube....
Mike, perhaps you should contact photobucket, as mine has been working well for several days.
Wayne
I forgot to mention that I coved all the corners with 1/8" masonite (except a couple places where the backdrop walls are removable).
doctorwayneMike, perhaps you should contact photobucket, as mine has been working well for several days.
Oh I have been Wayne. I got an email from them this morning, giving me hope. Drew said they are still working on getting some accounts back to 100%. Of course, mine is one of them.
rrinkerOR just paint the wall that shows between the decks with a sky blue color. Just painting seems like the easiest, though should I ever tear down the layout, there will basically be a blue stripe running around the room.
Just painting seems like the easiest, though should I ever tear down the layout, there will basically be a blue stripe running around the room.
Just paint the whole wall sky blue - I used Valspar Clear Blue Sky but there are others that would work well enough.
I've seen some paint a wide stripe around the wall at the layout level and then cream or some other color above. I find that very distracting and jarring to look at. IMO, paint the wall from floor to ceiling and then you won't have distracting color above it.
In the photo above, that's the benchwork going in for the staging yard and there will be a main yard above it. This time I will be supporting the main yard with wall brackets and on the outer edge threaded rods to add additional support at intervals. The bottom level isn't planned to be scenicked, just staging. I do plan a lower level for a branch line along part of the layout so it will semi double decked. I have heard a lot of people, after building a complete double decked layout didn't end up liking it a lot and went back to single deck. I'm sort of going to try a little of each, but mainly single deck.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 rrinker OR just paint the wall that shows between the decks with a sky blue color. Just painting seems like the easiest, though should I ever tear down the layout, there will basically be a blue stripe running around the room. Just paint the whole wall sky blue - I used Valspar Clear Blue Sky but there are others that would work well enough. I've seen some paint a wide stripe around the wall at the layout level and then cream or some other color above. I find that very distracting and jarring to look at. IMO, paint the wall from floor to ceiling and then you won't have distracting color above it.
rrinker OR just paint the wall that shows between the decks with a sky blue color. Just painting seems like the easiest, though should I ever tear down the layout, there will basically be a blue stripe running around the room.
I vote again for painting the whole train room sky blue from floor to ceiling for the reasons you mention. Gives the entire space a cleaner uniform look. Doesn't take hardly much more work or cost.
I could go either way with that - all blue, OK, no distractions, but you won't see anything below the lower deck, and there won't be much if anything visible above the upper deck's valance. White, and just do the lower level backdrop diretly on the drywall - you won't see anything below the lower deck, and little if anything above the upper deck valance, so no distractions, either.
However that color looks good, so I am saving that info. Nice to use a stock color rather than some matched one that may never come out the same again.
Also liking Tony Koester's idea of using a CTC machine greenish color for both the fascia and as the basic color coat over the benchwork before putting down the ground cover.
I chose the Valspar Clear Blue Sky by taking a bunch of color cards from Lowe's outside and comparing the to the sky.
One thing to keep in mind is if you look straight up, the sky is a much deeper darker blue than down closer to the horizon. Down lower the sky is a lighter paler blue. The paint shade I chose was a compromise that leaned more to the lighter horizon, since that is near the layout viewing area.
I noticed fascia colors tend to look best if they compliment the scenery theme but also doesn't over power or draw too much attention to itself, since the trains and scene is central.
No one fascia color is universally best. Layouts with a summery desiduous tree environtment may benefit best from a darker green fascia. I've noticed Rob Spangler used a grayish green fascia for his Utah based wp8thsub layout that appears to be set in spring time. Desert theme may look best with a shade of tan or toupe.
Look at a lot of layouts and those with well matched fascias will look the best.
riogrande5761I noticed fascia colors tend to look best if they compliment the scenery theme but also doesn't over power or draw too much attention to itself, since the trains and scene is central.
.
Apple Barrel craft paint makes a color called "English Ivy Green" that is a near perfect match for Woodland Scenics green blend ground foam.
I have had gallons of it custom mixed at Home Depot and used it on Fascias for the past few layouts. It does exacrtly what you said, compliments without overpowering.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
That looks pretty good for a green scenery fascia. The grayish/olive tint mutes it a bit so it provides a complimentary framing while leaving the layout the main focus.
rrinker I could go either way with that - all blue, OK, no distractions, but you won't see anything below the lower deck, and there won't be much if anything visible above the upper deck's valance. White, and just do the lower level backdrop diretly on the drywall - you won't see anything below the lower deck, and little if anything above the upper deck valance, so no distractions, either. However that color looks good, so I am saving that info. Nice to use a stock color rather than some matched one that may never come out the same again. --Randy
Coincidently, that green is pretty close to the "CTC machine green" Tony mentions in his last book, Time saving ips for Model Railroaders or whatever the exact title is He even had a color sample printed in the book that you could take to have matched, assuming they took care to properly reproduce all the colors in the book.
If I only paint the space between decks witht he sky blue, that's basically 2 roller widths, a bit less even. That will take almost no time - as long as I do it BEFORE laying any track.
The movable part in front of the furnace, that has to be completely freestanding, no wall attachment at all. So for that I will probably attach masonite behind both levels, and compeltely paint the whole thing. A full skin like that will act like a stabilizer to keep the whole section solid and not wobble. Still think that part will be on heavy duty casters so I can just unhook both ends and roll it clear if work is needed on the furnace or water heater.
Hi Randy,
Something to keep in mind is how easy will it be to see things under the layout? The darker the wall colour the harder it will be to see. Our club went with all blue walls but if I were doing it over I would have gone with white below the layout.
In fact, given the amount of time that typically has to be spent under a layout, it might be worth installing a lighting system there too.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I was considering running a row of LEDs under the layout - although I have a nice bright LED drop light, way better than thos eold metal with an incandescent bulb things. Once the wiring is done, the only thing under the layotu will be rows of plastic totes storing all our stuff in.
But that's a good argument to the "paint the walls white, and just paint the visible strip blue" side of things.
hon30critter...In fact, given the amount of time that typically has to be spent under a layout, it might be worth installing a lighting system there too.
I dunno, Dave, but the only time I spend under the layout is if I'm looking for something stored under there, and there's plenty of room-light for that.
doctorwayneI dunno, Dave, but the only time I spend under the layout is if I'm looking for something stored under there, and there's plenty of room-light for that.
Hi Wayne,
Since my back precludes me from getting under the layout unless I was on a stretcher, all I know is what I have seen. Several guys have spent numerous hours under the layout installing the wiring and the Tortoises, and they always seem to be fighting with the work lamps and squinting to try to see what they are working on. If the under layout area was brightly lit I think their jobs would have been a lot easier.
Cheers!!
A belated Happy New Year!